New $3M Fund Targets Carbon Removal Startups Across Canada

Announced at Carbon Removal Canada’s (CRC) Carbon Removal Day 2025 in Ottawa, a new $3-million funding call from the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) is set to accelerate Canada’s carbon removal sector. While the initiative primarily targets B.C.-based startups, it has implications for Alberta’s growing cleantech industry.

The funding call aims to support early-stage climate tech startups developing carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while driving economic growth.

“At CICE, we back bold ideas that turn the global carbon challenge into economic opportunity,” said Sarah Goodman, President & CEO of CICE. “As a nation of problem-solvers, Canada has the talent and the technology to take a leadership position in the growing global carbon removal industry.”

While B.C.—and particularly Vancouver—has established itself as a hub for carbon removal innovation, Alberta has been making strides of its own. Calgary-based companies like Carbon Upcycling and ZS2 Technologies are developing carbon capture and utilization solutions, while the province’s energy expertise and geological storage capacity provide an ideal environment for scaling CDR technologies.

With Alberta’s strong research institutions and growing focus on emissions reduction, local startups may have opportunities to collaborate with B.C. initiatives or leverage similar funding mechanisms.

The Call for Carbon Dioxide Removal Innovation is open to Canadian climate tech companies developing CDR solutions, with priority given to those in British Columbia. Eligible technologies include direct air capture and storage, mineralization, ocean alkalinity enhancement, and biomass carbon removal and storage.

Applications will be accepted until April 30, 2025, and interested innovators can join a Q&A webinar on March 11, 2025, at 11:00am MT for more details.

CICE has already invested $39 million into 59 projects worth over $195 million, helping Canadian innovators scale their technologies. While this latest funding call primarily benefits B.C., it highlights the broader momentum in Canada’s carbon removal sector—momentum that Alberta’s cleantech community can tap into as well.