New call for clean technology projects

Sept. 9, 2010, Ottawa – Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) announces its 18th round of funding for Canadian clean technology demonstration projects. Canadian entrepreneurs and technology developers with new technologies and a compelling business case are encouraged to submit statements of interest to the SD Tech Fund from September 1 to October 20, 2010.

“SDTC is helping companies commercialize their new technologies, creating jobs and increasing the competitiveness and efficiency of the Canadian economy,” says SDTC president and CEO Vicky Sharpe. “SDTC investment of $478 million, combined with an active portfolio support strategy, has catalyzed an additional $2.4 billion in follow-on funding into some of the most promising high-growth Canadian companies.”

SDTC is a not-for-profit corporation created by the Government of Canada to finance and support the late-stage development and pre-commercial demonstration of clean technologies. SDTC helps companies through the critical juncture when capital and scaling costs become formidable challenges and the risk profile deters many other investors.

Although applications for technology solutions related to climate change and clean air, soil, and water are encouraged, SDTC’s current priority focus includes technology solutions that:

• Mitigate negative environmental effects associated with Canada’s natural resource sector, including “green mining,” cleaner fossil fuels, and forestry;
• Enable cleaner energy production and improved energy efficiency of the built environment, transportation, and industrial processes;
• Improve the efficiency of the largest water users and address the most sensitive points of water contamination;
• Increase yield and improve temperature and drought resistance of agricultural crops and mitigate land-use changes and biodiversity loss.

SDTC’s SD Business Case reports should be used to identify additional priority investment areas. These reports are available in the knowledge centre section of the SDTC website at www.sdtc.ca.

The SDTC portfolio currently comprises 195 clean technology projects, for a total value of $1.6 billion. SDTC is accepting applications for the current round of funding until October 20, 2010.  Potential applicants are requested to first review the application process and funding requirements at sdtc.ca/applications and then schedule an initial call with an applications manager by emailing applications@sdtc.ca.