Clean technology tackles the climate crisis, grows the economy, and creates high-paying jobs. We see the need to urgently address the barriers that are holding back the adoption of Canadian cleantech solutions at home and abroad.
That is why we’re requesting funding from the Federal Government to deliver on our Net Zero Integrated Marketplace strategy, which will scale up Canadian cleantech through domestic adoption.
In order to be successful, we need you to show your support, so we’re asking if you will take a few minutes to add your company’s name and logo to a letter of support.
What is the Net Zero Integrated Marketplace Strategy?
The Net Zero Integrated Marketplace (NZIM) strategy is an integrated approach that efficiently connects supply to demand, derisks selecting and purchasing clean technology solutions, mobilizes key stakeholders across value chains for greater efficacy and collaboration, and provides Canadian clean technology scaleups with the expertise, connections and capital they need to succeed.
We are seeking funding from the Federal Government for three core components of the NZIM strategy:
- The Net Zero Integrated Marketplace Platform will connect buyers from industry, governments and Indigenous communities to vetted clean technology solutions, as well as identify new technology solutions to their sustainability challenges.
- Ventures to Value Chains will strategically map important emerging value chains for Canada in the green economy, and respond to identified gaps and opportunities.
- A connected National Scale Up Program will address critical challenges Canadian clean technology scaleups face to growing their companies in Canada and to exporting their solutions globally. Building on the infrastructure of the marketplace platform and proven Foresight programming, it will further derisk scale-up projects, help broker regional technology adoption opportunities, and provide scaleups with the global mentorship, talent and capital they need to scale and stay in Canada.
Through this investment, supported companies and projects could earn and raise over $5B, create 15,000+ green jobs, and reduce a projected 50M+ tCO2e by 2030. Municipal partners could access an estimated $300M in procurement savings, while industry will benefit from a streamlined and effective way of sourcing innovative and derisked clean technology solutions. Investors will be matched to quality, coordinated deal flow.
Here is the flowchart of how our approach works and would support stakeholders across the ecosystem.
Our holistic approach takes ventures from creation to commercialization to scale up through a proven acceleration process. This work is complemented by cluster development and ecosystem building that is informed by value chain mapping, and that ensures coordination with government, investors, industry, academia, and innovators – their input can also directly guide venture creation through our acceleration process. Potential buyers are supported through an integrated cleantech marketplace platform and Innovation Challenges (which can include pilot support). This coordination between, and streamlining of, supply and demand leads to greater innovation, investments, revenues, exports, jobs and GHG reductions. Investors are engaged throughout, helping to catalyze capital and bridge valleys of death. This, combined with supportive Government policies and programs, is how Canada can win the race to net zero.
Benefits to You as a Cleantech Leader
This approach will:
- Connect buyers to your solutions and leverage Innovation Challenges to source new solutions to address unmet needs identified by municipal and industry buyers.
- Build capacity for Canadian communities to reach net-zero targets by offering human resources and proven procurement practices for validated clean technology solutions.
- Assist in the development of new technical specifications for the innovative clean technologies being piloted, and provide specifications and bid documents to municipalities with constrained resources.
- Establish early adopters or “edges” across the country to pilot and demonstrate Canadian-made clean technology, and share results with the rest of the network for increased and accelerated uptake.
- Help coordinate procurement needs, reducing overhead costs and obtaining bulk order discounts, where possible.
As part of NZIM, we will also provide the following scale-up supports:
- Executive Mentorship: More support from our successful scale up program.
- Adoption Support Across Canada: Business Development Specialists to help promote your solutions to more buyers.
- Project Vouchers: Cost-share program to solve urgent scale-up challenges.
- Investor Connections: Matchmaking through our Cleantech Investor Network.
- Global Sales: Expanded coordination with Global Affairs Canada, Export Development Canada and BDC to promote and grow Canadian solutions globally.
Show Your Support
Please fill out this short form to add your company name to the following Letter of Support:
To whom it may concern
As cleantech companies, we have firsthand experience with some of the barriers holding up greater adoption of our solutions. For this reason, we are strongly supportive of Foresight Canada’s funding proposal to the Department of Finance to deliver on their Net Zero Integrated Marketplace strategy, including:
- The Net Zero Integrated Marketplace Platform that will connect buyers from industry, governments and Indigenous communities to vetted clean technology solutions, as well as identify new technology solutions to their sustainability challenges.
- The Ventures to Value Chains that will strategically map important emerging value chains for Canada in the green economy, and respond to identified gaps and opportunities.
- The connected National Scale Up Program that will address critical challenges Canadian clean technology scaleups face to growing their companies in Canada and to exporting their solutions globally.
The Net Zero Integrated Marketplace strategy addresses barriers currently hindering greater cleantech adoption and the scale up of Canadian cleantech solutions. We know the potential of our solutions to meaningfully contribute to emissions reductions and economic development.
The Net Zero Integrated Marketplace would be of value to us, as well as to the broader innovation ecosystem, the economy and the climate.
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Foresight, a national nonprofit, has accelerated 400 companies that have raised $1.2B, earned $348M, and created 7,040+ jobs since 2015. We have also trained an additional nearly 500 early-stage entrepreneurs. As of October 2022, we have run 52 innovation challenges that are projected to reduce 68.9Mt of CO2e emissions by 2033. We have engaged 150+ industry partners, 300+ investor firms, and our partnership network includes 25 intermediaries such as accelerators and industry associations across the country. Through this work, we have identified key gaps and opportunities for Canada to lead.
Contact
Barnabe Geis
Senior Director of Market Transformation
