AI Compute Access Fund

The call for applications closed on July 31, 2025 for the AI Compute Access Fund which was announced on December 5, 2024, as part of the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. Through an investment of up to $300 million, this fund seeks to combat the high cost of AI compute resources and the limited availability of domestic capacity. The objectives of the AI Compute Access Fund are to:

• Accelerate Canadian AI innovation and commercialization by supporting the costliest component in the AI innovation value chain – compute;
• Target support to Canadian AI SMEs engaging in research and development (R&D)/compute projects with a concrete pathway to commercialization; and
• Support use of a diverse range of external compute suppliers so companies can stay competitive in a rapidly changing industry.

The call for proposals closed on July 31, 2025. Should a new call for proposals be issued, this program may be for you if you meet all of the following criteria. To be eligible, you must:

• Be a Canadian-registered for-profit company developing AI products or services.
  • Consortiums of organizations need to apply through one eligible corporation as the project lead applicant;
• Have fewer than 500 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees;
• Be revenue-generating and/or able to demonstrate investor interest through a minimum of Series A financing;
• Have a research and development (R&D) team based in Canada and be willing to carry out project activities in Canada;
• Develop AI products or services, and have a commercialization plan to demonstrate a clear path to market, including key milestones, target customers, competitive advantages, and strategies for scaling and sustaining the project; and
• Have contracts, invoices, or other documentation for compute services either in place or in progress at the time of application.

Applicants who do not yet have a compute services agreement in place at the time of application are still eligible to apply; however, they will be required to demonstrate an active contract before a Contribution Agreement can be finalized.

Your project can include compute costs ranging from $100,000 to $5 million over a period of up to three years. This does not have to represent the full value of the company's compute costs but only those eligible costs that fall within the program range will be considered.

Successful applicants can receive financial support in one of three forms: non-repayable, conditionally repayable, or repayable. The type of funding offer you receive will be determined during the assessment phase and outlined in your Contribution Agreement.

• Non-repayable funding may be offered if your project shows strong alignment with program goals, delivers significant benefits to Canada, and presents a manageable risk profile.
• Repayable funding may apply if your proposal is strong but doesn't demonstrate significant public benefits.
• Conditionally repayable funding may allow for repayment to be waived if you meet specific milestones – such as achieving commercialization, making significant intellectual property registrations in Canada, or maintaining public benefits.

Please note that the most recent application period closed on July 31, 2025.

The AI Compute Access Fund operates on a competitive basis. The application process includes four main steps:

Step 1: Sign up

Create an account and verify your identity.

Step 2: Submit your Statement of Interest

Submit your Statement of Interest at least ten days before the close of applications to tell us about your project.

To submit your Statement of Interest, you'll need to provide some standard business information and a basic overview of your project proposal, including how it will benefit from AI compute services, and contribute to AI innovation, your industry and Canada.

The team will evaluate your Statement of Interest to confirm basic eligibility and alignment with the program objectives and contact you with a decision within 5 business days of your submission. Applicants who are successful in step 2 will be invited to complete a full application once the application period opens.

Step 3: Full application

If invited to complete a full application, you'll be asked to provide more detailed information about your company and project, its commercialization plan, and expected benefits to Canada. Once you've completed the full application, an in-depth evaluation of your business and project will occur.

During the assessment stage, the program may reach out for additional information about your proposal via email. Application results will be communicated via email.

An application guide is available to help you prepare a strong application.

Step 4: Implementation and monitoring

If your application is successful, you will be invited to enter into a Contribution Agreement. The agreement will outline the unique terms of the financial contribution for your project and will be signed by both parties. Once the Contribution is in place, you can start claiming eligible costs. Regular check-ins will happen to see how your project is progressing and to ensure compliance with the Contribution Agreement. At the end of the project, you will be asked to provide a final summary report.

After the application period closes, the team will review all proposals to conduct a due diligence assessment that considers factors such as:

• Market potential
• Management capability
• Financial capacity
• Technology readiness
• Sufficient economic, innovation and public benefits to Canada
• Degree of alignment with departmental or Government of Canada priorities (e.g. environmental considerations, job creation, developing Canadian intellectual property)

Prior to selecting successful applicants, we will work with AI experts from both public and private sectors to ensure consistency and informed decision-making.

Funding selection will be based not only on the merits of individual proposals but also on achieving a balanced portfolio – considering factors such as regional representation, ownership diversity, business size, risk profile, and overall strategic alignment.