About
Positioning Edmonton as a global innovation powerhouse starts at home.
Have an idea or business that you think could solve local challenges? You can test your ideas locally, as a proving ground for expanding globally. The Capital City Pilots project, led by Edmonton Unlimited in partnership with the City of Edmonton, connects local entrepreneurs with City-owned assets. Small to medium-sized businesses can test their innovative intellectual property while making improvements to municipal property.
Edmonton is known as a fantastic launchpad for entrepreneurs as they scale up and bring the best of our city to the global market. This funding allows us to unlock even more potential and use the City as a living lab giving entrepreneurs a chance to test their ideas. With many supports and our open-for-business policies, it is clear that Edmonton welcomes innovation, experimentation, and discovery. Thank you to the federal government for continuing to support Edmonton and our economic revival.
-Amarjeet Sohi, Mayor of Edmonton
Details
- Provides a flagship client for local startups to take their innovations to the world, inspiring future international customers and investors
- Makes our infrastructure more cutting-edge and sustainable
- Showcases local innovation in the public realm and positions Edmonton innovators to create an impact locally and globally
Funders
Our Capital City Pilots program led by Edmonton Unlimited wouldn’t be possible without the generous provincial and federal funding we’ve received to grow this project and solidify its importance for our local innovators, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. From sustainable climate solutions to public health and digital education, Edmonton is a leading global center for inspiration, ingenuity and inclusion.
Federal Funding
We received $779,310 for Capital City Pilots, a novel collaboration with the City of Edmonton to develop, promote, and market a model where small- and medium-sized businesses can test their innovative intellectual property while improving municipal property. This is part of federal funding of $17 million through PrairiesCan that will create hundreds of jobs and help Edmonton’s most innovative and leading-edge companies grow and enter new markets.
Provincial Funding
On a provincial level, we are excited to announce that the Government of Alberta will be providing $1.8 million in funding over three years for the Capital City Pilots project. This funding builds on previous investments made by other key project partners, including the City of Edmonton and Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).
We want to generously thank our federal and provincial funding partners behind our Capital City Pilots project. The allocation and funding for this program ensures that Alberta innovators have the foundation, support, and resources to test their innovative ideas for the future of Edmonton and beyond.
