Innovation Saskatchewan

What Innovation Saskatchewan does

Innovation Saskatchewan is a Crown corporation of the Government of Saskatchewan, established in 2009 and headquartered in Saskatoon, that operates as the province's principal innovation and commercialization agency. It administers a portfolio of funding programs — including the Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF, up to $450,000), Agtech Growth Fund (AGF), Made in Saskatchewan Technology (MIST) Program, Innovation & Science Fund (ISF, $5.2M annually as of 2025), and the Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive (STSI) offering a 45% non-refundable tax credit to Saskatchewan-based investors — and serves three primary customer segments: tech companies and startups, academic and industry researchers, and investors. In May 2025 the organization rebranded from Innovation Place to Innovation Saskatchewan Research and Technology Park and reorganized its mandate around four priority sectors: life sciences, mining and critical minerals, energy, and agriculture.

The agency also operates physical innovation infrastructure. The Research and Technology Parks in Saskatoon (15 Innovation Boulevard) and Regina (10 Research Drive) collectively house approximately 100+ tenant companies and provide specialized facilities including the L.F. Kristjanson Biotechnology Complex (with automated greenhouse compartments, growth chambers, and shared lab equipment), the Collider co-working space (hot desks, meeting rooms, podcast studio, 24/7 access), and the SaskTel 5G Innovation Lab powered by Samsung. Network infrastructure spans multiple 10 Gbps campus links, dual ISP paths, exclusive CANARIE research network access, and 99.9% uptime targets. The agency funds accelerator programming (SIGMA at the University of Saskatchewan, the new RISE regional incubator via Southeast TechHub) and recently co-established Western Canada's first Small Modular Reactor Safety, Licensing, and Testing Centre at the University of Regina with SaskPower and PrairiesCan.

The business model is government appropriation rather than commercial revenue. Innovation Saskatchewan is fully owned by the Government of Saskatchewan, has no external shareholders, and is funded by provincial budgets (with matched federal contributions on specific programs). It does not charge market rates for its grants; income derives from a combination of legislative appropriations, federal cost-shared funding (Canada Foundation for Innovation, PrairiesCan), tenant rentals at the R+T Parks, and co-working fees at Collider. The go-to-market motion is event-driven and partnership-led: program awareness flows through the website, social channels, an annual Innovation Week, sponsored events such as the SASK AI EXPO, and direct outreach via regional partners (Saskatchewan Polytechnic, U of Regina, U of Saskatchewan, SETH, AiSK). Headcount is 51-100, and the operating geographies are exclusively Saskatchewan-based, with SAIF the only program explicitly open to out-of-province applicants.

Name

Innovation Saskatchewan

Legal name

Innovation Saskatchewan

Website

https://innovationsask.ca

Company type

Public

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Innovation Saskatchewan is a Saskatchewan Crown corporation that provides R&D grants, tax credits, and operates Research and Technology Parks in Saskatoon and Regina to accelerate commercialization for startups, researchers, and investors in the province.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Innovation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADACAC

National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Financial Institutions & Development Banks

SECONDARYBPAGAKAC

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• R&D grant programs
• Technology startup funding
• Research park facilities
• Innovation tax credits
• Government innovation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saskatoon

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Innovation Saskatchewan is a Crown corporation funded by the Government of Saskatchewan. It provides non-repayable grants, funding programs, and tax credits to support innovation rather than generating revenue from product sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Innovation Saskatchewan is a provincial Crown corporation that distributes non-repayable R&D grants and tax credits to technology companies, researchers, and investors, and operates two Research and Technology Parks (Saskatoon and Regina) that provide office, laboratory, greenhouse, and co-working space to tenants. Its programs include the Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF, up to $450,000), Agtech Growth Fund (AGF), Innovation & Science Fund (ISF), Made in Saskatchewan Technology (MIST) Program, Innovation Challenge, and the Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive (STSI), a 45% non-refundable tax credit to Saskatchewan-based investors.

Product overview

Innovation Saskatchewan is a crown corporation that provides a comprehensive innovation ecosystem through two main pillars: (1) Funding Programs including SAIF, AGF, STSI, ISF, MIST, and Innovation Challenge that support tech companies, researchers, and startups; and (2) Research and Technology Parks in Saskatoon and Regina featuring Collider co-working spaces, the L.F. Kristjanson Biotechnology Complex, and tenant amenities. The organization connects tech companies, investors, and researchers through funding, advanced facilities, and collaborative partnerships to accelerate research and technology for Saskatchewan's economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• R+T Park Saskatoon Research and Technology Park in Saskatoon at 15 Innovation Boulevard providing office space, laboratory facilities, greenhouse compartments, co-working space, and tenant amenities to approximately 100+ tech and research companies, co-located with the University of Saskatchewan campus.
• R+T Park Regina Research and Technology Park in Regina at 10 Research Drive on the University of Regina campus, providing office space, meeting facilities, and a SaskTel 5G Innovation Lab to tech and research tenants.
• Collider Co-Working Space Co-working space available at both Saskatoon and Regina R+T Park locations, offering 24/7 access, hot desks, private offices, meeting rooms, event space, a video conferencing facility, a podcast studio, and dedicated bandwidth per company. Includes the SaskTel 5G Innovation Lab powered by Samsung.
• Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF) Non-repayable grant program providing funding of up to $450,000 for R&D projects that advance technological innovations in Saskatchewan's key economic sectors, including mining, energy, manufacturing, and healthcare. Out-of-province applicants are eligible.
• Agtech Growth Fund (AGF) Non-repayable funding program specifically for agricultural technology companies to accelerate the growth and commercialization of agtech innovations in Saskatchewan.
• Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive (STSI) Tax credit program offering a 45% non-refundable credit to Saskatchewan-based investors who invest in eligible Saskatchewan tech startups — described as the most aggressive tech tax credit program in Canada.
• Innovation & Science Fund (ISF) Research funding program supporting studies in priority areas such as water security, sustainability, and antimicrobial resistance, with funding matched by the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Annual program value $5.2 million.
• Made in Saskatchewan Technology (MIST) Program Program supporting Saskatchewan-based technology companies to develop and commercialize innovative products within the province.
• Innovation Challenge Challenge program inviting Saskatchewan innovators to develop technology-based solutions to address provincial priorities, such as protecting Saskatchewan waters from invasive species.
• L.F. Kristjanson Biotechnology Complex Specialized biotechnology research facility at R+T Park Saskatoon offering private greenhouse compartments with automated environmental controls (photoperiod, humidity, light, irrigation, fertigation, temperature), growth chambers, laboratory space with automated HVAC, and shared equipment including autoclave and spray chamber.
• SaskTel 5G Innovation Lab 5G testing and development laboratory located in both Regina and Saskatoon R+T Parks, offering a clean 5G network powered by Samsung for testing and developing new technology. Open to tenants and the public.
• Network and Wi-Fi Services High-performance network infrastructure for R+T Park tenants with redundant ISP connections including SaskTel, SRNet, and CANARIE access, bandwidth scaling from 1,000-3,000 Mbps depending on tenant space size, multiple 10Gbps links between campus networks, 1Gbps and 10Gbps ISP connections with 40Gbps+ support, dual high-capacity ISP paths, IPv6 support, NTP server access, and a 99.9% uptime target.
• RISE (Rural Innovation Startup Ecosystem) Program Regional startup incubator program operated by Innovation Saskatchewan through the Southeast TechHub (SETH) in Estevan, designed to help technology companies launch and scale locally in southeast Saskatchewan. Innovation Saskatchewan is investing $149,000 over three years.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 students engaged since 2021 through SIGMA program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Southeast TechHub (SETH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 May 2026Innovation Saskatchewan investing $149,000 over three years in SETH to expand startup support through Rural Innovation Startup Ecosystem (RISE) program - a first-of-its-kind regional startup incubator; similar to Co.Labs and Cultivator; strengthens regional capacity in energy, mining and critical minerals; SETH founded 2022
• Saskatchewan PolytechnicmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2026Innovation Saskatchewan committing $250,000 over five years to Sask Polytech's Digital Integration Centre of Excellence (DICE) to help businesses develop and bring new technologies to market; projects include robotic dog for mining, drones for mineral detection, and AI for interior design
• Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan Corp. (AiSK)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Innovation Saskatchewan investing $25,000 as lead sponsor of inaugural SASK AI EXPO 2026 to bring together industry leaders, researchers, students, and startups for AI sessions, workshops, and demos across agriculture, mining, energy, healthtech, cleantech, and advanced manufacturing
• University of ReginamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2026Three research projects at University of Regina received nearly $460,000 in ISF funding matched by Canada Foundation for Innovation; studies on water security, sustainability, and antimicrobial resistance with funding for lab tools, field equipment, and computer systems
• University of SaskatchewancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2026Innovation Saskatchewan providing $26,300 to SIGMA (Saskatchewan Innovation Growth & Market Acceleration) program supporting venture accelerator and community events through spring 2026 including hackathons in mining, energy, and agriculture; program engaged 500+ students since 2021, graduated 56, advanced 15 startups including logistics startup RUNNR
• SaskPowermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2026SaskPower contributing $4 million toward Small Modular Reactor Safety, Licensing and Testing Centre at University of Regina; Innovation Saskatchewan providing $1 million plus in-kind support; initiative aims to position Saskatchewan as nuclear research hub with SMR targeted for 2034
• Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal economic development agency contributing $2 million to SMR Safety, Licensing and Testing Centre; part of joint federal-provincial funding for nuclear research infrastructure
• Global Institute for Energy, Minerals and SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Regina-led partnership with University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and industry partners under Global Institute for Energy, Minerals and Society for SMR research and workforce training
• Saskatchewan PolytechniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSask Polytech joining the R+T Park Saskatoon with new campus; program enabling faculty, researchers and students to work with public- and private-sector partners on product development and technology adoption
• SaskTelcoreTechnology or IntegrationSaskTel 5G Innovation Lab powered by Samsung located in both Saskatoon and Regina R+T Parks; offers clean 5G network for testing and developing new technology; open to tenants and public
• Siemens EDAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor tech tenant at R+T Park Saskatoon; developed AI-driven chip design technology originally created by Saskatchewan-founded Solido Design Automation; Jeff Dyck VP of R&D at Siemens EDA headline speaker at SASK AI EXPO

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BC Tech Association: British Columbia's provincial tech industry association supporting tech companies with programs, advocacy, and ecosystem services — comparable as a provincial body supporting tech ecosystem growth, with overlapping functions to Saskatchewan park operations and startup support.
• Mitacs: Canadian not-for-profit funding research and innovation through grants, fellowships, and accelerators connecting industry with academic research — comparable in providing research funding and connecting researchers with industry partners, similar to ISF and SIGMA programs.
• Alberta Innovates: Alberta's provincial innovation agency funding R&D, providing grants, and supporting tech commercialization across health, energy, environment, and agri sectors — directly comparable to Innovation Saskatchewan in mandate, structure, and programs (e.g., Alberta Innovates' grants parallel SAIF/AGF).
• Alberta Enterprise Corporation: Alberta's provincial venture capital and tech ecosystem investor, supporting early-stage tech through fund-of-funds and ecosystem programs — comparable in stimulating provincial tech investment and complementing grant programs, paralleling Innovation Saskatchewan's STSI and SAIF.
• Co.Labs: Saskatoon-based coworking and innovation hub providing programming, mentorship, and connections to founders — a direct in-province peer comparable to Innovation Saskatchewan's Collider co-working offering, providing overlapping community and ecosystem services.
• NRC IRAP (Industrial Research Assistance Program): Federal Canadian program providing funding, advisory services, and innovation support to SMEs for technology development — directly comparable in providing non-repayable R&D grants and tech commercialization assistance to Canadian companies, including those in Saskatchewan.
• Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI): Ontario's provincial innovation agency (formerly Ontario Centres of Excellence) supporting startups and tech commercialization through funding programs and ecosystem support — directly comparable provincial mandate with grant and acceleration programs.
• Cultivator (formerly Innovation Place / SK technology accelerator): Saskatoon-based tech accelerator and startup support organization providing mentorship, programming, and connections to investors — a direct in-province peer referenced by Innovation Saskatchewan, providing comparable accelerator programs to SIGMA and tenant support services.

Regional players

• Innovate UK: UK's national innovation agency funding and supporting business-led R&D and technology commercialization — analogous in mandate to fund R&D and accelerate tech growth, but operates nationally in the UK rather than sub-nationally in a Canadian province.

Broad incumbents

• Genome Canada: National funding agency for genomics and biosciences research, providing large-scale grants to research projects — comparable in grantmaking for R&D but operates federally across multiple provinces rather than focusing on a single provincial ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/innovationsask
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgbnHaanKjtgDoFp0op_mRw
• Facebookfacebook.com/InnovationSask
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innovationsask
• Instagraminstagram.com/innovationsask

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments11 records

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Frequently asked questions about Innovation Saskatchewan