Canada Opens $300M AI Compute Fund — Here’s How to Apply
Canada has officially opened applications for the AI Compute Access Fund, a bold initiative under its $2 billion Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. With up to CAD $300 million allocated, this program is designed to eliminate one of the biggest roadblocks in AI development: affordable access to GPU infrastructure.
Whether you’re fine-tuning a foundation model, deploying an LLM API, or building agentic AI systems — this fund could help you access world-class compute without the world-class burn rate.
What Is the AI Compute Access Fund?
The AI Compute Access Fund provides direct financial support to cover up to 2/3 of the costs of eligible Canadian compute workloads, including:
✅ Model training and inference on GPUs
✅ RAG and agentic pipelines
✅ Fine-tuning and experimentation
Who’s Eligible?
To qualify, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- Must be a Canadian-registered, for-profit company developing AI products
- Or part of a consortium led by a corporation or limited liability partnership
- Fewer than 500 full-time employees (FTEs)
- R&D team based in Canada; activities must be carried out domestically
- Must have revenue generation or Series A funding-level investor interest
- Must provide a signed compute service agreement or equivalent documentation at time of application
How much can you get?
- Up to CAD $300M to offset AI compute (Budget 2024)
- Eligible reimbursment size: $100 K – $5 M
- Reimburses: 66.7 % of Canadians compute for three years, 50 % of foreign compute for two years
- Deadline to apply: July 31, 2025
Why This Fund Matters
For years, Canadian startups and researchers have faced a critical bottleneck: access to affordable, scalable compute. The new fund directly addresses this challenge by:
- Leveling the playing field: You don’t need to raise millions to access GPUs like A100s or H100s anymore.
- Retaining talent: More AI builders can now stay in Canada, instead of migrating to Silicon Valley for resources.
- Accelerating time-to-impact: With easier access to infrastructure, teams can go from research to real-world deployment faster.
Why Nebula Block Wins
Nebula Block is ideally positioned to help eligible teams deploy their projects in compliance with the fund’s requirements.
Here’s how we help:
✅ Canadian GPU Infrastructure
Data centers in Canada — qualifies for full 66.7% cost share, eligible until March 2028.
✅ Compliance & Sovereignty
Fully Canadian-hosted: meets LAW 25, PIPEDA, PHIPA. Not subject to U.S. CLOUD Act (unlike AWS/GCP).
✅Certified AI Provider under ISED
Eligible for SR&ED, NRC‑IRAP, and other Canadian grant stacking.
✅ Flexible Compute & Billing
Serverless inferences (pay-by-token) or Instances with On-demand and Reserved GPU (up to 40% savings) for LLMs and fine-tuning.
✅ Lowest Effective Price
Example: H100 at $0.61/hr effective, cheaper than AWS and Google Cloud — even after their 50% rebates (ending 2027).
✅ OpenAI-Compatible APIs
Serve your model via a simple, scalable API endpoint — no Docker, streamlined DevOps, no infra required.
✅ Confidential AI Workloads
Supports confidential computing on NVIDIA H100 and H200 — ideal for sensitive data or regulated projects.
✅ Purpose-Built Toolkit for ISED Applications
Standard compute agreement template includes Canadian jurisdiction clause, ISED-aligned budget sheet, and CTO-signed support letter.
✅ Fast Setup, No Vendor Lock-in
Start in minutes. Pay as you go. Switch providers anytime.
Quick View: Nebula Block vs. Traditional GPU Providers for Canadian AI Teams
Feature / Capability | Nebula Block | Traditional Providers |
|---|---|---|
Canadian-based GPU Infrastructure | Yes — A100, H100, H200, RTX instances in Canada | Often hosted outside Canada (e.g., US regions) |
Data Sovereignty Compliance | Fully compliant with LAW 25, PIPEDA, PHIPA | Not guaranteed |
Pricing Model | Granular, usage-based pricing — $0.61/hr H100 (after 66% ACAF) or serverless inference (pay-per-token) | Fixed pricing — $1.63–$2.37/hr H100 (with temporary 50% rebate, ends 2027) |
API Access | OpenAI-compatible, plug & play | Complex DevOps required |
Storage Integration | Integrated, encrypted, S3-compatible storage | Region limited or separate (must set up, configure, and manage manually) |
Time to Deploy | Minutes — from upload to inference | Hours to days |
CAF Alignment (AI Compute Fund) | Eligible for 66.7% cost share until Mar 2028 | Max 50% share for non-Canadian clouds in 2 years |
✅ Conclusion: If you’re applying for the AI Compute Access Fund, Nebula Block offers developer-friendly infrastructure that supports eligible Canadian workloads — with GPUs, APIs unified in a single scalable platform.
💡 Final Thought
Canada’s AI Compute Access Fund is more than just a subsidy — it’s a signal. A commitment to local innovation, open research, and accessible infrastructure.
If you’re building in Canada, this is your chance to unlock high-performance compute without the overhead.
Next Steps
- Execute SOI (Nebula assists with LOI)
- Receive Nebula Block quote & draft agreement
- Submit your statement of interest (SOI) by July 22nd
- Apply by July 31, 2025 — and let Nebula Block be your trusted infrastructure partner on the road to production.
If you have any questions, feel free to Contact Us.
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