Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs)

SREPs — Critical Regional Priorities & Indigenous-Led Streams

Supports Canadian clean electricity infrastructure through regional and Indigenous-focused deployment contributions.

The Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs), administered by Natural Resources Canada, is a CAD 4.5-billion federal programme launched in 2021 to support deployment of clean electricity infrastructure across Canada, with a programme end date of March 31, 2036. SREPs operates through three streams: the Critical Regional Priorities (CRP) Stream for projects identified by provincial and territorial governments as priority clean electricity investments; the Indigenous-Led Clean Energy Stream open to Indigenous governments, communities, organisations, and businesses; and the Utility Support Stream (USS), which is not currently accepting new proposals. Eligible project types include wind, photovoltaic solar, small hydroelectricity, biomass for energy, grid modernisation and strengthening, energy storage solutions, and planning studies and assessments prior to implementation.

SREPs provides repayable contributions — not non-repayable grants — covering 10%, 30%, or up to 50% of eligible project costs depending on the stream and project characteristics. The CRP stream is limited to projects that demonstrate need beyond what federal financing and investment tax credits can address. As of mid-2026, both the CRP and Indigenous-Led streams are accepting proposals on a rolling basis; the USS remains paused. There are no published per-project award caps in the source materials; project size is defined by eligible costs and the applicable cost-share percentage.

To engage with SREPs, eligible applicants should contact NRCan directly at sreps-erite@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca for guidance on stream fit and submission requirements. CRP applicants require endorsement from their provincial or territorial government to qualify. Indigenous-Led stream applicants should ensure their entity structure meets the eligibility definition. Given the repayable nature of contributions, applicants should model repayment obligations before committing to application, and engage early with NRCan to understand project readiness thresholds.