Deadline: 1-Aug-25
Submissions are now open for National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) to foster and support collaborative industrial research and development (R&D) projects with a high potential for commercialization.
This competitive call for proposals is open to Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and organizations from Eureka member countries who wish to form consortia to perform collaborative projects focused on developing innovative products, processes, or technology-based services with a civilian purpose in any technological and market area.
Funding Information
- Eligible Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of eligible project costs up to a maximum total funding amount of $500,000 CAD over 12 to 36 months.
Sector of Focus
- This call invites proposals related to all technology sectors, with a call focus on circular value creation goes beyond recycling and waste management by involving innovative product design, cross-sector partnerships, and new materials and technologies. It emphasizes business models focused on longevity, reuse, and recycling, fostering flexible and resilient value creation systems that enhance sustainable economic growth, competitiveness, and job creation.
Eligible Projects
- The project must focus on co-development, adaptation and validation of an innovative product, process, or technology-based service that has:
- substantial commercial potential and outcomes that can be realized within 2 to 3 years of completion of the project; and
- a civilian (non-military) purpose
- The project must demonstrate:
- a complementary technological contribution from each partner
- an obvious advantage and added value resulting from the cooperation between the participants
- a balanced contribution between project partners and countries (i.e., no more than 70% of the effort contributed by any one partner or country)
- benefits to Canada commensurate with the funding requested
Eligibility Criteria
- The Canadian applicant must meet all the following criteria:
- be an incorporated, profit-oriented SME in Canada (defined as having 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees)
- have been in operation for a minimum of 12 months prior to the project proposal deadline specified above
- have a minimum of 5 full-time equivalent employees located in Canada (on your company payroll and issued a T4), excluding any founders and contract employees
- pursue growth and profit by developing and commercializing innovative, technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes in Canada
- have a differentiated and protectable technology with commercial potential in global markets
- have the financial capacity (working capital, sales revenue, investment, etc.) and the operational capacity (personnel, expertise, resources, etc.) to undertake an international multi-year R&D collaboration while maintaining regular operations, and to subsequently commercialize the results
- be committed to significant growth through international market expansion
- Preference may be given to SME applicants that meet the criteria below. If one or more criteria are unmet, a strong rationale must be provided in the Expression of Interest (EOI) form for possible consideration:
- have a minimum of 15 full‑time equivalent employees located in Canada (on your company payroll and issued a T4), excluding contract employees
- have commercialized one or more products internationally
- have more than $500,000 CAD in annual sales revenue.
- The project consortium must include at least:
- 1 eligible Canadian SME, and
- 1 eligible organization from a Eureka member country
- The parties listed above must be unrelated parties (i.e., no direct, indirect, beneficial or constructive ownership interest between these parties)
- The project partners that form the consortium must agree on a plan addressing intellectual property rights and intent to commercialize.
For more information, visit Government of Canada.
