Closed
Source change captured:
Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience
Canada-Japan collaborative R&D for agricultural AI
Get notified when Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience reopens
Funding available
$ 600,000
Location
Canada
Who can apply
Organizations from Canada and Japan that wish to form project consortia.
See full eligibility
Overview
This Canada-Japan collaborative call supports industrial R&D projects in AI and automation for agriculture. It targets consortia from Canada and Japan focused on pre-commercial technologies, with eligible work including crop monitoring, predictive yield data use, and autonomous labour solutions.
Receipt of requests is now closed
Get notified about updates to this grant.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Develop a new product or service
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 600,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- $ 500,000 maximum revenue
Organisation size
- 5-500 employees
Audience
- Startups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 2
Activities funded
- Collaborative projects focused on strengthening the resilience of communities built around agriculture by leveraging AI and automation solutions to address labour shortages, improve productivity, and support disaster preparedness.
- Development of pre-commercial technologies that use AI and automation solutions in agriculture to optimize processes, predictions and forecasting, improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and minimize waste.
- Co-development, adaptation, and/or validation of an innovative product, process, or technology-based service.
Documents Needed
- International Consortium Project Proposal/joint application
- NRC IRAP Canadian SME annex form
- NRC NPO Canadian researcher annex form
- signed NRC Research Security Requirements Attestation form
- cash-flow projection for the Canadian SME(s)
Sources and recorded changes
- Source change captured
- Change recorded
- Record updated
A captured source change or record update does not confirm eligibility. Check the funder’s current rules before applying.
Program focus updated for AI productivity collaboration
The program description now emphasizes AI adoption in agriculture, clean technologies, and manufacturing, with new thematic areas focused on value-chain optimization and accelerating innovation.
The program page now presents the AI for Productivity Challenge program as a 2026-2033 initiative focused on AI adoption across agriculture, clean technologies, and manufacturing. It also adds three thematic areas: foundational AI initiatives, agriculture and manufacturing value chain optimization, and AI for accelerating innovations. The collaboration contact wording was updated, including the AI Productivity team email, but the submission approach and application endpoint were not changed.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Organizations from Canada and Japan that wish to form project consortia.
- One (1) incorporated Canadian small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), defined as a for-profit company with 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees.
- One (1) researcher from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC).
- One (1) Canadian research institution (e.g., post-secondary institution, research and technology organization).
- One (1) eligible Japan commercial enterprise and one (1) Japan research institution.
Who is not eligible
- Organizations, individuals, or consortium partners with any affiliation of any form with entities listed on the Named Research Organization list.
- Organizations engaged by a project partner under a fee-for-service, consulting, subcontracting, sales, or other similar contractual arrangement cannot themselves be considered a project partner.
- Projects involving any individual or organization currently affiliated with an organization on the Named Research Organization list will not be directly funded by the NRC.
Eligible expenses
- salaries costs
- contractor fees
- international travel costs for employees
- Eligible direct costs for Canadian research institutions, including salaries (excluding academic principal investigator salaries), research support costs (including student stipends, research materials and minor equipment purchases up to $10,000), travel and accommodation costs, and professional services (amounts invoiced by a contractor for services rendered directly to the project).
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada
- Japan
How to apply
- The lead Canadian applicant must register electronically by using the register button at the end of the page.
- The lead Canadian applicant must submit an expression of interest (EOI) form outlining basic information on the applicant and the collaborative project.
- All project partners must work together to complete and submit an ICPP package to each lead national call administrator.
- Each Japanese consortium project partner must submit all required documents to the Cross-Ministerial R&D Management system (e-Rad) portal.
Processing and Agreement
- Each project partner seeking funding must submit all required documents to their respective national funding body and meet its due diligence process requirements.
- Application processes and evaluations will be performed independently by each national funding body.
- After each national funding body has evaluated the submitted applications, a final joint project selection will be performed.
- During the final phase, all eligible project partners work independently to complete funding proposals, respond to due diligence questions, and sign legally binding funding agreements with their respective national funding body.
- An international collaborative research agreement must be signed by all consortium partners and submitted before funding is approved.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience Program
What is the Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience?
This Canada-Japan collaborative call supports industrial R&D projects in AI and automation for agriculture. It targets consortia from Canada and Japan focused on pre-commercial technologies, with eligible work including crop monitoring, predictive yield data use, and autonomous labour solutions.
How much funding can be received?
Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience Funds up to 80% of admissible expenses, capped at $600,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience program?
To be eligible for the Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience program, you must:
The project consortium must include a minimum of 5 participants: 3 Canadian participants and 2 Japanese participants.
The project must focus on co-development, adaptation, and/or validation of an innovative product, process, or technology-based service with commercial potential.
Canadian SME applicants must be an incorporated, profit-oriented SME in Canada with at least 5 full-time equivalent employees in Canada.
What expenses are eligible under Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience?
salaries costs
contractor fees
international travel costs for employees
Eligible direct costs for Canadian research institutions, including salaries (excluding academic principal investigator salaries), research support costs (including student stipends, research materials and minor equipment purchases up to $10,000), travel and accommodation costs, and professional services (amounts invoiced by a contractor for services rendered directly to the project).
Who can I contact for more information about the Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience?
You can contact National Research Council Canada (NRC) by email at NRC.3plus2-3plus2.cnrc@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca or by phone at 1-877-994-4727.
Where is the Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience available?
The Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience program is available across Canada.
Is the Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Canada – Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI and automation solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience is a Grant and Funding