Canada - UK 2024-2025 multisector collaborative industrial research and development

• Innovate UK IFS project application form
• NRC IRAP Canadian SME annex form
• Draft international consortium agreement

Who is eligible?

• Canadian incorporated, profit-oriented SMEs
• UK registered businesses of any size
• UK SMEs and other UK project partners such as academic institutions, charities, not-for-profits, public sector organisations, and RTOs

Who is not eligible

• Canadian partners cannot start the application on Innovate UK IFS
• Canadian partners cannot be invited onto the Innovate UK IFS platform
• Fundamental research projects
• Projects dependent on export performance or domestic input usage

Eligible expenses

• Eligible project costs for Canadian SMEs, including labour, contractor costs, travel, and other approved project costs
• Eligible project costs for UK participants, subject to UK funding rules

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Fundamental research
• Projects dependent on export performance
• Projects dependent on domestic input usage

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada
• United Kingdom

• Commercial potential and commercialization readiness
• Complementary contribution from each partner
• Clear added value from Canada-UK collaboration
• Balanced contribution between partners and countries
• Fit with priority areas such as life sciences, digital and emerging technologies, or sustainability and net zero

• Step 1: Register as a Canadian SME applicant and provide basic organization details
  • Canadian SMEs register through the opportunity page.
  • NRC IRAP reviews registrations and may request more information.
• Step 2: Submit the expression of interest
  • Canadian SMEs complete an EoI with basic project information.
  • Qualifying applicants are invited to continue to the next stage.
• Step 3: Prepare and submit the joint consortium proposal
  • All partners complete the IFS project application form.
  • The Canadian lead submits the NRC IRAP annex and draft consortium agreement materials.
  • The UK lead submits the joint application through the Innovate UK IFS portal.
• Step 4: Complete national funding body proposal and agreement
  • Eligible partners complete their national funding proposals.
  • Selected applicants sign legally binding funding agreements with their respective funding bodies.

• Canadian registrations are reviewed first before invitation to the EoI stage
• EoIs are assessed by NRC IRAP representatives and the NRC IRAP International Office
• Canadian ICPP applications are evaluated by an NRC IRAP evaluation team
• Final funding selection is made jointly after national evaluations
• Successful applicants must complete project setup and sign funding agreements before funding starts

• The competition was jointly run by Innovate UK and NRC IRAP.
• Canadian applicants had to complete an EoI before joining the joint proposal stage.
• Project proposals required a balanced contribution between countries and partners.
• Selected applicants had to sign legally binding funding agreements with their national funding body.