Open

CFI — College Fund

Q: How much funding can be received?

CFI — College Fund Funds up to 40% of admissible expenses.

Q: What is the deadline to apply?

The application deadline for this grant program is September 17, 2026. Applicants must submit their complete application before this date to be considered for funding.

Q: Is the CFI — College Fund a grant, loan, or tax credit?

CFI — College Fund is a Grant and Funding

Q: Who are the financial supporters of the CFI — College Fund?

CFI — College Fund is funded by Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)

Q: Who is eligible for the CFI — College Fund program?

To be eligible for the CFI — College Fund program, you must: • Only eligible Canadian institutions (e.g., colleges) may apply and manage CFI funding. • The applicant institution must be located in Canada and engaged in research and research training. • For-profit companies are not eligible applicants.

Q: Who can I contact for more information about the CFI — College Fund?

You can contact Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) by email at eligibility@innovation.ca.

Q: Where is the CFI — College Fund available?

The CFI — College Fund program is available across Canada.

Last Update: January 2, 2026

Canada

Funds research infrastructure at eligible Canadian colleges

Grant and Funding

Canada Foundation for Innovation

At a glance

Funding available

Financing goals

Integrate new technologies

Research and experimental development

Eligible Funding

Up to 40% of project cost

Timeline

Open Date : January 1, 2026
Closing date : September 17, 2026

Eligible candidates

Eligible Industries

Professional, scientific and technical services

Location

Canada

Legal structures

All legal structures

Annual revenue

All revenue ranges

Organisation size

All organization sizes

Audience

All groups

Overview

CFI’s College Fund supports research infrastructure projects by eligible Canadian colleges, generally funding up to 40% of total eligible project costs. Eligible activities include acquiring or developing research infrastructure such as equipment, installation, initial operator training, and essential construction or renovation to house and use the infrastructure.

Activities funded

Acquisition or development of research infrastructure (e.g., equipment, labs, or advanced facilities) to increase an eligible institution’s research capacity and enable world-class research.
Construction or renovation of essential spaces required to house and use the research infrastructure and carry out the proposed research activities.
Development (time-limited) or acquisition of research databases/digital libraries so they are ready for use by a designated research community.
Establishment of high-performance computing infrastructure integrated into Canada’s national advanced research computing platform (in consultation with the Digital Research Alliance of Canada).
Operation and maintenance activities necessary to keep CFI-funded research infrastructure functioning and usable for research (via the Infrastructure Operating Fund).

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 2,200,000

Construction of biochemistry research facility at McGill University

$ 2,000,000

Purchase of advanced MRI scanner for brain research at Toronto Research Hospital

$ 1,600,000

Upgrade of renewable energy research lab at the University of Waterloo

$ 1,400,000

Development of a genomics laboratory at the University of Calgary

$ 1,700,000

Establishment of an AI research hub at Vancouver Institute of Technology

$ 2,500,000

Acquisition of specialized marine research vessel for Memorial University's Marine Institute

Eligibility

The applicant must be an eligible Canadian institution (applications are submitted by institutions, not by individual researchers).
The applicant institution must be located in Canada and be engaged in research and research training.
The applicant institution must demonstrate the capacity to conduct and support research (e.g., research activities, research facilities/infrastructure, qualified researchers, and technical support staff).
The project must be an eligible research infrastructure project aimed at acquiring or developing research infrastructure to increase research capacity and enable world-class research.
The eligible institution receiving the funds must retain de facto control of the research infrastructure (including responsibility for access and scientific programming) for its useful life and for at least five years.

Who is eligible?

Universities
Colleges
Research hospitals
Research institutes
Not-for-profit research institutions operating primarily in Canada

Who is not eligible

For-profit corporations (and agencies of for-profit corporations).
Federal government departments and agencies, federal public institutions, federal Crown corporations, and their subsidiaries.
Provincial or territorial government departments, agencies, and Crown corporations (except universities, colleges, research hospitals and research institutes).

Eligible expenses

Purchase of research equipment and related components.
Shipping, transportation and installation costs for research infrastructure (including brokerage fees, applicable taxes and excise duties).
Warranties and service contracts for eligible infrastructure.
Software subscriptions and user licences.
Laboratory furniture.
Essential telecommunications equipment required to use the research infrastructure.
Travel to a manufacturer/vendor/supplier to select the research infrastructure (including carbon-offset costs for this travel).
Initial training for the main operators of the research infrastructure.
Salaries and benefits for professional, technical and management staff, consultants and contractors directly involved in design, technical work, fabrication, installation, construction or renovation of the infrastructure.
Construction or renovation of facilities essential to house and use the eligible infrastructure (including related direct costs, professional fees, permits/insurance and contingencies up to 10%).
Acquisition of research databases, or time-limited design and development of databases to make them ready for use by a designated research community.
Computers, IT hardware and software needed for an eligible research database.
Purchase of existing datasets or digital collections for an eligible research database.

Eligible geographic areas

Canada (eligible institutions must be located in Canada).

Selection criteria

Quality of the research and the need for infrastructure.
Strengthening of innovation capacity.
Potential impacts of the research for Canada.

How to apply

Confirm Institutional Eligibility

Verify if your institution is eligible to apply by consulting the list of eligible institutions.
If not eligible, prepare and submit an eligibility application as per the guidelines provided by CFI.

Institutional Agreement

Ensure your institution has signed the CFI institutional agreement prior to applying.
Assign roles such as authorized signatory, account administrator, and liaison.

Prepare Strategic Research Plan

Develop a strategic research plan outlining major objectives, research priorities, and alignment with the CFI’s goals.
Describe planned collaborations and measure success methods.

Develop Proposal

Prepare a detailed proposal that aligns with the institution’s strategic research plan and CFI guidelines.
Include information on eligible projects, costs, and needed infrastructure.

Submit Proposal

Submit the proposal electronically through the CFI Awards Management System (CAMS).
For multi-institutional projects, submit the proposal through one applicant institution on behalf of the group.

Meeting Special Requirements

Ensure adherence to relevant guidelines such as the Tri-Council Policy Statement and others specified in section 5.1.3.

Acknowledge Submission

Confirm receipt of the submission and retain the confirmation for your records.

Additional information

CFI uses a risk-based approach to project monitoring, which can affect the instalment schedule and the frequency of financial reporting for a project.
For projects involving construction or renovation, CFI expects contracts to be finalized and work to begin within 18 months of the funding decision (extensions may be accepted if delays are well justified).
Institutions must retain financial records and supporting documentation related to CFI-funded transactions for at least six years (per CRA requirements), and provide them on request for review or audit.
CFI expects public recognition of its support across communications (e.g., publications, presentations, media relations, and social media), including using the CFI name/logo and lab equipment stickers.

Contacts

eligibility@innovation.ca

Canada

Apply to this program

Frequently Asked Questions about the CFI — College Fund Program

Here are answers to the most common questions about the CFI — College Fund. This section explains what the program is, how much funding is available, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and other important details to help you determine if this grant is right for your business.

What is the CFI — College Fund?

How much funding can be received?

What expenses are eligible under CFI — College Fund?

Acquisition or development of research infrastructure (e.g., equipment, labs, or advanced facilities) to increase an eligible institution’s research capacity and enable world-class research. Construction or renovation of essential spaces required to house and use the research infrastructure and carry out the proposed research activities. Development (time-limited) or acquisition of research databases/digital libraries so they are ready for use by a designated research community. Establishment of high-performance computing infrastructure integrated into Canada’s national advanced research computing platform (in consultation with the Digital Research Alliance of Canada). Operation and maintenance activities necessary to keep CFI-funded research infrastructure functioning and usable for research (via the Infrastructure Operating Fund).