Construction Sector Digitalization and Productivity Challenge program – Call for proposals

Who is eligible?

• Academic institutions
• Research institutions
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Local and provincial governments
• Indigenous groups, governments, and representative organizations
• Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (fewer than 500 employees)

Eligible expenses

• Salaries for highly qualified personnel (HQP) working on project activities.
• Direct research support costs, including consumable materials, supplies, and equipment up to $10,000.
• Travel and accommodation expenses required specifically for the execution of the project.
• Contractor services directly related to the project, such as professional services fees.
• Indirect costs necessary for general business operations, up to a maximum of 10% of total eligible project costs.
• Reasonable and necessary costs for research equipment of $10,000 or more, including testing tools, instruments, computer equipment, secure equipment, and information technology costs (e.g., high-performance computers and secure servers) when justified for project achievement.

Eligible geographic areas

• Organizations and enterprises located anywhere in Canada.

• Quality and feasibility of the project methodology and workplan.
• Strength, expertise, and complementary skills of the project team and collaborators.
• Alignment of the project with the program's objectives and priority areas.
• Ability of the project to address an identified knowledge or technical gap in the sector.
• Potential economic and social impacts, supported by quantitative and qualitative analysis.

• Step 1: Assemble Project Team
  • Form a project team including at least one eligible applicant and an NRC collaborator.
  • If an NRC research collaborator is not identified, indicate the envisioned NRC activities in your Expression of Interest (EOI) submission.
• Step 2: Request Expression of Interest (EOI) Form
  • Email ConstructionDigitalization-TransformationNumeriqueConstruction@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca to request the EOI form.
• Step 3: Complete and Submit EOI Form
  • Fill out the EOI form with all required information.
  • Email the completed form to ConstructionDigitalization-TransformationNumeriqueConstruction@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
  • Use the subject line: "2025 CSDP Open Call Submission – Applicant Name, Applicant Organization" in your submission email.
  • Submit the EOI before the stated deadline.
• Step 4: EOI Review and Notification
  • The NRC National Program Office (NPO) reviews EOIs for eligibility and fit with program objectives.
  • Receive notification of outcome from the NPO.
  • If successful and no NRC collaborator was initially named, an NRC research collaborator will be identified for selected projects at this stage.
• Step 5: Invitation to Full Project Proposal (FPP)
  • Selected applicants receive FPP templates and instructions from the NPO.
• Step 6: Develop Full Project Proposal
  • Collaborate with the assigned NRC research partner to develop the full project proposal, following the provided template and criteria.
  • Participate in the NRC Construction Research Centre workshop to align your project with program priorities, if required.
• Step 7: Submit Full Project Proposal
  • Principal Investigator (PI) of the eligible applicant submits the completed FPP by email to ConstructionDigitalization-TransformationNumeriqueConstruction@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
• Step 8: NRC Collaborator Internal Submission
  • NRC collaborator PI submits internal NRC project documents such as the NRC workplan and NRC project workbook.
• Step 9: Peer Review Process
  • The NPO coordinates a peer review process to assess submitted full proposals.
• Step 10: Notification of Results
  • Receive notice of outcome from the NPO regarding the success of your application.
• Step 11: Due Diligence Review
  • The NPO conducts a due diligence review of successful FPPs.
• Step 12: Develop Collaborative Agreement
  • Work with the NRC and the research centres to finalize collaborative research and funding agreements.
• Step 13: Project Start
  • Begin the project as per the agreed start date in the funding agreement.

• All applicants must review the NRC Statement on Research Security and understand measures for safeguarding research and intellectual property.
• Projects must demonstrate a clear deployment pathway to scalable commercialization.
• A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) must be integrated into full proposals, including project team composition and research methods.
• An external steering committee will be established by the NRC to guide project outcomes for industry and partner adoption.