NGen — Advanced Manufacturing Projects

• The applicant must be a business registered in Canada and have a value-added presence in the country beyond a sales office.
• The applicant must be one of the following: a for-profit organization, a not-for-profit organization primarily funded by the private sector or industry, a non-federal Crown corporation funded by commercial activities, or an Indigenous organization.
• The project must be conducted as a consortium, demonstrating meaningful collaboration with at least two Canadian industry partners.
• At least one partner in the consortium must be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) with fewer than 500 employees globally.
• The project must focus on the development or scale-up of advanced manufacturing technology or processes, meeting NGen’s collaborative, transformative, applied, and enduring strategic criteria.

Who is eligible?

• For-profit organizations registered in Canada with value-added operations beyond a sales office
• Not-for-profit organizations that facilitate and fund research and development mainly from private-sector or industry sources
• Non-federal Crown corporations whose funding is derived from commercial activities
• Indigenous organizations

Who is not eligible

• Publicly funded not-for-profit organizations, post-secondary institutions, federal Crown Corporations, and government departments or agencies (cannot receive funding directly, but may contribute to projects or be subcontracted).
• International organizations (offshore companies or research organizations without a registered business presence in Canada; their activities are not eligible for funding).
• Single firms or organizations seeking projects where benefits accrue only to themselves.
• Businesses with only a sales office (no value-added presence in Canada).

Eligible expenses

• Labour costs for personnel directly involved in project activities.
• Purchase of equipment required for project objectives, with justification and approval for expenses over $1 million CAD.
• Materials necessary for research, development, testing, and validation related to advanced manufacturing capabilities (not for full-scale production).
• Subcontracting costs for services or expertise not available among the formal project partners.

Eligible geographic areas

• Businesses registered in Canada with a value-added presence beyond a sales office.

• Significance of the opportunity addressed, including the project's objectives and alignment with advanced manufacturing challenges.
• Degree of innovation and transformative impact for Canadian industry.
• Market size and potential for commercial success resulting from the project.
• Quality and feasibility of the commercialization plan, including intellectual property management.
• Expected economic and broader ecosystem benefits, such as job creation and impact on Canada's manufacturing sector.

• Step 1: Become an NGen Member
  • Ensure your business is a current member of NGen before beginning the application process.
• Step 2: Assemble Project Consortium
  • Form a consortium with at least two Canadian partners, including at least one SME.
  • Identify the lead partner for the consortium.
• Step 3: Review Application Guides and Templates
  • Download and review the Application Guide, Financial Guide, Project IP Plan Guide, Application Agreement, and Collaboration Agreement Template from the NGen website.
• Step 4: Prepare Project Proposal
  • Complete the Application Agreement, certifying compliance with NGen project requirements.
  • Describe the project, its collaborative nature, and identify all consortium partners.
  • Outline project objectives, anticipated outcomes, and commercialization strategy.
  • Complete the answers to the ten assessment questions, each supported by relevant data and analysis.
  • Develop required appendices: Project Plan (including a Gantt chart) and a Risk Register.
  • Prepare an IP Plan and complete Financial Workbooks for each partner.
• Step 5: Initial Project Screening
  • Submit initial project details for screening via NGen’s application portal.
  • Provide an estimate of project costs and demonstrate financial and project management capability.
• Step 6: Financial Due Diligence
  • Submit required financial information for each project partner for NGen's due diligence assessment.
• Step 7: Complete and Submit Full Application
  • After passing screening, complete the full project application through NGen’s portal.
  • Upload answers to assessment questions, project appendices, IP plan, and financial workbooks.
  • Ensure all required fields and documentation are completed and submitted by the application deadline.
• Step 8: Application Assessment
  • Independent external experts assess and score the project application based on set criteria.
  • Respond promptly to any requests for additional information from NGen during the evaluation phase.
• Step 9: Receive Outcome Notification
  • Receive direct notification from NGen regarding the acceptance or rejection of your application.
  • If not approved, review feedback provided for possible resubmission if the funding stream remains open.
• Step 10: Finalize Agreements
  • If approved, execute a Master Project Agreement (MPA) with NGen.
  • Ensure all consortium members sign a Collaboration Agreement outlining roles, risk management, and IP arrangements.
  • Pay the required non-refundable project administration fee as specified by NGen before project start.

• NGen provides support to applicants in the form of guidance on funding rules, project requirements, partner identification, and advice on intellectual property plans before assessment.
• Applicants are required to pay a one-time, non-refundable project administration fee equal to 3.5% of the total project cost upon contracting, before project start.
• Applications are assessed by independent external experts, whose identities are kept confidential and who sign non-disclosure and conflict of interest agreements.
• Unsuccessful applicants receive summarized feedback on their submission and recommendations for strengthening future applications, with the possibility to re-apply if the funding stream remains open.