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NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024
AI commercialization for advanced manufacturing
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Funding available
$ 525,000 - $ 2,100,000
Location
Canada
Overview
AI For Manufacturing Challenge supports collaborative AI and machine learning projects for advanced manufacturing in Canada. Eligible work includes systems optimization, robotics and automation, rapid prototyping, and manufacturing cybersecurity.
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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 : 2,100,000 $
- Minimum amount : 525,000 $
- Up to 35% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- For-profit business
- Non-profit
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- 500 employees maximum
Audience
- Canadians
- Startups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Research
- Economic, Social and Community Development
- Employment and Training
- Business Associations
- Professional Associations
- Diversity and Inclusion
Target groups
- Indigenous peoples
- Women & girls
- Business owners / entrepreneurs
- Nonprofits / charities
- Academia / students
- Minority groups
Revenue structures
- Mixed revenue (50%+ earned)
Scope
- National
- International
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
Availability timeline
2025
Periods: 1
Activities funded
- Commercialization of AI and machine learning solutions for manufacturing.
- Systems optimization within manufacturing facilities or across supply chains.
- Development of new advanced manufacturing capabilities, including robotics and automation equipment.
- Rapid prototyping and testing of materials, products, and processes.
- Enhanced cybersecurity for manufacturing facilities and processes.
Documents Needed
- Signed Application Agreement.
- Application questions and project description.
- Appendix 1: Project Plan, Appendix 2: Risk Register, and Appendix 3: Intellectual Property Tables.
- Financial due diligence documents for each partner.
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.
AI4M Financial Guide revised
The AI4M financial guide was replaced with a new version that changes reimbursement, eligible organizations, cost rules, and portal instructions.
The AI4M Project Financial Guide now shows a new version dated 15 04 2025, replacing the earlier finance guidance with updated rules and workflow details. The guide changes the reimbursement rate from 35% to 40%, keeps the 80% per-participant cap, and updates the eligible organization and cost descriptions, including where FWB entries are completed in the NGen Portal. It also revises several funding conditions for salaries, subcontracting, foreign costs, equipment, and in-kind treatment, so applicants should use the new guide for budgeting and financial review. A new contact for finance questions is shown as ProjectFinance1@ngen.ca.
Program guide
Application form
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- For-profit organizations incorporated in Canada.
- Not-for-profit organizations that facilitate and fund research and development.
- Non-federal Crown corporations with commercial revenues.
- Manufacturing companies, AI solution providers, and other industry partners.
- Research organizations and technical partners contributing to project consortia.
Who is not eligible
- Other not-for-profit organizations.
- Post-secondary institutions.
- Federal Crown corporations.
- Government departments and agencies.
- International organizations without an incorporated presence in Canada.
Eligible expenses
- Gross wages or salaries for personnel based in Canada and working directly on the project, including eligible overtime premiums and specified benefits.
- Sub-contract and consultancy fees for work essential to the project, where the expertise does not exist among the partners, and performed in Canada.
- New equipment, rental, direct operation, and maintenance costs, including direct operating costs for existing equipment.
- Materials and supplies consumed by the project.
- Travel costs, other direct costs, user fees, room or facility rentals, conference costs, dissemination costs, and reasonable intellectual property costs.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Routine administration and operations, including labour related to production, selling, marketing, or advertising.
- Infrastructure and facility modification costs, including flooring, walls, HVAC, electrical, fire suppression infrastructure, and non-movable clean room installations.
- Existing equipment, inventory on hand before the project start, travel to advanced manufacturing or industry association conferences, and project administration fees charged by NGen.
- Production activities, activities that subsidize full-scale production, capital investment not related to the project, experimental or theoretical work without direct commercial application, and anti-competitive activities.
- Projects where benefits accrue to a single firm or organization, projects that would be undertaken at the same scale or scope without NGen funding, and routine or periodic changes to existing products, production lines, manufacturing processes, services, and other ongoing operations.
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada
Selection criteria
- Each project application will be assessed based on eight questions by up to 5 independent assessors.
- Responses are equally weighted in assessments.
- Applications will be scored out of 80 marks (10 marks per question) by independent experts.
- The assessors will answer two yes/no gateway questions; if the majority answer no to either question, the application will not be considered for funding, regardless of the overall score.
How to apply
- Step 1: Become an NGen member
- Register as an organization in the NGen portal.
- Ensure all project partners are registered.
- Step 2: Submit for screening
- Create the project in the member portal.
- Enter project summary, partner details, and high-level financial information.
- Submit the expression of interest for screening.
- Step 3: Complete the full application
- Answer the eight application questions in the portal or by template.
- Upload the required appendices and supporting files.
- Step 4: Complete financial due diligence
- Provide the requested financial documents for each partner.
- Allow NGen to review the financial capacity of the consortium.
- Step 5: Submit for assessment and contracting
- Submit the final application through the portal.
- If approved, proceed to contracting before project launch.
Processing and Agreement
- Projects are first screened for scope, eligibility, and financial due diligence.
- Eligible applications are then reviewed by up to five independent experts.
- The assessment uses ten equally weighted questions and two gateway yes/no questions.
- NGen notifies applicants of the result and provides feedback.
- Successful projects move to contracting, including the Master Project Agreement and Collaboration Agreement.
Additional information
- NGen can provide pre-assessment support on project scope, partners, and funding sources.
- All project partners should be ready for financial due diligence during the application process.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024 Program
What is the NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024?
AI For Manufacturing Challenge supports collaborative AI and machine learning projects for advanced manufacturing in Canada. Eligible work includes systems optimization, robotics and automation, rapid prototyping, and manufacturing cybersecurity.
How much funding can be received?
NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024 Funds up to 35% of admissible expenses, capped at $2,100,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024 program?
To be eligible for the NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024 program, you must:
Commercialization of AI/ML solutions in manufacturing
Business-led and collaborative project with at least two industry partners, including one manufacturing company and one AI company
At least one company in the consortium must be a Small Medium Enterprise, and the project must be in addition to the regular business undertakings of the applicants
What expenses are eligible under NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024?
Gross wages or salaries for personnel based in Canada and working directly on the project, including eligible overtime premiums and specified benefits.
Sub-contract and consultancy fees for work essential to the project, where the expertise does not exist among the partners, and performed in Canada.
New equipment, rental, direct operation, and maintenance costs, including direct operating costs for existing equipment.
Materials and supplies consumed by the project.
Travel costs, other direct costs, user fees, room or facility rentals, conference costs, dissemination costs, and reasonable intellectual property costs.
Who can I contact for more information about the NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024?
You can contact Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) by email at ai@ngen.ca.
Where is the NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024 available?
The NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024 program is available across Canada.
Is the NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024 a grant, loan, or tax credit?
NGen — AI For Manufacturing Challenge 2024 is a Grant and Funding