NRC IRAP Support for Intellectual Property

• Non-repayable contributions of up to $50,000 per company for eligible IP activities.
• Up to $20,000 is available for IP strategy development (Level 2).
• Up to $30,000 is available for IP strategy implementation (Level 3).
• IRAP funding generally covers 100% of approved external IP advisor fees up to the specified limits.
• Funding is provided on a cost-reimbursement basis or paid directly to service providers as arranged in the contribution agreement.

• The applicant must be a Canadian small or medium-sized business, incorporated and profit-oriented, with 500 or fewer employees.
• The company must be pursuing growth and profit through the development and commercialization of innovative, technology-driven products, services, or processes.
• The business must either be an NRC IRAP client or be willing to become one through the IRAP onboarding process.
• The company should have a demonstrated need or interest in developing an intellectual property (IP) strategy and enhancing its IP protection.

Who is eligible?

• Innovative Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Startups engaged in technology-driven product, service, or process development
• Growth-oriented companies focused on commercialization of innovative technologies
• Businesses from all Canadian provinces and territories

Who is not eligible

• Large companies with more than 500 full-time employees.
• Non-profit organizations, charities, universities, or research institutes.
• Companies that are not incorporated in Canada (including sole proprietors and foreign businesses).
• Businesses without an innovation focus or those not engaged in technological development or commercialization.

Eligible expenses

• Fees for hiring intellectual property (IP) professionals, including patent agents, IP strategists, and IP lawyers, for advisory and consulting services.
• Costs for conducting patentability searches, prior art reviews, and IP landscape or portfolio analyses.
• Fees for trademark searches and IP competitive intelligence gathering.
• Expenses related to comprehensive IP audits or assessments.
• Preparation of IP strategy documents, reports, and development of IP action plans.
• Costs for external expertise required to implement actions prioritized in the IP strategy, such as commissioning a patent landscape study or trademark clearance report.
• Expenses for drafting IP management policies or conducting preliminary work toward patent or trademark filings (excluding the actual drafting or prosecution of applications).

Eligible geographic areas

• All provinces and territories in Canada

• Innovative merit and commercial potential of the company’s technology or R&D and the proposed IP plan.
• Alignment of the proposed IP activities with IRAP’s mandate to support SME growth through innovation.
• Feasibility and expected impact of the proposed IP strategy and actions, including the clarity and significance of the anticipated outcomes.
• Qualifications, experience, and commitment of the applicant’s management and technical team to successfully execute the project.
• Overall assessment by IRAP of the company’s technical soundness, financial and managerial capacity, market opportunity, and potential benefits to Canada.

• Funding through IP Assist is structured in sequential levels; completion of Level 1 is required to access subsequent phases.
• Grant recipients are expected to provide follow-up information or participate in program impact surveys.
• The program complements other funding sources and does not preclude applicants from using tax credits or grants for different project expenses.