NRC IRAP Support for Intellectual Property
Last Update: July 22, 2025
Canada
IP Advisory services for your innovations
NRC IRAP Support for Intellectual Property at a glance
Eligible Funding
- No Condition
Timeline
- Open Date : November 22, 2023
Financing Type
Expert Advice
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Grant Providers
- National Research Council Canada (NRC)
- Government of Canada
Status
Open
Overview of the NRC IRAP Support for Intellectual Property program
Get comprehensive advisory to increase your IP awareness and funding to accelerate the growth of your SME.
Financing terms and conditions
- 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.
Eligible projects & activities
- Building awareness and understanding of intellectual property best practices and strategies.
- Developing a tailored intellectual property strategy with expert guidance, including patent and trademark landscape analysis and competitive research.
- Implementing prioritized intellectual property actions as defined in the IP strategy, such as conducting in-depth IP audits, detailed patent searches, or trademark clearance searches.
- Engaging external IP experts to conduct assessments, develop IP management policies, or perform other preparatory work necessary for future protection or commercialization of innovations.
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 75,000
IP strategy implementation for a renewable energy startup
$ 85,000
Developing an IP strategy for a culinary institute
$ 70,000
Enhancing IP awareness and strategy for a nonprofit arts organization
$ 60,000
IP strategy development for a cooperative organic farm
$ 80,000
Developing a comprehensive IP strategy for a tech startup
$ 100,000
Development of an IP strategy for a biotech company
Eligibility criteria of the NRC IRAP Support for Intellectual Property program
- 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
Eligibility criteria of the NRC IRAP Support for Intellectual Property program
- 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.
How to apply to the NRC IRAP Support for Intellectual Property program
1
Contact NRC IRAP
- If you are already an NRC IRAP client, reach out to your industrial technology advisor for information about IP Assist.
- If you are not currently a client, call NRC IRAP toll-free at 1-877-994-4727 to inquire about the program and discuss your eligibility and next steps.
2
Increase IP Awareness
- Utilize NRC IRAP's network of advisors and resources to enhance your understanding of IP practices and how to protect your innovations.
- Engage with partner organizations for further IP knowledge acquisition.
3
Develop IP Strategy
- Work with IP experts provided through IP Assist to craft a strategy that supports your business objectives.
- Prioritize IP actions and gather insights related to your technology, competitors, and the general IP landscape.
4
Execute IP Strategy
Secure funding through IP Assist to implement the prioritized actions from your IP strategy.
Additional information
- 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.
Apply to this program
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