Regional Defence Investment Initiative (RDII) in the Prairie provinces

• The applicant must be a business active in, or positioning itself to enter, defence supply chains, or a not-for-profit organization that supports businesses and responds or could respond to a military need.
• Indigenous-owned businesses and Indigenous organizations are eligible applicants.
• The project must clearly address military needs, align with defence priority areas and contribute to Canada’s defence industrial base.
• The project activities must be located in the Prairie provinces and be completed no later than March 31, 2028.
• The project must involve eligible activities such as technology adoption, capacity building, productivity improvement or technology commercialization related to defence or dual-use applications.

Who is eligible?

• Businesses operating within the defence supply chain
• Businesses positioning themselves to enter the defence supply chain
• Not-for-profit organizations that support businesses responding or potentially responding to military needs (e.g., ecosystem service providers, research centres)
• Indigenous-owned businesses involved or seeking involvement in defence-related activities
• Indigenous organizations that support participation in defence and military-related economic opportunities

Eligible expenses

• Salaries, wages and benefits for project-related personnel, as well as the cost of materials used for the project.
• Capital expenditures such as the purchase of machinery, equipment and infrastructure required to carry out the project.
• Consulting, professional and technical service fees directly tied to the project (e.g., specialized advisors or technical experts).
• Costs for pre-production activities, including technological development and commercial demonstrations.
• Expenses related to commercializing products or services, and to expanding or maintaining target markets.
• Fees for specialized services such as testing, research and development, and other technical or innovation services.
• Costs to obtain or comply with required military certifications and standards (e.g., cybersecurity, controlled goods, ISO, technical and engineering standards).
• Expenses to build internal capacity to prepare and submit bids on defence-related contracts and projects.

Eligible geographic areas

• Businesses and organizations located in the Prairie provinces served by Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).

• Alignment of the project with RDII objectives, including clear demonstration of the military purpose and contribution to Canada’s defence industrial base.
• Strength and significance of expected economic impacts, such as productivity gains, competitiveness and regional economic benefits.
• Overall viability of the project, including realistic timelines, implementation plan and ability to complete activities by March 31, 2028.
• Organizational capacity, including management capability and financial capacity to deliver and sustain the project.
• Degree of alignment with broader government priorities, including advancement of Indigenous economic inclusion and participation of under‑represented groups.

• Intake is open for a limited time and applications are accepted until December 31, 2027, or until all available funding has been fully committed.
• Costs may be eligible on a retroactive basis for up to 12 months prior to the signed funding request, but not before April 1, 2025.
• Decisions on funding are generally made within about 90 business days after a complete funding application (with all required supporting documents) is received.
• Participation in the initiative is competitive, and not all applications that undergo detailed assessment will receive a contribution agreement.