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Source verified April 13, 2026
SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing
Supports international advanced manufacturing R&D collaborations for innovative SMEs
Latest source updateLast Update: July 8, 2026Latest change: The SMART call information now shows the 10th call with a PO deadline of 26 January 2027, replacing the earlier 9th-call timing.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: July 8, 2026
Latest change: The SMART call information now shows the 10th call with a PO deadline of 26 January 2027, replacing the earlier 9th-call timing.
SMART call timeline updated
The SMART home page now promotes the 10th SMART Call and shows a PO deadline of 26 January 2027 instead of the earlier 9th-call timing. The call schedule also shifts the related milestones, including PO Proposers Day on 08 October 2026, FPP invitation on 12 March 2027, FPP deadline on 15 April 2027, and SMART label selection on 02 June 2027. A supporting PDF also now uses the heading Advanced Manufacturing instead of Supporting International, while the page content continues to describe SMART’s advanced manufacturing focus. No funding amounts or percentage cost-share terms were changed in the visible updates, and the 1.5% fee text remains the same in the supporting grant content.
Funding available
Varies by project
Deadline
January 22, 2026
Location
Canada
Who can apply
Canadian incorporated, profit-oriented small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (up to 500 full-time equivalent employees) applying for NRC IRAP funding
See full eligibility
Overview
The SMART Cluster’s 9th call for proposals supports international, close-to-market collaborative R&D projects in advanced manufacturing, with Canadian SME funding available through NRC IRAP. The maximum funding amount is not specified, and eligible activities include joint R&D in areas such as advanced manufacturing processes, digital and efficient companies, intelligent systems, person‑machine collaboration, and sustainable manufacturing.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Develop a new product or service
Eligible Funding
- Varies by project
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- $ 500,000 minimum revenue
Organisation size
- 5-500 employees
Audience
- All groups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Collaborative, international research and development projects that are close to market in advanced manufacturing.
- Joint R&D projects to develop or improve advanced manufacturing processes.
- Joint R&D projects focused on customer-based manufacturing.
- Joint R&D projects to build digital, virtual and efficient manufacturing companies.
- Joint R&D projects developing intelligent and adaptive manufacturing systems, including person-machine collaboration and sustainable manufacturing solutions.
Documents Needed
- Project Outline template
- Cost information template
- Letter of intent for each project participant
- Full Project Proposal template
- SMART Financial Template and Declaration of Acceptance for the FPP stage
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Canadian incorporated, profit-oriented small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (up to 500 full-time equivalent employees) applying for NRC IRAP funding
- Organizations active in advanced manufacturing (e.g., advanced manufacturing processes, customer-based manufacturing, digital/virtual/efficient companies, intelligent/adaptive manufacturing systems, person–machine collaboration, sustainable manufacturing)
- Other Canadian organizations (e.g., universities, research institutes) participating on a self-funded basis or as subcontractors, subject to national funding rules
Who is not eligible
- Organizations outside EUREKA Member and Associated Countries.
- Projects without at least 2 industrial companies from 2 different participating countries.
Eligible geographic areas
- EUREKA Member and Associated Countries.
- Canada.
Selection criteria
- Relevance to the SMART program.
- Quality and efficiency of implementation, including consortium quality.
- Market impact and commercialisation potential.
- Contact with the relevant national funding authorities.
- For FPPs, technical achievability and new applied knowledge are also considered.
How to apply
- Step 1: Prepare the Project Outline
- Use the PO template and the cost information template.
- Sign a letter of intent for each project participant.
- Step 2: Submit the Project Outline
- Register on the Proposal Submission Tool.
- Upload the PO through the Cluster Project's Tool.
- Step 3: Prepare the Full Project Proposal
- Use the FPP template and the SMART Financial Template.
- Sign the Declaration of Acceptance for SMART project participants.
- Step 4: Submit the Full Project Proposal
- Upload the proposal and supporting documents through the Cluster Project's Tool.
- Step 5: Follow post-label funding steps
- After labelling, apply to the relevant national public authorities for funding.
Processing and Agreement
- Project Outlines are pre-selected by the SMART Technical Committee and SMART Public Authorities.
- Invited projects receive recommendations and improvements to support the Full Project Proposal.
- Full Project Proposals are evaluated by the SMART Technical Committee and SMART Public Authorities.
- The SMART Board decides on project labelling after the FPP evaluation.
- After labelling, projects may apply for funding with their national public authorities.
Additional information
- SMART projects must include at least two partners from two different EUREKA countries.
- Projects are expected to run for 2 to 3 years.
- The project budget must be balanced among participants/countries (no single organization or country may account for more than 70% of the total project budget).
- A SMART PO Proposers’ Day for project consortium building is scheduled for October 14–15, 2025.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing Program
What is the SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing?
The SMART Cluster’s 9th call for proposals supports international, close-to-market collaborative R&D projects in advanced manufacturing, with Canadian SME funding available through NRC IRAP. The maximum funding amount is not specified, and eligible activities include joint R&D in areas such as advanced manufacturing processes, digital and efficient companies, intelligent systems, person‑machine collaboration, and sustainable manufacturing.
Who is eligible for the SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing program?
To be eligible for the SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing program, you must:
Incorporated, for-profit Canadian SME (≤500 FTE employees)
Operating ≥12 months and ≥5 Canada-based FTEs (T4 payroll)
NRC IRAP client-eligible; capacity for multi-year international R&D and commercialization
What expenses are eligible under SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing?
Collaborative, international research and development projects that are close to market in advanced manufacturing.
Joint R&D projects to develop or improve advanced manufacturing processes.
Joint R&D projects focused on customer-based manufacturing.
Joint R&D projects to build digital, virtual and efficient manufacturing companies.
Joint R&D projects developing intelligent and adaptive manufacturing systems, including person-machine collaboration and sustainable manufacturing solutions.
Who can I contact for more information about the SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing?
You can contact National Research Council Canada (NRC) by email at Peter.Bandas@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca or by phone at 1-877-994-4727.
Where is the SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing available?
The SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing program is available across Canada.
Is the SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing a grant, loan, or tax credit?
SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing is a Partnering and Collaboration
Who are the financial supporters of the SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing?
SMART Cluster's 9th call for proposals – advanced manufacturing is funded by National Research Council Canada (NRC), Eureka Network (EUREKA)