Firms from Canada and India who wish to form project consortia to perform collaborative projects focused on developing innovative products, processes or technology-based services in advanced manufacturing as well as clean and green technologies, digital technologies, smart infrastructure, and other industries have until May 8 to register. PHOTO courtesy Fanuc.
The Canadian government is working with India to foster and support collaborative industrial research and development (R&D) projects with a high potential for commercialization.
A call for proposals has been issued to organizations from Canada and India who wish to form project consortia to perform collaborative projects focused on developing innovative products, processes or technology-based services in advanced manufacturing as well as clean and green technologies, digital technologies, smart infrastructure, and other industries.
The Canadian registration deadline is 8 May 2024.
Projects must focus on 1 or more of the following themes:
- Advanced manufacturing
- Smart factory and smart manufacturing
- Advanced materials
- Automotive manufacturing
- Robotics and automation
- “Industry 4.0” enablers (additive manufacturing, near net shape manufacturing, assistive robotics and process automation, industrial IoT implementation)
- Clean and green technologies
- Water and waste water management
- Smart grid and energy storage
- Battery-related technologies
- Renewable energy
- Smart cities
- Hydrogen technologies
- Waste management
- Waste-to-energy
- Electric vehicles
- Carbon capture
- Energy storage
- Digital technologies
- Artificial intelligence for industry
- Cyber security
- Smart vehicle
- Smart cities
- Smart infrastructure
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Internet of things (IoT)
- Geo-information systems
- Smart mobility
- Smart grids
- Quantum technologies
Eligible requirements
To be considered for funding, applicants must form a project consortium and develop a collaborative research and development (R&D) project that meets the following criteria:
Canadian SME applicant
- The Canadian small or medium‑sized enterprise (SME) applicant must:
- be an incorporated, profit oriented small or medium sized business in Canada
- have 500 or fewer full time equivalent employees
- pursue growth and profit by developing and commercializing innovative, technology driven new or improved products, services or processes in Canada
- have a differentiated and protectable technology with commercial potential in global markets
- have sufficient working capital (e.g. revenue, investment etc.) and resources to undertake a multi-year R&D collaboration and commercialize the results
- be committed to significant growth through international market expansion
- Preference may be given to SME applicants who:
- have a minimum of 15 full‑time equivalent employees
- have commercialized 1 or more products domestically or internationally
- have greater than $500,000 CAD in annual revenue
Consortium
- The project consortium must include at least:
- 1 incorporated Canadian SME
- 1 eligible Indian partner
- The parties listed above must be unrelated parties (i.e. no direct, indirect, beneficial or constructive ownership interest between these parties)
- The project partners that form the consortium must agree on a plan addressing intellectual property rights and intent to commercialize.
Project
- The project must focus on co-development, adaptation or validation of an innovative product, process or technology-based service that has:
- commercial potential and outcomes that can be realized within 2 to 3 years of completion of the project
- a civilian (non-military) purpose
- The project must demonstrate:
- a complementary technological contribution from each partner
- an obvious advantage and added value resulting from the cooperation between the participants
- a balanced contribution between project partners and countries (i.e. no more than 70% of the effort contributed by any 1 partner or country)
Funding
Eligible project participants in collaborative projects selected through this call for proposals may receive funding from their respective national funding bodies. Funds will be provided in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, rules and procedures established by the relevant national funding bodies, country and jurisdiction.
Non‑eligible project participants (e.g. universities, research institutes, etc., and participants from other countries) are welcome to participate on a self‑funded basis or as sub‑contractors to funded participants, according to each country’s funding regulations.
In Canada, this call for proposals is offered through the Canadian International Innovation Program (CIIP), an international innovation R&D funding program offered by Global Affairs Canada in partnership with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP). NRC IRAP is responsible for delivering this call for proposals and for managing any resulting funding agreements.
Canadian SMEs
Eligible Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of eligible project costs up to a maximum total funding amount of $600,000 CAD over 12 to 36 months.
Application process
Each project partner seeking funding must submit all required documents to their respective national funding body and meet its due diligence process requirements. Failure to do so, at any point or for any reason, may cause the entire collaborative project application to be considered incomplete or ineligible and render the entire project consortium ineligible for funding through this call for proposals.
Application processes and evaluations will be performed independently by each national funding body in accordance with their national and institutional laws and regulations. Once each national funding body has evaluated the submitted applications, a final joint project selection will be performed.
Information on respective application processes follows below:
Canadian application process
The Canadian application process has 4 phases:
- Registration
- Expression of interest
- International consortium project proposal
- National funding body proposal and funding agreement
For questions, concerns or for more information, contact:
Neil Kochar
India National Program Coordinator for NRC IRAP
National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program
[email protected]
