Grant · Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)

Advice, connections and funding for Canadian small and medium-sized businesses developing innovations. Firms work with an industrial technology advisor, who may invite a funding proposal.

Rolling applications Run by National Research Council Canada

Apply on the programme's site Programme website

Verified 18 October 2026 · From the programme's own pages

Terms

Funding: not published Project funding decided case by case after work with an industrial technology advisor; amounts are not published. Being invited to submit a proposal does not guarantee funding.
Instrument: Grant
Equity taken: None (equity-free)
Programme fee: not published
Duration: not published
Cohort size: not published
Cohorts: not published
Delivery: Hybrid
Stages: Seed, post-seed
Sectors: Sector-agnostic
Open to founders from: Canada
Perks: Industrial technology advisor
Funding to hire young graduates

IRAP is due to move into the new Canada Innovation Corporation no later than 2026-27; it stays with the NRC until then.

Application dates

Rolling applications

Applications are accepted at any time.

Usual timing: No deadline: contact the NRC IRAP contact centre to be matched with a client engagement advisor.

Who can apply

Incorporated, for-profit and operating in Canada
Up to 500 full-time-equivalent employees
Ready to create economic benefits in Canada, such as jobs or innovation capacity
Stage: seed, post-seed

What founders should check

The programme says it takes no equity. Still read the agreement for warrants, revenue shares or rights in a later round.
It does not publish a fee. Ask whether you pay for desks, services or the programme itself.
It mixes remote and in-person sessions in Ottawa. Ask how much time on site it expects.
Applications are accepted at any time, so there is no deadline to plan around.

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Status unknown

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