NRC IRAP

The Industrial Research Assistance Program supports small Canadian firms with non-repayable contributions and, unusually, with advice that arrives before the money is discussed.

It works through people. A firm is assigned an INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR (typically an experienced engineer or scientist) who works with the company to shape the project before any application exists. The advisor is a continuing relationship rather than an assessor, and the assessment happens through them.

There is often no public deadline, because the process is not a competition against other applicants at a fixed date. Projects are developed and approved as they mature, subject to the programme's budget for the year, which makes timing within the fiscal year matter more than timing against a closing date.

Contributions are NON-repayable, which distinguishes IRAP from much of the rest of the Canadian toolkit. They typically cover a share of salaries and contractor costs for a defined technical project, and the firm funds the remainder.

This is why Canadian listings look thin next to European ones on any aggregator, Bemzu included. A large part of Canadian support is negotiated through advisors rather than published as calls, so a portal view systematically understates what is available. For a Canadian firm the first step is contacting IRAP, not searching for a call.