Deadline: 15-March-2026
The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program is inviting Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises to submit an expression of interest for a five-minute pitch opportunity aimed at building co-innovation partnerships with leading Japanese corporations.
The program focuses on establishing industrial co-innovation opportunities between Canadian and Japanese organizations, with the objective of enabling participants to engage in collaborative research and development projects centered on civilian applications across any sector.
Through this initiative, selected Canadian SMEs will have the opportunity to present their technologies to world-class Japanese corporations and explore potential partnerships. Companies that successfully demonstrate strong collaboration potential may be invited to attend meetings in Osaka, Japan, where they can further develop and formalize relationships with interested Japanese partners. In previous years, more than 70 percent of participating Canadian companies were successfully matched with a Japanese corporate partner, highlighting the program’s strong track record.
Following successful completion of the KGAP process, selected Canadian SMEs may be invited to submit a proposal under the IRAP Japan Corporate Co-Innovation Program. Funding support is available across specific cost categories, including up to 80 percent coverage for salary costs, 50 percent for contractor fees, and 75 percent for international travel expenses for employees. The total funding available per Canadian SME is capped at $75,000 CAD, with additional details to be provided to successful applicants.
To be eligible, applicants must be incorporated, profit-oriented SMEs in Canada with 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees. They must have been operating for at least 12 months prior to the registration deadline and employ a minimum of five full-time equivalent employees in Canada on payroll, excluding contract employees. Companies must be developing and commercializing innovative, technology-driven products, services, or processes in Canada, possess differentiated and protectable technologies with global commercial potential, and demonstrate both financial and operational capacity to undertake multi-year international R&D collaboration while maintaining regular operations. A clear commitment to significant growth through international market expansion is also required.
Preference may be given to SMEs that employ at least 10 full-time equivalent employees in Canada, have commercialized one or more products domestically or internationally, generate more than $500,000 CAD in annual revenue, and have prior experience in the Japanese market. Applicants who do not meet one or more of these preferred criteria must provide a strong rationale within their expression of interest for consideration.
For more information, visit Government of Canada.
