Canada-UK Call for Proposals on Enabling Technologies & Innovations for Biomanufacturing

Working together, the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) aim to foster and support collaborative industrial research and development (R&D) projects with a high potential for commercialization.

This call for proposals is open to organizations from Canada and the UK who wish to form project consortia to perform collaborative projects focused on developing innovative products, processes or technology‑based services in the area of biomanufacturing of biologics and advanced therapeutics technologies.

Sectors of Focus

• This Canada‑UK partnering initiative is designed to further develop and diversify the biomanufacturing ecosystems in both countries. By helping small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other stakeholders build the technical capabilities required for the development and economically sustainable production of next‑generation vaccines and therapeutics, both countries will be well positioned to respond to future health emergencies.
• Projects must be focused on the development of pre‑commercial technologies that address an identified need in the area of biomanufacturing of biologics and advanced therapeutics technologies, in the following themes:
  • Enabling technologies for biologics and advanced therapeutics:
    • Discovery, design and high throughput screening platforms, which may include the application of artificial intelligence
    • Manufacturing systems and methods (e.g. centralized, distributed or point‑of‑care; microfluidics‑based devices, new and innovative systems for Good Manufacturing Practice production, fill and finish, automation security)
    • Manufacturing process intensification enablers (e.g. hyper productive strains, novel expression systems, continuous production processes, perfusion technologies)
    • Novel analytical characterization, potency assays and real‑time release technologies, biosensors
    • Other relevant enabling technologies
  • Delivery systems for proteins and nucleic acids:
    • Viral and non‑viral (e.g. lipid nanoparticles) platforms, including their components and payloads
  • Novel biological products:
    • Vaccines (prophylactic, therapeutic, various platforms)
    • Therapeutic proteins (antibodies) and related production process‑intensification enablers
    • Advanced therapy medicinal products (e.g. mRNA, siRNA, gene therapies, cell therapies, engineered tissues)
    • Other biological based therapies (e.g. bacteriophage, engineered probiotics)

Funding Information

• Eligible Canadian SMEs may receive up 50% reimbursement of the total project costs up to a maximum total funding amount of $1,000,000 CAD over 12 to 24 months.

Eligibility Requirements

• To be considered for funding, applicants must form a project consortium and develop a collaborative R&D project that meets the following criteria:
  • The project consortium must include and be country‑led by:
    • 1 incorporated Canadian SME
    • 1 registered UK for‑profit business of any size
    • The parties listed above must be unrelated parties (i.e. no direct, indirect, beneficial or constructive ownership interest between these parties)
    • Canadian SMEs are welcome to include any of the following organizations as other Canadian collaborators as appropriate:
      • Other Canadian SMEs (Canadian collaborators eligible for funding)
      • National Research Council of Canada (NRC) researchers (Canadian collaborators eligible for funding)
      • Universities (Canadian collaborators eligible for funding)
      • Research technology organizations (RTO) (Canadian collaborators eligible for funding)
      • Others (Canadian collaborators eligible for funding)
      • Large enterprises and industries (self‑funding)
  • The project partners that form the consortium must agree on a plan to address intellectual property rights and intend to commercialize.
  • The Canadian 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) 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.

For more information, visit Government of Canada.