Call for Proposals: Canada–Chile Collaborative Industrial Research and Development 2025

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

Themes

• This call for proposals is open to projects in all sectors that are civilian in nature, with preference given to projects focusing on one or more of the following themes:
  • Sustainable mining: resilient supply chain of critical minerals, sustainable development of minerals and metals, lithium, green mining, digitalization, artificial intelligence, drilling, low-profile loading equipment, Off-the-Road (OTR) tyres, energy efficiency, and automation.
  • Clean energy: technologies, new or improved photovoltaic panel materials, electrochemical energy storage, such as lithium batteries, clean hydrogen and hydrogen-derived technologies, sustainable fuels, geothermal and ocean energy.
  • Sustainable construction: building information modelling methodology, seismic isolation/damper technologies, resilient architectural designs, advanced building materials and technologies (e.g., fire resistance, water resistance, shock resistance, non-toxic), durability-increasing adaptations (e.g., for buildings on weak soils or floodplains, prevention of wildfires, enhancement of construction materials, wood advanced manufacture). Projects on this field must be within a sustainable framework.

Funding Information

• In Canada, this call for proposals is offered through 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.
• Eligible Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of the total project costs up to a maximum total funding amount of $500,000 CAD over 12 to 36 months.
• Chilean funding
  • In Chile, this call for proposals is offered through the Chilean Economic Development Agency (Corfo), which is responsible for the delivery of this call for proposals and the management of any resulting funding agreements.

Project

• The project must focus on co‑development, adaptation, and/or validation of an innovative product, process, or technology‑based service that has:
  • substantial 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 one partner or country)

Eligibility Criteria

• Canadian applicant:
  • The Canadian applicant must meet all the following criteria:
    • be an incorporated, profit-oriented small or medium sized enterprise (SME) in Canada (defined as having 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees)
    • have been in operation for a minimum of 12 months prior to the project proposal deadline specified above
    • have a minimum of 5 full-time equivalent employees located in Canada (on your company payroll and issued a T4), excluding contract 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 the financial capacity (working capital, sales revenue, investment, etc.) and the operational capacity (personnel, expertise, resources, etc.) to undertake an international multi-year R&D collaboration while maintaining regular operations, and to subsequently commercialize the results
    • be committed to significant growth through international market expansion
  • Preference may be given to SME applicants that meet the criteria below. If one or more criteria are unmet, a strong rationale must be provided in the Expression of Interest (EOI) form for possible consideration:
    • have a minimum of 15 full‑time equivalent employees located in Canada (on your company payroll and issued a T4), excluding contract employees
    • have commercialized one or more products internationally
    • have more than $500,000 CAD in annual sales revenue.
• Consortium
  • The project consortium must include at least:
    • 1 eligible Canadian SME, and
    • 1 eligible Chilean company
    • 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

For more information, visit Government of Canada.