NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program

The advisor relationship comes before the application

IRAP is not a form you fill in. It starts with an Industrial Technology Advisor assessing whether your project qualifies and helping shape it. Businesses that approach IRAP as an application process generally do not get funded. The test is technological uncertainty: a problem that cannot be resolved with existing knowledge and standard engineering. Building a product with known methods does not qualify, however difficult the build.

The details

Type	Non-repayable contribution.
Contribution size	Depends on project scope and is agreed with your advisor. Confirm current ranges with NRC rather than relying on published figures, which vary widely.
Cost-share	Combined government funding on a project is generally capped at a share of eligible cost.
Who qualifies	Incorporated Canadian for-profit small and medium businesses with 500 or fewer employees, conducting R&D in Canada.
Pre-revenue	Eligible, provided there is a defined technical project.
Eligible costs	Salaries, contractors and materials directly attributable to the project.
Timeline	Twelve to twenty-six weeks, including the advisor assessment.
Apply through	Contact an NRC IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor.

Contribution ranges are project-specific. Confirm with NRC.

Against the nearest alternatives

Program	Type	Maximum	Apply through	Timeline
IRAP	Grant, non-repayable	Grant	Contact an NRC IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor	12 to 26 weeks
CanExport SMEs	Grant, non-repayable	Grant	Global Affairs Canada online portal	8 to 12 after intake closes weeks
SR&ED	Tax credit, non-repayable	Tax credit	Filed with your corporate tax return	9 to 26 weeks

Common questions

Source and application

Program overview: nrc.canada.ca

Facts on this page last checked 7 August 2026.

Apply on the official site
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