Research Partnerships and Innovation

Research Partnerships & Innovation

Funding Opportunities

RRC Polytech

Digital Technology Transformation Initiative

Funding Term Length: Flexible
DTTI Transform Max Funding Amount: $20,000
DTTI Transform Matching Funds Required: 1:4 cost-sharing
DTTI Innovate Max Funding Amount: $15,000 ($7,500/student)

Support Digital Transformation projects that drive sustainability and achieve net-zero goals. Learn more ›

Strategic Transformation and Applied Research Fund

Funding Term Length: 1 year
Max Funding Amount: $10,000
Matching Funds Required: N/A
Intake: See deadline

Support innovation and activities emphasizing interdisciplinary and multi-department projects. Learn more ›

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Applied Research and Development (ARD)

Funding Term Length: Up to 3 years
Max Funding Amount: $40K or less or between $40K-$150K
Matching Funds Required: A minimum of 25% of the grant amount in cash is required.
Intake: No deadline

ARD grants provide companies that operate from a Canadian base access to knowledge, expertise and capabilities available at Canadian colleges and to train students in essential technical skills required by companies. Expected to result in economic benefits to the company and/or Canada. Learn more ›

Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI)

Funding Term Length: N/A
Max Funding Amount: $150K, (up to $250K if additional $100k is coming from other sources)
Matching Funds Required: No
Intake: Currently not accepting applications – previous call January 2024

ARTI grants support the purchase of research equipment and installations to drive applied research, innovation and training in collaboration with local primarily small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Learn more ›

College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF)

Funding Term Length: 1-3 years
Max Funding Amount: $120K per year
Matching Funds Required: Yes, cash/in-kind expected
Intake: Currently not accepting applications – previous call March 2024

The CCSIF program enables colleges to increase their capacity to work with communities, with the goal of developing partnerships that foster community innovation in areas such as the integration of vulnerable populations, community development, education and training, climate change, environmental degradation, as well as health and well-being. Learn more ›

Technology Access Centre (TAC)

Funding Term Length: Up to 5 years, renewable
Max Funding Amount: $350K per year
Matching Funds Required: Cash and/or in kind required
Intake: Renewal is by invitation.

TAC Grants are intended to enhance the ability of companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to become more productive and innovative by enabling them to readily access college expertise, technology and equipment. This access to college capabilities is intended to enhance the productivity, competitiveness and innovation of the participating SMEs. Learn more ›

Idea to Innovation (I2I)

Funding Term Length: Market assessment – up to one year; Phase I – up to one year; Phase IIa – from 6 to 18 months; Phase IIb – up to two years
Max Funding Amount: Market assessment – $15,000 up to one year; Phase I – $125,000 up to one year; Phase I b – $60,000 up to 6 months; Phase II a – $125,000 from 6 to 18 months; Phase IIb $350,000 – up to two years
Matching Funds Required: Half of project costs through cash and in-kind
Intake: 2024-09-16

I2I grants accelerate the pre-competitive development of promising technology originating from the university and college sector and promote its transfer to a new or established Canadian company. Learn more ›

Mobilize

Funding Term Length: 5 years
Max Funding Amount: No minimum or maximum amount
Matching Funds Required: Partners must make significant cash and in-kind contributions commensurate with the benefits they receive as recipients of the research results.
Intake: 14-04-23

Mobilize grants provide long-term funding to support college-wide applied research initiatives focused on the priorities of the college’s partners. These initiatives can span the college’s full spectrum of research activities in natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities and health sciences. Learn more ›

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Partnership Engage Grants

Funding Term Length: 1 year
Max Funding Amount: $7-25K
Matching Funds Required: No
Intake: September 15, 2024, March 15, 2025 (check SSHRC website for updates)

Short-term and timely support for partnered research activities that will inform decision-making at a single partner organization from the public, private or not-for-profit sector. In any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. Expected to respond to Insight and/or Connection Program objectives. Learn more ›

Partnership Development Grants

Funding Term Length: 1 – 3 years
Max Funding Amount: $75,000 to $200,000
Matching Funds Required: Expected to include a plan to seek and secure cash and/or in kind; no spec set
Intake: 2024-11-15

Provide support to teams/partnerships, led by a project director, to develop research and/or related activities in the social sciences and humanities—projects can include knowledge mobilization and the meaningful involvement of students and emerging scholars by fostering new partnerships with existing and/or potential partners; or design and test new partnership approaches for research and/or related activities that can result in best practices or models—these can either be adapted by others or have the potential to be scaled up to a regional, national or international level. Expected to respond to Insight and/or Connection Program objectives. Learn more ›

Partnership Grants

Funding Term Length: 4 – 7 years
Max Funding Amount: Stage 1: $20,000; Stage 2 (by invite only): $2.5 million
Matching Funds Required: Cash and in-kind of at least 35% of the amount requested
Intake: Stage 1 – February 10, 2025

Provide support for new and existing formal partnerships to advance research, research training and/or knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities. This is done through mutual co-operation and sharing of intellectual leadership, as well as through resources as shown by cash and/or in-kind contributions. Learn more ›

Insight

Funding Term Length: 2 – 5 years
Max Funding Amount: Stream A: $7K to $100K; Stream B $101K to $400K
Matching Funds Required: N/A
Intake: October 1, 2024

Insight grant is designed to build knowledge and understanding from disciplinary, interdisciplinary and/or cross-sector perspectives through support for the best researchers; support new approaches to research on complex and important topics, including those that transcend the capacity of any one scholar, institution or discipline; provide a high-quality research training experience for students; fund research expertise that relates to societal challenges and opportunities; and mobilize research knowledge, to and from academic and non-academic audiences, with the potential to lead to intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, benefit and impact. Learn more ›

Connection

Funding Term Length: 1 year
Max Funding Amount: Events: $7,000 to $25,000; Outreach activities: $7,000 to $50,000; higher amounts may be considered if well justified
Matching Funds Required: Cash and/or in-kind contributions (excluding registration fees) equivalent to a minimum of 50% of the amount requested
Intake: 2024-11-01

Connection Grant is designed to enable the multidirectional flow of social sciences and humanities research knowledge among researchers, and across academia and society as a whole, to enhance intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, benefit and impact; increase the accessibility and use of social sciences and humanities research knowledge among academic and non-academic audiences; support the building of reciprocal relationships among social sciences and humanities researchers, and between the researchers and those in a position to either co-create or use research knowledge; support the development of social sciences and humanities research networks and tools designed to enable scholarly work; and make such networks and tools more accessible to non-academic audiences. Learn more ›

Talent Program (applicable for individuals vs institution)

Funding Term Length: N/A
Max Funding Amount: N/A
Matching Funds Required: N/A
Intake: N/A

Talent Grant is designed to support the development of the best or most promising highly qualified personnel with social sciences and humanities research and professional skills; support the best or most promising social sciences and humanities students and postdoctoral researchers selected through an adjudication process; support students and scholars in gaining exposure to international social sciences and humanities scholarship; and mobilize social sciences and humanities knowledge that has the potential to lead to intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, benefit and impact. Learn more ›

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Project Grant

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount:
Matching Funds Required:
Intake: Annual Cycle

Project grants are designed to capture ideas with the greatest potential to advance health-related fundamental or applied knowledge, health research, health care, health systems, and/or health outcomes. It supports projects or programs of research proposed and conducted by individual researchers or groups of researchers in all areas of health. They will support a diverse portfolio of health-related research and knowledge translation projects at any stage, from discovery to application, including commercialization; promote relevant collaborations across disciplines, professions, and sectors; and, contribute to the creation and use of health-related knowledge. Learn more ›

Team Grant

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount:
Matching Funds Required:
Intake: 2024-04-16

CIHR considers applications across the full spectrum of health research. CIHR categorizes health research in four broad themes: bio-medical research; clinical research; research respecting health systems and services; and research into the health of populations, societal and cultural dimensions of health, and environmental influences on health. Learn more ›

National Research Council of Canada

Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)

Funding Term Length: N/A
Max Funding Amount: Range, small to large scale project above $250K
Matching Funds Required: No
Intake: Ongoing

Financial and advisory aid for SME’s. Learn more ›

IRAP CTO (Contribution to Organizations)

Funding Term Length: 2 months
Max Funding Amount: $5,000
Matching Funds Required: No
Intake: Ongoing

To provide technical advice to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to assist in advancing SME-specific applied research and development challenges that may lead to future collaborations. CTO is only available through RRC Polytech. Please contact RPI directly. Learn more ›

NRC Artificial Intelligence for Logistics Supercluster Support Program

Funding Term Length: N/A
Max Funding Amount: Range
Matching Funds Required: No
Intake: Ongoing

Funding support for those interested in collaborating with NRC researchers to apply AI and data analytics to solve current and arising logistics challenges. Learn more ›

Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)

College Fund

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount: $60,000 to $1 million
Matching Funds Required: 
Intake: 2024-09-17

The College Fund seeks to enhance the capacity of colleges to support business innovation in Canada by providing them with state-of-the-art, industry-relevant research infrastructure to foster partnerships with the private sector in a specific area of strategic priority to the institution. College Fund will create and enhance college-industry partnerships leading to business innovation using industry-relevant, state-of-the-art research infrastructure; build upon proven applied research capacity and a track record of partnerships with the private sector in an area of strategic priority to the institution; and, generate socioeconomic benefits in the region and nationally including the development of highly skilled personnel. Learn more ›

Innovation Fund NOI

Intake: 2024-10-01

Innovation Fund Full Proposal

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount: Up to $2.5 million or between $2.5-$10 million
Matching Funds Required: 
Intake:

The Canadian research community’s success depends on maximizing its people and infrastructure. The Innovation Fund invests in new and existing research infrastructure across various fields, from fundamental to applied research and technology development. It supports programs in natural sciences, engineering, health, social sciences, humanities, arts, and interdisciplinary research. Funded projects help Canada lead in exploration and knowledge generation while addressing global challenges and generating social, health, environmental, and economic benefits.

Funding opportunities:

  • John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF)
  • Innovation Fund
  • College Fund
  • Major Science Initiatives (MSI) Fund
  • Exceptional Opportunities Fund (EOF)
  • Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF)
  • Northern Fund
  • Resources to apply and manage your award
  • Our review process
  • Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF)
  • Past competitions
  • Using our awards management system (CAMS)
  • 2025 competition draft call for proposals
  • Review the draft call for proposals to provide your feedback

Policy and program guide

Easily find information on our funding policies and procedures in our online Policy and program guide

The Innovation Fund supports a broad range of research programs including those in natural sciences and engineering, health, social sciences, humanities and the arts, as well as interdisciplinary research. Projects funded through the Innovation Fund will help Canada remain at the forefront of exploration and knowledge generation while making meaningful contributions to generating social, health, environmental and economic benefits and addressing global challenges. Amount: up to $2.5 million or between $2.5-$10 million

MITACS

Accelerate

Funding Term Length: Up to 16 months
Max Funding Amount: $15,000 (4 month “unit”, up to 4 units)
Matching Funds Required: $7,500 (4 month “unit”, up to 4 units) from partner organization
Intake: Ongoing

A student, a supervising professor, and a partner organization develop a research project; peer review occurs to obtain approvals. Learn more ›

Elevate

Funding Term Length: Up to 2 years
Max Funding Amount: $60,000
Matching Funds Required: $30,000 minimum from partner organization
Intake: Ongoing

Includes a research management training program and a postdoctoral fellowship. Learn more ›

Accelerate Entrepreneur

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount:
Matching Funds Required:
Intake: Ongoing

Business Strategy Internship Development (BSI-D)

Funding Term Length: 4 months
Max Funding Amount: $10,000 or $15,000
Matching Funds Required: 50% of total from institution and partner organization
Intake: Ongoing

For placing business students in 4 month summer stints to help with economic recovery. Learn more ›

Mitacs Entrepreneur International (MEI)

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount:
Matching Funds Required:
Intake: Ongoing

Indigenous Pathways

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount:
Matching Funds Required:
Intake: Ongoing

Research Manitoba

Innovation Proof of Concept

Funding Term Length: 2 years
Max Funding Amount: Up to $150,000 (Stream 1: Manitoba-Based Consortium); Up to $100,000 (Stream 2: Manitoba Post-Secondary Researchers)
Matching Funds Required: Stream 1: 50% cash/in-kind, of which at least 50% must be cash
Intake: Next deadlines to be announced, full proposal by invitation

Stream 1: supports local collaboration addressing a company specific discovery or innovation towards market usability; allows academics to use their world-class knowledge, facilities, and highly qualified personnel (HQP) to close the knowledge gaps identified during the industry partner’s innovation development. Stream 2: supports the advancement of discoveries or innovations within an academic setting, which may result in advancing products or technologies, towards market usability. Learn more ›

Strategic Partnerships Program

Funding Term Length: Open
Max Funding Amount: Open
Matching Funds Required: Yes
Intake: Open

Supports economic development and innovation entrepreneurship in Manitoba by supporting partnerships conducting research in biosciences, advanced manufacturing , ICT, infrastructure and ground transportation. Learn more ›

Government of Manitoba

Manitoba Climate and Green Plan – Conservation and Climate Fund

Funding Term Length: Not defined
Max Funding Amount: $150,000
Matching Funds Required: Cash/in-kind expected
Intake: Next deadline to be announced

Supports projects occurring in Manitoba that incorporate actions to combat and adapt to climate change and protect the environment in one or more of the three Categories of the Fund: Climate and Green Technology, Water and Nature and Resilient Landscape. Learn more ›

Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership – Research and Innovation

Intake: Closed

Innovation Growth Program

Funding Term Length: 1 year
Max Funding Amount: $100,000
Matching Funds Required: 50% matching funding
Intake: 2024-06-15

The IGP provides cost-sharing assistance to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to assist them in developing and commercializing new innovative products and processes. Learn more ›

Innovation Science and Economic Development

Strategic Innovation Fund – Stream 4: collaborative Technology Development and Demonstration

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount: $10 million
Matching Funds Required: No; may cover 100% of eligible costs
Intake: No deadline; due diligence process

Supports industrial research, including activities related to the discovery of new knowledge that aim to support the development of new technology-driven products, processes or services at early-stage technology readiness levels; and, large-scale technology demonstration, including the advancement and development of new technologies into product-specific applications at mid-to-late stage technology readiness levels. Learn more ›

Strategic Innovation Fund – Stream 5: National Innovation Ecosystems

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount: $10 million
Matching Funds Required: Will not exceed 100% of eligible costs
Intake: No deadline, Step 1: Statement of interest; Step 2 full application

Each Ecosystem proposal may support multiple projects. Projects supported by the Ecosystem may be industrial research, including activities related to the discovery of new knowledge that aim to support the development of new technology-driven products, processes or services at early-stage technology readiness levels (mainly within TRLs 3 to 7). Projects supported by the Ecosystem may also be technology demonstration, including the advancement and development of new technologies into product-specific applications at mid-stage and late-stage technology readiness levels with the goal of commercialization in areas of proven Canadian advantage. Learn more ›

Prairies Economic Development Canada

Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE)

Funding Term Length: Undefined
Max Funding Amount: Undefined
Matching Funds Required: Typically 50% cash/in-kind
Intake: Ongoing

Support and grow strategic clusters to leverage regional strengths and support businesses commercialize products, technologies and services, and to scale-up. Enhance the development and reach of business accelerators and incubators, and other organizations, which support entrepreneurs, start-ups and companies with high-growth potential. Support projects led by innovation-oriented organizations to increase and promote business productivity and global competitiveness, and investment and talent attraction. Enhance the capacity of ecosystems to support underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous peoples, and young entrepreneurs. Learn more ›

Global Affairs Canada

Varied

Funding Term Length: Varied
Max Funding Amount:
Matching Funds Required:
Intake:

International scholarships to support the attraction over of international students. Learn more ›

CanExport Innovation

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount: Up to 75% of eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $75,000 for any approved project.
Matching Funds Required:
Intake: The intake for CanExport Innovation applications is on-going. However, applications must be submitted at least 8 weeks prior to the anticipated start date of the activities.

Designed to promote and enhance Canada’s international innovation efforts. The program supports innovators who aim to commercialize technology by pursuing collaborative international research and development (R&D) opportunities through partnerships with key players in foreign markets. Learn more ›

Indigenous Services Canada

Post-Secondary Partnership Program

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount: Varied – looks like $100K – $500K average
Matching Funds Required: Not evident
Intake: Contact ISC regional office

Aims to increase the number of First Nations students pursuing post-secondary education and contribute to closing the education attainment gap between First Nations and non-Indigenous students in Canada. Learn more ›

Genome Canada

Genomic Monitoring of Pathogens in Water (GeMPaW)

Intake: Contact Genome Prairie

Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP)

Funding Term Length: 1-3 years typical, some flexibility either way
Max Funding Amount: $100K to $2M
Matching Funds Required: Yes, 2/3 of total project from eligible sources, with at least 1/3 from the recipient
Intake: Contact Genome Prairie

The Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP) funds downstream research and development (R&D) projects that address real world opportunities and challenges identified by industry, government, not-for-profits and other “Receptors” of genomics knowledge and technologies. GAPP projects are collaborations between academic researchers and Receptor organizations, and are co-funded by Genome Canada, Receptors and other stakeholders. Learn more ›

Employment and Social Development Canada

Various

Funding Term Length: Done by March 31, 2023
Max Funding Amount: Up to $750,000
Matching Funds Required: None; needs to be led by an indigenous entity
Intake: Next deadline to be announced

We will fund Indigenous communities, governments and organizations that are exploring ways to improve Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care (IELCC). Learn more ›

Tech Access Canada

Interactive Visits Program

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount: 20 hours TAC activity
Matching Funds Required: No
Intake:

Interactive Visits provide clients of the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) with up to 20 hours of access to the equipment, facilities, and expertise of a Technology Access Centre (TAC) to solve a specific business or technical challenge. Learn more ›

Vehicle Technology Centre

Clustering Collaboration Initiative

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount:
Matching Funds Required:
Intake:

Collaboration within the heavy equipment and vehicle manufacturing sector and its supply base in Manitoba to support common corporate initiatives and precompetitive research projects. Learn more ›

Academic Collaboration Initiative

Funding Term Length:
Max Funding Amount:
Matching Funds Required:
Intake:

VTC will work to broker industry research and development needs with the researchers at educational institutions in Manitoba. Learn more ›

Natural Resources Canada

Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) – Delivery Organizations

Funding Term Length: Over 5 years, to 2024
Max Funding Amount: $280 million “bucket”
Matching Funds Required: Request for Proposals (RFP) focusing on public places, on-street, multi-unit residential buildings, workplaces and vehicle fleets is open until August 11, 2022
Intake: Check NRC website for updates

To address the lack of charging and refueling stations in Canada; one of the key barriers to ZEV adoption, by increasing the availability of localized charging and hydrogen refueling opportunities where Canadians live, work, and play. Learn more ›

Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) – Indigenous Organizations

Intake: Closed, next deadline to be announced

Toward net-zero homes and communities

Funding Term Length: 1-2 years
Max Funding Amount: $4.2 million “bucket” from 2022-2024, $3.2 million “bucket” 2024-2026
Matching Funds Required: Up to 75-100% of total project cost
Intake: Next deadline to be announced

The Toward Net-Zero Homes and Communities program will provide funding to: Support the implementation of original and creative tools and methods to facilitate Canada’s “Just Transition” to net-zero residential building emissions by 2050. Support initiatives to empower all residents, including professionals and other levels of government, to contribute to Canada’s “Just Transition” to net-zero residential building emissions by 2050. Support Indigenous, rural and remote, and under-resourced communities in their efforts to reduce residential GHG emissions. Learn more ›

National Defense

Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS)

Funding Term Length: Varies
Max Funding Amount: Varies
Matching Funds Required: Varies
Intake: Varies. Competitive projects, innovation networks, and contests

Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security accelerate concepts and propel solutions forward towards building a defence innovation ecosystem. Learn more ›

Canadian Food Innovation

Innovation Booster

Funding Term Length: 1 year
Max Funding Amount: $20,000 and $200,000
Matching Funds Required: The maximum level of funding from CFIN will be 50% of total eligible project costs, excluding a 5% project management fee payable to CFIN.
Intake: Closed

The Innovation Booster provides flexible and rapid support on a cost-shared basis to enable Small- or Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)1 in particular, to advance their food innovation and research outcomes. Learn more ›

Summary of Federal Budget 2021 – Polytechnics Canada

Access the Summary of Federal Budget 2021 – Polytechnics Canada PDF here >

 

RRC Polytech campuses are located on the lands of Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininew, Dakota, and Dené, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

We recognize and honour Treaty 3 Territory Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, the source of Winnipeg’s clean drinking water. In addition, we acknowledge Treaty Territories which provide us with access to electricity we use in both our personal and professional lives.

Learn more ›