Multinational Corporate Collaboration Program: biomanufacturing and health sciences—spring 2024

1. Introduction

The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) has developed a new program to further accelerate the growth of Canadian small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on a global scale. The Multinational Corporate (MNC) Collaboration Program provides a suite of internationally focused advisory services and funding, to enable Canadian SMEs to engage in collaborative research and development (R&D) projects with a foreign MNC.

This program is highly competitive and consists of a 2-phase project process: 1) Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Project and 2) R&D Collaboration Project. The PoC objective is to enable the Canadian SME and their MNC partner to solidify their partnership and further develop the scope of a larger R&D collaboration project. Selected Canadian applicants must begin with a PoC project (maximum total funding amount of $75,000 CAD up to 6 months). Upon the successful completion of Phase 1: Proof-of-Concept Project, Canadian SMEs who wish to proceed to Phase 2: R&D Collaboration Project will be eligible to apply for a maximum total funding amount of up to $500,000 CAD for up to 24 months.

The program focuses on MNC partnership in economies around the world including the Indo-Pacific region, Europe, the U.S.^{Footnote *} and other potential lucrative markets.

2. Application deadlines

• Canadian registration deadline: July 5, 2024
• Proof of concept project submission deadline: July 12, 2024

3. Sectors of focus

Project must focus on biomanufacturing and health sciences and including at least 1 of the following sub-sectors:

• Vaccines and therapeutics (e.g., mRNA, cell & gene therapies, engineered tissues)
• Pharmaceuticals and drugs
• Diagnostics
• Medical devices
• Enabling technologies (e.g., Manufacturing 4.0, AI driven platforms)
• Personalized medicine
• Digital health
• Health related artificial intelligence (AI)

4. Eligibility requirements

In order to participate in this initiative, applicants must form a collaborative project that meets the following criteria:

4.1 Consortium

• The project consortium must include at least:
  • 1 eligible Canadian SME
  • 1 foreign MNC partner
• 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 (IP) rights and intent to commercialize

4.2 Canadian applicant eligibility requirements:

• 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, investments) and resources to undertake a multi-year R&D collaboration and commercialize the results
  • be committed to significant growth through international market expansion
  • have solid go to market strategy, production, supply chain management and post-sale service plans and ability to execute the strategies in order to capitalize on potential successful technology piloting, demonstration and scale-up.
• 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

4.3 Foreign corporate partner eligibility requirements

The foreign corporate partner will participate in this collaborative project on a self-funded basis. The foreign corporate partner must:

• have more than 250 full-time equivalent employees with operations in different countries
• be acknowledged as a leader in the target sector, have a dominant presence in the targeted geographic market with a wide international network or pathways to Global Value Chains
• have a goal of co-developing, adopting new technologies or assisting the commercialization of the technologies resulting from the project
• have the support from senior management and operational business units (demonstrated via a Letter of Intent (LoI))
• provide in-kind contributions or additional financial resources (see section "5. Funding" below)
• agree on a plan addressing intellectual property (IP) rights and intent to commercialize
• have a defined structure to engage with Canadian SMEs
• have a focus on open innovation and R&D collaboration (the intent of the project is not company acquisition)
• have no existing contractual sales or procurement contract in place with the Canadian SME for the work outlined in the proposed project

4.4 Project

• The project must focus on technology co-development, validation or adaptation of an innovative product, process or technology-based service that has:
  • commercial potential and outcomes
  • quantifiable performance objectives
  • a civilian (non-military) purpose
• The project must demonstrate:
  • an obvious advantage and added value for the Canadian SME 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 1 partner or country)

5. Funding

For the Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Project, eligible Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of total project costs up to a maximum total funding amount of $75,000 CAD up to 6 months. All selected projects must wait for official notification of results before proceeding (see section 2—key dates).

Through this program, the foreign corporate partner will be participating on a self-funded basis. In addition, they must provide in-kind resources to the Canadian applicants, such as:

• access to unique facilities in real-field-conditions for innovation testing
• use of internal services, expertise, knowledge, data-sets or equipment
• expertise and consulting to integrate SME technologies into its own systems
• regulatory and legal guidance to ensure compliance in their foreign partner country and internationally
• assistance in co-commercialization of product with relevant local business partners

Note: Canadian SME applicants must be eligible for funding as NRC IRAP clients before they can be considered for funding through this call for proposals. For more information on NRC IRAP eligibility and becoming a client, please contact NRC IRAP at 1-877-994-4727.

Note: Canadian SME applicants may apply to more than 1 NRC IRAP call for proposals simultaneously. However, NRC IRAP may limit the number of funded projects per applicant. Canadian SME applicants who are applying to more than 1 opportunity or who have ongoing NRC IRAP projects should speak to their NRC IRAP representative for more information.

6. Application process

The MNC Collaboration Program application process has 2 steps:

1. Registration
2. Project proposal
   • Phase 1: Proof-of Concept (PoC) Project
   • Phase 2: Research and development (R&D) Collaboration Project

Step 1: Registration

Interested Canadian applicants must register using the Register button at the end of this page. Basic information about the applicant and the MNC partner will be required upon registration.

NRC IRAP will review registrations for this call for proposals and contact applicants if more information is required. Qualifying applicants will proceed to the next phase and be invited to submit a proof-of-concept project (PoC) form.

Step 2: Project Proposal

This program is highly competitive and consists of a 2-phase project process: 1) Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Project and 2) R&D Collaboration Project. Completion of the PoC project is a prerequisite for Canadian applicants seeking to apply for phase 2—R&D collaboration project.

In exceptional cases, Canadian SMEs that have an established and documented working relationship with a foreign MNC partner and have successfully completed an NRC IRAP project may seek permission to forgo phase 1 through an exemption request. Please contact your NRC IRAP representative to formally request an exemption application package.

Phase 1: Proof-of Concept (PoC) Project

During this phase, Canadian applicants seeking funding must submit a proof-of-concept (PoC) project form outlining basic information on the applicant, the project idea, the technology and markets, as well as their foreign MNC partner’s Letter of Intent (LOI) or written confirmation of partner's engagement in the project.

While completing the PoC form, Canadian applicants are encouraged to contact their NRC IRAP representative to discuss their project idea and receive guidance on preparing their submission.

It is recommended that applicants submit the PoC as early as possible. PoCs will be evaluated by the applicant’s NRC IRAP representative and the NRC IRAP International Office.

Successful and selected Canadian SMEs will work with their NRC IRAP representative to prepare an NRC IRAP Proposal for Small Projects and contribution agreement. In addition, selected Canadian SMEs must also fulfill the requirement of the NRC IRAP Level 1 of the IP Assist Program.

Phase 2: Research and development (R&D) Collaboration Project

Following the successful completion of the Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Project, eligible Canadian SMEs who wish to advance to Phase 2 must inform their NRC IRAP representative. Interested Canadian applicants will be required to complete the International Project Report (document will be provided). The International Project Report will be evaluated by an NRC IRAP team and qualifying applicants will be invited to submit a R&D collaboration project with their project partner.

The R&D collaboration project form will request additional information about the applicant, organization, technology, markets, foreign MNC partner, technology and IP. In addition to the R&D project proposal, Canadian applicants must provide a MOU or LoI with the foreign partner as proof of partnership.

Eligible Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of total project costs up to a maximum total funding amount of $500,000 CAD up to 24 months.

Successful and selected Canadian SMEs will work with their NRC IRAP representative to prepare an NRC IRAP funding proposal and contribution agreement. In addition, selected Canadian SMEs must also fulfill the requirement of the NRC IRAP Level 2 or 3 of the IP Assist Program.

7. Contacts

For more information, contact the NRC IRAP International Office at IRAP.International.PARI@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca or Mejda Benali, NRC IRAP MNC Collaboration Program Lead at  Mejda.Benali@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.

8. Registration

Canadian SME participants must be registered NRC IRAP clients. If not already an NRC IRAP client, Canadian SMEs must contact 1‑877‑994‑4727 to determine if they might be eligible for support through NRC IRAP.

To begin the application process, interested Canadian participants must register for this opportunity by clicking the Register button.

If there is no register button visible below this line, it means the call for proposals has closed. Please contact the NRC IRAP International Office at IRAP.International.PARI@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca for more information.