Canada-UK 2019-20 collaborative industrial research and development call for proposals

1. Introduction

The governments of Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) are working together 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 businesses 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 to improve the productivity and/or sustainability of crop, livestock, and/or aquaculture systems using precision and data-driven solutions.

2. Application deadlines

3. Sectors of focus

To support improved productivity and sustainability in the agricultural industry, project consortia are invited to submit project proposals related to innovations in primary agriculture sectors such as:

• agricultural technologies, including livestock, dairy, poultry and aquaculture
• crop development and agronomics
• indoor farming and greenhouse technologies
• precision/smart agriculture

4. 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:

1. The project consortium must include at least:
• 1 incorporated Canadian small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), defined as a for-profit company with 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and
• 1 incorporated UK business of any size defined as a for-profit company
2. The project partners that form the consortium must:
• be capable of implementing the project including funding their respective share and
• agree in advance on intellectual property rights and a commercialization strategy
3. The collaborative project must focus on co-developing a product, process, or technology-based service that:
• is highly innovative
• has significant commercial potential
• has outcomes that can be realized within 3 years of completion of the project and
• does not involve R&D related to products, processes, or technological-based services with military or non-peaceful applications
4. The collaborative project must demonstrate:
• the unique scientific and technological contribution that each organization brings to the project
• an obvious advantage and added value for each project partner resulting from the collaboration, such as an increased knowledge base, an access to R&D infrastructure or new fields of application or a solutions for commercial needs and
• an adequate balance and significance for all project partners, with no more than 75% of the project budget contributed by any one organization or country

4.1 Canadian eligibility requirements

Canadian applicant(s) must also meet the following criteria.

1. The Canadian SME must have a technology that is:
   • world-class, differentiated, and protectable, such as a unique or novel patentable technology that may alter the industry or market
     To note: preference will be given to existing commercialized technologies in Canada.
2. The Canadian SME must be committed to:
   • pursuing growth and profit by developing and commercializing innovative, technology-driven new or improved products, processes or technological-based services and
   • aggressive growth through global market expansion
3. The Canadian SME must be ready, and have the resources to:
   • make a serious new market entry push, generally measured by having more than 20 full‑time equivalent employees and $2 million CAD in annual revenue and
   • complete a collaborative project with international project partners

4.2 UK eligibility requirements

UK applicants must also meet the criteria outlined on the UK Innovation Funding Service (IFS) call for proposals webpage.

5. Funding

Eligible project participants in collaborative projects selected for funding through this call for proposals may receive funding from their respective national funding body. Funds will be provided in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, rules and/or procedures established by the relevant national funding body, country, jurisdiction and/or program.

NOTE: One country and/or project partner cannot represent more than 75% of the total project budget.

Additional country-specific funding parameters are outlined below:

5.1 Canadian funding

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 the delivery of this call for proposals and for the management of any resulting funding agreements.

Eligible Canadian SME project partners in a project consortium may share up to a maximum total funding amount of $700,000 CAD per collaborative project.  Funded Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of eligible project costs over a period of 24 to 30 months.

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 an NRC IRAP client, please contact NRC IRAP at 1-877-994-4727.

5.2 UK funding

In the UK, this bilateral call for proposals is offered through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Innovate UK, part of UKRI, is responsible for the delivery of this call for proposals and the management of any resulting funding agreements.

Eligible UK business partners in a project consortium may share up to a maximum total funding amount of £400,000 per collaborative project.  Funded UK businesses may receive up to 25-70% reimbursement of eligible project costs over a period of 24 to 30 months, depending on company size and the type of research being undertaken.  This is outlined in the funding parameters listed on the UK Innovation Funding Service (IFS) call for proposals webpage.

6. Application process

Application processes and evaluations will be performed independently by each National Funding Body in accordance with their national and institutional laws and regulations. Once each National Funding Body has evaluated the applications received, a final joint project selection will be performed.

Each applicant must submit all required documents to their respective National Funding Body and meet its due diligence process requirements.

Not meeting these requirements may cause the entire collaborative project application to be considered incomplete or ineligible and render the entire project consortium ineligible for funding through this call for proposals.

Information on respective application processes follows below:

6.1 Canadian application process

The Canadian application process has 4 phases:

1. Registration
2. Expression of Interest (EOI)
3. International Consortium Project Proposal (ICPP)
4. National Funding Body proposal and funding agreement

Step 1: Registration phase

Each Canadian applicant must register electronically within the registration period by using the REGISTER button at the bottom of this page and completing the online registration form which requests basic information about the applicant and their organization.

Registrations for this call for proposals will be reviewed by NRC IRAP. Applicants who do not meet the basic eligibility requirements will be screened out. An NRC IRAP representative will contact applicants if further information is required, or to provide qualifying applicants an expression of interest (EOI) form.

Step 2: Expression of Interest phase

During this phase, while completing the Expression of Interest (EOI) form, each Canadian applicant is encouraged to contact their NRC IRAP representative to discuss their project idea and receive guidance on preparing their submission.

The applicant's NRC IRAP representative and the NRC IRAP International Office will review applications. Qualifying applicants will be invited to submit the more detailed International Consortium Project Proposal (ICPP) in collaboration with their project partners.

Step 3: International Consortium Project Proposal (ICPP) phase

During this phase, all project partners must work together to complete and submit an application package. 

For this call for proposals, the application package will be submitted by the project consortium via the UK Innovation Funding Service (IFS) application portal where all completion requirements and submission instructions can be found.

NOTE: The ICPP phase is referred to as the consortium application phase in the UK.

Once submitted through the IFS portal, UKRI will share application packages with NRC IRAP so the Canadian component can be evaluated by the applicant's NRC IRAP representative, and the NRC IRAP International Office.

Following independent Canadian and UK evaluations of application packages, amalgamated evaluation results will be shared with the implicated National Funding Bodies to jointly select the collaborative projects that will be invited to proceed to the final phase.

Step 4: National Funding Body proposal and funding agreement phase

During the National Funding Body proposal and funding agreement phase, all eligible project partners work independently to complete funding proposals and sign legally binding funding agreements with their respective National Funding Body.

Canadian applicants will work with their NRC IRAP representative to prepare an NRC IRAP funding proposal and contribution agreement.

6.2 UK application process

7. Contacts

For questions or for more information, please contact the appropriate call for proposals representative listed below:

7.1 Canadian Contact

Gordon Jolly
UK National Program Coordinator for NRC IRAP
National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program
Gordon.Jolly@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

7.2 UK Contact

Tom Jenkins
Deputy Challenge Director: Transforming Food Production
Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund
UK Research and Innovation
tom.jenkins@innovateuk.ukri.org

8. Registration

To begin the application process, all interested Canadian applicants must register for this opportunity by clicking the REGISTER button below: