Canada-Spain 2020 collaborative industrial research and development call for proposals

1. Application deadlines

2. Sectors of focus

Although this call invites proposals related to any technological or market area, special attention is given to the following sectors:

• Advanced manufacturing, including industrial manufacturing, machinery, and materials and transportation
• Agri-Food technologies
• Clean technologies, including environment and energy
• Digital industries, including electronics, information and communication technologies
• Health and bio-sciences, including biotechnologies, and medical devices
• Resources of the future, including marine technologies

3. 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
   • 1 eligible Spanish research and development-performing 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 three years of completion of the project
   • 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
   • an adequate balance and significance for all project partners, with no more than 75% of the project budget contributed by any organization or country

In addition to the above eligibility requirements, each applicant must meet their country-specific requirements, outlined below:

3.1 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
     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:
   • complete a collaborative project with international project partners, and
   • make a serious new market entry push*
     *Note: for this reason, preference may be given to SMEs with at least 20 full‑time equivalent employees and $2 million CAD in annual revenue.

3.2 Spanish eligibility requirements

Please consult the Spanish call for proposals announcement (in Spanish only) for Spanish eligibility requirements

4. Funding

Eligible project participants in collaborative projects selected 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 procedures established by the relevant national funding body, country, jurisdiction and/or program.

Non-eligible project participants (e.g. universities, research institutes, etc., and participants from other countries) are welcome to participate on a self-funded basis or as sub-contractors to funded participants, according to each country's funding regulations.

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:

4.1 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 delivering of this call for proposals and for managing of any resulting funding agreements.

Eligible Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of eligible project costs up to a maximum total funding amount of $600,000 over 12 to 36 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.

4.2 Spanish funding

In Spain, this call for proposals is offered by the Centre for Industrial Technological Development, EPE (CDTI). CDTI is responsible for the delivery of this call for proposals and the management of any resulting funding agreements.

Financial support may be provided to eligible Spanish companies in support of industrial research or technological development activities.

Funding conditions for Spanish partners may vary depending on the nature of the project and of the beneficiaries. Universities and research centers may receive funding as subcontractors to Spanish companies. Please consult the CDTI call for proposals announcement (in Spanish only) for details about funding parameters.

5. Application process

The project consortium must submit a EUREKA project application form to the EUREKA Network Program. Please consult the EUREKA project application form webpage for instructions on how to complete and submit the EUREKA project application form.

In addition to the project consortium submitting a EUREKA project application form, each project partner seeking funding 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 collaborative project application to be considered incomplete or ineligible and render the entire project consortium ineligible for funding through this call for proposals.

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 submitted applications, a final joint project selection will be performed.

Information on each country's application processes follows below:

5.1 Canadian application process

The Canadian application process has four phases:

1. Registration
2. Expression of interest
3. International consortium project proposal
4. National funding body proposal and funding agreement

Step 1: Registration phase

Each Canadian applicant must register by clicking to the REGISTER button at the end of this page. Basic information about the applicant and the organization 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 an expression of interest form.

Step 2: Expression of interest phase

During this phase, each Canadian applicant seeking funding must submit an expression of interest form, outlining basic information on the applicant and the collaborative project.

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.

It is recommended that applicants submit the EOI as early as possible. As they are received, EOIs will be evaluated by the applicant's NRC IRAP representative and the NRC IRAP International Office. Qualifying applicants will be invited to complete and submit the more detailed international consortium project proposal (ICPP) in collaboration with their project partners.

Step 3: International consortium project proposal phase

During this phase, all project partners must work together to complete and submit an international consortium project proposal (ICPP) package.

In this call for proposals, the Canadian ICPP application package consists of:

1. a EUREKA project application form, outlining the:
   • project consortium
   • collaborative project
   • expected outcomes
   • expected project cost and calendar
2. a draft international consortium agreement containing descriptions of the:
   • roles and responsibilities of each consortium member
   • project management framework
   • division of intellectual property rights
   • confidentiality and publication agreements, and liability clauses

NRC IRAP will evaluate Canadian ICPP applications. Only Canadian participants of selected proposals will be invited to submit a NRC IRAP funding proposal.

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.

5.2 Spanish application process

For information related to application stages, requirements, instructions, ICPP application packages, and national funding body proposals and funding agreements, please consult CDTI call for proposals announcement (in Spanish only).

6. Contacts

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

6.1 Canadian contact

Eric Holdrinet
EUREKA Deputy National Program Coordinator
National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program
Eric.Holdrinet@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

6.2 Spanish contact

Oscar Fernandez Moyano
EUREKA National Program Coordinator
Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI)
Oscar.Fernandez@cdti.es

7. Register