National Research Council Funding for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

On April 17, 2020, the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) introduced its Innovation Assistance Program (IAP). The IAP is a wage subsidy for eligible employers for up to 12 weeks that are pursuing technology-driven innovation and are otherwise ineligible for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program.

Eligibility

A company must meet all of the following conditions to be IAP eligible:

• An incorporated, profit-oriented small or medium-sized business in Canada
• Have 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees
• Plan to pursue growth and profit by developing and commercializing innovative, technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes in Canada
• Lack sufficient financial resources to sustain operations form April 1, 2020, to June 23, 2020
• Have a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number
• Incorporated no later than March 1, 2020
• Ineligible for the CEWS

Application Process

More information can be found on the National Research Council website.