About NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program
National Research Council program providing advice, connections, and non-repayable project funding to innovative Canadian small and medium-sized businesses, including dedicated Defence Industry Assist support for made-in-Canada defence and dual-use technologies.
Operating context
The NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program combines advisory relationships with selective support for innovation projects. Its minimum business requirements include Canadian operations, incorporation for profit, up to 500 full-time-equivalent employees and a technology-commercialization plan with Canadian economic benefits. Initial contact normally precedes funding: a senior executive can call 1-877-994-4727, while existing clients approach their industrial technology advisor. Defence Industry Assist adds a defence and dual-use route for projects aligned with CAF capability needs and sovereign priorities, from early R&D through refinement, testing and validation. The NRC program page identifies a C$241 million investment announced in January 2026. An advisor evaluates technical, management, financial and market capacity; qualifying for discussion or submitting a proposal does not guarantee funding or a military purchase.