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Science, Technology and Innovation
Industrial Research Assistance Program
Do you want to enhance your business's innovative capabilities? If so, then the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) can help you. IRAP's network of Industrial Technology Advisors (ITAs)—working from more than 90 locations across Canada—can provide you with professional advice and technical assistance. The only eligibility requirement is that your business must be incorporated and have 500 or fewer employees.

Key Activities

Advisory Services

Clients can draw on the professional skill, expertise and experience of ITAs, who help with the following:
  • technical assistance;


  • literature and patent searches;


  • referrals to other programs and services;


  • expertise searches;


  • linkage and networks to establish multi-party collaboration;


  • diagnostic services; and


  • the know-how to integrate the sustainable development principles at the design stage to improve production efficiency.
Financial Support for Research and Development

Whether you are just entering the research and development phase, or are in the proof-of-concept stage, IRAP's financial assistance can help you acquire the resources you need to proceed further. IRAP works with you throughout the research and development process to help you refine your product, process or service long before it is introduced to the market. Based on demonstrated need, IRAP may fund up to 50 percent of certain project development costs. Depending on the complexity of the project, funding ranges from $5000 to a maximum of $350 000.

IRAP-TPC Precommercialization Assistance

Bringing a new product, process or service to market can be a challenge, both technically and financially. The National Research Council and Industry Canada have joined forces to assist you on both fronts. IRAP gives you access to Technology Partnerships Canada's (TPC) financial aid for near-market technology development. IRAP-TPC Precommercialization Assistance is designed to help you develop new or significantly improved technological products, processes or services. We do this by providing you with access to technical advice, linkages, and up to $500 000 in contingently repayable financing. The following are some of the key technology areas:
  • advanced industrial materials;


  • advanced manufacturing technologies;


  • biotechnologies;


  • information technologies;


  • environmental technologies; and


  • aerospace and defence technologies.
An ITA will work with you—in person and on-site—to help you develop your proposal and a repayment plan.

Youth Initiative

IRAP has two internship programs to bring recent graduates into the high-tech workplace. The Science and Technology Internship program gives support to small and medium-sized enterprises to hire recent college and university graduates for six-month internships. The Science Collaborative Research Internship is a similar program for those companies already involved in collaborative research with the National Research Council or the Communications Research Centre. Maximum support for both programs is $9800 for university graduates and $9200 for college graduates.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development, one of the advisory services provided by IRAP's ITA network, refers to the development and inclusion of cleaner, energy-efficient processes in manufacturing. Minimizing waste and pollution can be an important part of making your business more successful. Our 260 ITAs can provide information and assistance to companies which want to include environmentally sound techniques in their new product, process or service.


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Author: Industry Portfolio Office
Date of Publication: 2001-04-04		   Important notices and disclaimers
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