NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)

(Across Canada)

Building Capacity in the Canadian Innovation System

The National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) is the Government of Canada's premier innovation and technology assistance program in support of Canadian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For almost 60 years, NRC-IRAP has helped SMEs across the country improve their competitive technological performance and build their innovative capability.

A key component in Canada's innovation system, NRC-IRAP is the federal catalyst that links a diverse network of people, institutions, organizations and programs in support of SMEs. As a national program with strong regional presence, NRC-IRAP helps build local and national economic systems, as well as technology clusters.

NRC-IRAP client.

NRC-IRAP delivers a client-centred mix of services and activities designed to help SMEs develop and exploit technology and, ultimately, excel in a competitive, knowledgebased economy. NRC-IRAP's extensive networks link entrepreneurs with local, national and international sources of knowledge, technology and financial resources. On average, NRC-IRAP works with more than 10,000 client companies per year, providing customized solutions to the increasingly complex projects they undertake.

Recognized for its skill in facilitating business-to-business connections and multi-stakeholder collaborations, NRC-IRAP helps bring together community capabilities in support of SMEs, stimulating innovation and the development of new technologies that can generate new wealth and improve the quality of life for Canadians.

To help SMEs address the need for highly qualified personnel, NRC-IRAP manages two Youth Internship programs on behalf of Human Resources Development Canada.

More than 260 NRC-IRAP professional advisors deliver customized field services to clients over 100 communities across five time zones. Widely recognized for their technical expertise, knowledge and dedication to client success, NRC-IRAP advisors follow clients through all stages of the innovation process, providing technical advice, referrals and other innovation services as they are needed.

NRC-IRAP also maintains a vital and growing network of more than 100 of Canada's leading public and private research and technology-based organizations. NRC-IRAP's partner organizations extend and complement the Program's innovation services, as well as provide Canadian SMEs with easy access to a full range of resources and expertise available within Canada's innovation system. These collaborations contribute to stimulating innovation in Canadian SMEs, which in turn create value for Canada.