NRC IRAP Funding - Industrial Research Assistance Program

First and foremost, an introduction to your company is always needed. Start off with an elevator pitch – who you are, what the company sells, what problem you solve, your clients, etc. Then, you can delve deeper into details including financials, results, and growth as the interview continues. The ITA should start to get an understanding of your innovation and why it’s competitive in the market.  

This ties into the company background, but is more specifically centered around value. Typical elements you will discuss are key partners, activities, customers, and cost structure. However, there is special emphasis placed on your value propositions; how you create, capture, and deliver value. We will continue to revisit this idea, as it is a significant selling point and differentiator for your company. 

Your current situation with R&D is incredibly important to ITAs. As a competitive program, the NRC would get bombarded with applications if they accepted companies that are only looking to do R&D with financial assistance. As a result, the government is looking for companies that have a commitment to R&D and would continue to be, regardless of additional funding. So, prepare to talk about your R&D operations, team, goals, and any proof of its potential success. If you want government funding, there must be proof that a large R&D project can be run successfully and accelerated with the extra assistance. 

Evidently, an ITA is also meant to assess your fit with IRAP. Consider criteria like technological advancement and innovative impact, as discussed earlier. Since there is no singular “image” of an eligible company at a glance, the extent of eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis by the ITA. In addition, there will likely be discussion about other similar federal programs, like SR&ED, and your experience with them. 

Ultimately, the success of your innovation must provide a positive impact to Canada. A “positive impact” can be described as an increase in revenue, job creation, social impact, environmental impact, and impact on the ecosystem. It is not mandatory to check every box, but is meant to be a point of consideration. Ideally, top candidates would target a couple or a few of these benefits in their mission. This contributes to the idea of your project providing value to society, thus earning the opportunity for valuable funding.