Calls for Proposals

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Page updated on 06/18/2025 - Published on 05/05/2025

1. Introduction

Working together, the governments of Canada and the State of São Paulo, Brazil, aim to foster and support collaborative industrial research and development (R&D) projects with a high potential for commercialization. This Call for Proposals is open to organizations from Canada and Brazil who wish to form project consortia to perform collaborative projects focused on developing innovative products, processes, or technology-based services in Artificial intelligence and manufacturing, Clean technology, green energy, and sustainable environments, Health and life sciences, Internet of Things and digital transformations, Nanotechnology, and Ocean science and technology.

2. Application deadlines

Canadian registration deadline: June 19, 2025
Canadian expression of interest deadline: July 4, 2025
International consortium proposal deadline: September 17, 2025
Submission to FAPESP: September 17, 2025

3. Sectors of focus

This call for proposals is open to projects in all sectors that are civilian in nature, with emphasis on, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Artificial intelligence and manufacturing

• Clean technology, green energy, and sustainable environment

• Health and life sciences

• Internet of Things and digital transformations

• Nanotechnology

• Ocean science and technology

4. Eligibility requirements

To be considered for funding, applicants must form a project consortium and develop a collaborative research and development (R&D) project that meets the following criteria:

4.1. Canadian SME applicant

• The Canadian small or medium‑sized enterprise (SME) applicant must:

  • be an incorporated, profit oriented small or medium sized business in Canada

  • have 500 or fewer full time equivalent employees

  • pursue growth and profit by developing and commercializing innovative, technology driven new or improved products, services or processes in Canada

  • have a differentiated and protectable technology with commercial potential in global markets

  • have sufficient working capital (e.g. revenue, investment etc.) and resources to undertake a multi-year R&D collaboration and commercialize the results

  • be committed to significant growth through international market expansion

• Preference may be given to SME applicants who:

  • have a minimum of 15 full‑time equivalent employees

  • have commercialized one or more products domestically or internationally

  • have greater than $500,000 CAD in annual revenue.

4.2. Brazil eligibility requirements

The State of São Paulo company must follow the requirements of the FAPESP PIPE – Phase 2.

4.3. Consortium

• The project consortium must include at least:

  • 1 incorporated Canadian SME

  • 1 eligible Brazilian partner from the State of São Paulo

  • The parties listed above must be unrelated parties (i.e. no direct, indirect, beneficial or constructive ownership interest between these parties)

• The project partners that form the consortium must agree on a plan addressing intellectual property rights and intent to commercialize.

4.4. Project

• The project must focus on co-development, adaptation, and/or validation of an innovative product, process, or technology-based service that has:

  • commercial potential and outcomes that can be realized within 2-3 years of completion of the project

  • a civilian (non-military) purpose

• The project must demonstrate:

  • a complementary technological contribution from each partner

  • an obvious advantage and added value resulting from the cooperation between the participants

  • a balanced contribution between project partners and countries (i.e. no more than 70% of the effort contributed by any one partner or country).

5. Funding

Eligible project participants in collaborative projects selected through this Call for Proposals may receive funding from their respective national funding bodies. Funds will be provided in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, rules, and procedures established by the relevant national funding bodies, country, and jurisdiction.

Non‑eligible project participants (e.g. universities, research institutes, etc., and participants from other countries) are welcome to participate on a self‑funded basis or as sub‑contractors to funded participants, according to each country's funding regulations.

Additional country-specific funding parameters are outlined below.

5.1. Canadian funding

In Canada, this Call for Proposals is offered through the Canadian International Innovation Program (CIIP) - an international innovation R&D funding program offered by Global Affairs Canada in partnership with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP). NRC IRAP is responsible for delivering this Call for Proposals and for managing any resulting funding agreements.

Canadian SMEs

Eligible Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of eligible project costs up to a maximum total funding amount of $600,000 CAD over 12 to 36 months.

NOTE 1: Canadian SME applicants must be eligible for funding as NRC IRAP clients before they can be considered for funding through this Call for Proposals. For more information on NRC IRAP eligibility and becoming an NRC IRAP client, please contact NRC IRAP at 1-877-994-4727.

NOTE 2: Canadian SME applicants may apply to more than one NRC IRAP Call for Proposals simultaneously. However, NRC IRAP may limit the number of funded projects per applicant. Canadian SME applicants who are applying to more than one opportunity or who have ongoing NRC IRAP projects should speak to their NRC IRAP representative for more information.

5.2. Brazilian funding

The FAPESP will fund projects under the terms, conditions and funding limits of the FAPESP’s Innovative Research in Small Business Program (PIPE) – Phase 2 in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Under this Call, the FAPESP will not fund fellowships for the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigators.

6. Application process

Each project partner seeking funding must submit all required documents to their respective national funding body and meet its due diligence process requirements. Failure to do so, at any point or for any reason, may cause the entire collaborative project application to be considered incomplete or ineligible and render the entire project consortium ineligible for funding through this Call for Proposals.

Application processes and evaluations will be performed independently by each national funding body in accordance with their national and institutional laws and regulations. Once each national funding body has evaluated the submitted applications, a final joint project selection will be performed.

Information on respective application processes follows below:

6.1. Canadian application process

The Canadian application process has four phases:

• Registration

• Expression of interest

• International consortium project proposal

• National funding body proposal and funding agreement

Step 1: Registration phase

Each Canadian SME applicant must register at NRC IRAP page. Basic information about the applicant and the organization will be required upon registration.

NRC IRAP will review registrations for this Call for Proposals and contact applicants if more information is required. Qualifying applicants will proceed to the next phase and be invited to submit an expression of interest form.

Step 2: Expression of interest (EOI) phase

During this phase, each Canadian SME applicant seeking funding must submit an expression of interest (EOI) form outlining basic information on the applicant and the collaborative project.

While completing the EOI form, each Canadian SME applicant is encouraged to contact their NRC IRAP representative to discuss their project idea and receive guidance on preparing their submission.

It is recommended that applicants submit the EOI as early as possible. EOIs will be evaluated by the applicant's NRC IRAP representative and the NRC IRAP International Office. Qualifying applicants will be invited to submit the more detailed international consortium project proposal in collaboration with their project partners. The lead Canadian SME applicant will be provided all templates needed to submit an international consortium project proposal (ICPP).

Step 3: International consortium project proposal (ICPP) phase

During this phase, all project partners must work together to complete and submit an ICPP package.

In this Call for Proposals, the Canadian ICPP application package consists of:

1. an International Consortium Project Proposal outlining the:

• project consortium

• collaborative project

• expected outcomes

• expected project cost and calendar

2. a draft international consortium agreement containing descriptions of the following:

• roles and responsibilities of each consortium member

• project management framework

• division of intellectual property rights

• confidentiality and publication agreements, and liability clauses

Canadian ICPP applications will be evaluated by an NRC IRAP evaluation team including the applicant's NRC IRAP representative and the NRC IRAP International Office. Only Canadian participants of selected project proposals will be invited to proceed to the final national funding body proposal and funding agreement stage.

Step 4: National funding body proposal and funding agreement phase

During the national funding body proposal and funding agreement phase, all eligible project partners work independently to complete funding proposals and sign legally binding funding agreements with their respective national funding body. Canadian SME applicants will work with their NRC IRAP representative to prepare an NRC IRAP funding proposal and contribution agreement.

6.2. Brazilian application process

The proposal will be submitted in only one step to FAPESP. During this phase, all project partners must work together to complete and submit an ICPP package.

The proposal must be submitted through FAPESP’s proposal submission platform, SAGe. All the documents required by the SAGe platform must be uploaded during the online submission. Proposals lacking required documents will be returned without review. The specific path for this Call is: Nova Proposta Inicial > + Outras Linhas de Fomento > + Acordos de Cooperação > + NRC - National Research Council of Canada > +NRC - PIPE - Fase 2 Direta > +Chamada de Propostas (2025)

In this Call for Proposals, the São Paulo ICPP application package consists of the documents for PIPE Phase 2 and:

1. the International Consortium Project presented by the Canadian Partner to NRC (item 6.1, Step 3, 1)

2. a draft international consortium agreement containing descriptions of the following:

• roles and responsibilities of each consortium member

• project management framework

• division of intellectual property rights

• confidentiality and publication agreements, and liability clauses

Applicants from the State of São Paulo are required to submit a proposal in English according to the instructions on the FAPESP website for PIPE Phase 2. The proposal must contain all items as described in the FAPESP’s SAGe System.

Sao Paulo applications will be evaluated according to the evaluation process of PIPE Phase 2.

7. Contacts

For questions, concerns, or for more information, please contact the appropriate Call for Proposals representative listed below:

7.1. Canadian contact

Small and medium-sized enterprises
Andrew Bauder
NRC IRAP Brazil National Program Coordinator
National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program
Andrew.Bauder@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

7.2. Brazil contact

Patricia Tedeschi
FAPESP PIPE Program Lead
Email: chamada-nrc@fapesp.br

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