Billions Behind Canada’s New Defence Strategy – What it Means for Business
Canada is no longer treating defence as simply a procurement function: it is now a central pillar of national industrial and economic policy. With the launch of Canada’s first Defence Industrial Strategy, the federal government has made its objective clear: Scale up Canada’s defence and dual-use innovation — and export it to our allies. This […]
Maximizing Value from Incubators & Accelerators
Incubators and accelerators are structured programs designed to help early-stage companies grow through mentorship, education, and access to networks. While both aim to increase a startup’s chance of success, they differ in pace and intensity. Incubators provide longer-term, flexible support, often including workspace, advisory services, and community programming. Examples in Ontario include MaRS Discovery District […]
Budget 2025 SR&ED Changes: Where Things Stand Now
Back in November 2025, we covered the Budget 2025 and its ambitious suite of business tax changes, including historic upgrades to the SR&ED program and a range of incentives designed to boost innovation and investment in Canada. Since then, those proposals have been moving through the legislative process. The key vehicle for implementing these changes […]
Canada’s Startup Support Ecosystem: Incubators & Accelerators
Canada’s innovation economy is thriving, thanks in large part to a strong network of incubators and accelerators. Whether you’re building a tech startup, scaling a cleantech venture, or launching a social enterprise, these programs provide the mentorship, resources, and connections needed to turn an idea into a market-ready business. Incubators generally support early-stage startups with […]
A Short Guide to Collaborative Funding in Canada
Collaborative funding refers to public–private funding models and co-investment arrangements where two or more partners share cash, contributions, roles, and risk to deliver an innovation project. These partnerships can include industry and academia, multiple firms, or cross-sector consortia. What distinguishes collaborative funding from single-applicant grants isn’t just the number of partners—it’s the shared financial commitment, […]
If You’re Gearing up to Submit your SR&ED Claim, Here’s What you Need to Know
For many Canadian companies, SR&ED remains one of the most valuable sources of non-dilutive funding they’ll access all year. It’s also the easiest program to get wrong. If a SR&ED claim submission is on your horizon, here are a few critical things to keep in mind this year. 1. CRA Has Quietly Removed a Major […]
The Hidden Risk of Relying on Previous SR&ED Approvals
As Canadian companies gear up to submit their SR&ED claims by the end of June, experienced teams often make a risky assumption: that past success guarantees future approvals. “We’ve been approved every year, so we must be eligible.” “This project is basically the same as last year.” “We’ve already been through a successful CRA audit; […]
Consumer Tech Strategy for 2026: Translating Consumer Demand Data
The consumer technology landscape is evolving around a set of increasingly well-documented behavioural shifts: demand for long-term value and durability, expectations for multifunctional and integrated experiences, rising adoption of AI-driven personalization, and heightened awareness of wellness and sustainability. For companies planning technology R&D programs for 2026 and beyond, these signals extend well beyond product positioning; […]
Food R&D Strategy for 2026: Translating Consumer Demand Data
How health, value and ingredient transparency trends shape food R&D strategy, experimental development, technical risk, and SR&ED aligned investment decisions. Consumer demand in the food sector is increasingly shaped by three well-documented drivers: health and wellness, value-oriented purchasing, and heightened scrutiny of ingredients and processing. For companies planning food R&D programs for 2026 and beyond, […]
SR&ED Documentation Do’s and Don’ts
As the calendar year comes to a close, it also marks fiscal year-end for many Canadian companies. This is the point when teams begin preparing their upcoming SR&ED claims, pulling together technical narratives and financial support for work completed over the year. Having strong documentation habits in place before this process begins can significantly reduce […]