Funding Snapshot

  • Non-repayable
  • Focused on commercialization of technology
  • Permanent program for projects which end during the fiscal year

Fund Description

CanExport Innovation was designed to help establish new R&D collaborations with foreign partners to co-develop, validate or adapt their technologies for commercialization. The program supports projects with the objective to develop or enhance a technology, modify an existing technology to fit a new market or sector, or validate a technology by a Foreign Partner who will typically become the first adopters. The program is administered by the Trade Commissioner Service.

Funding Details

Canadian innovators who aim to commercialize technology can access up to $75,000 in non-repayable funding for up to 75% of project costs.

Available to pre-revenue companies but applicants must be able to cover 25% costs for proposed activities using private revenues.

Eligible Expenditures

  • Travel abroad or in Canada to meet with foreign investors or partners
  • Conference and events costs to meet with foreign investors or partners
  • Shipping technology costs
  • Legal fees to support formalizing partnership agreements
  • Developing marketing materials for use in meetings with potential Foreign Partners
  • Translation, adaption and creation of promotional materials
  • And other eligible costs related to pursuing international collaboration

*Funding has resumed for travel-dependent activities, although the program will continue supporting non-travel activities to support R&D opportunities in international markets.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be a for-profit Canadian SME with 499 or fewer full-time equivalent employees; a Canadian academic institution; or a Canadian non-governmental research centre
  • Must have a Canada Revenue Agency business number
  • Must own or co-own the IP rights for the technology, or have appropriate decision-making authority over the IP
  • Must have a prototype for the technology with the intention to commercially launch within 5 years
  • Must have a pre-identified Foreign Partner with specific expertise and/or technology with whom you are seeking to negotiate an R&D agreement or investment agreement to facilitate R&D on the technology under the terms of a joint collaboration where neither party will be paying the other for services provided.

Program Run

CanExport Innovation runs and accepts applications each fiscal year.