Profiles of Capital Providers

National Research Council

Industrial Research Assistance Program

Contact

Vivian Sullivan
Regional Director
Tel: 204-984-6477
E-mail: vivian.sullivan@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Web site: http://irap-pari.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/main_e.html

Products and Services

Delivered by NRC IRAP Industrial Technology Advisors, the program provides innovative small and medium-sized businesses with:

technological and business advice
technical and business linkages
cost-shared, non-repayable funding for Research and Development projects

Clientele

Small and medium-sized businesses (under 500 employees) that are:

incorporated and profit-oriented
have a desire to enhance their innovation capabilities and overall market competitiveness
committed to working in a trusted relationship with their Industrial Technology Advisor

Program Areas

Technology Expertise and Advisory Services:
NRC-IRAP Industrial Technology Advisors (ITAs) help to identify and address the technical and research needs of SMEs, as well as their sustainable development issues, at each stage of the R&D development process and the innovation cycle. Chosen for their skills in technology and science as well as their experience in business, ITAs provide customized solutions to clients.

Financial Assistance for R&D activities NRC-IRAP offers 2 kinds of financial assistance:

Research and Technology Development Activities
NRC-IRAP provides non-repayable contributions to Canadian SMEs interested in growing by using technology to commercialize services, products and processes in Canadian and international markets. NRC-IRAP also provides mentoring support and invests on a cost-shared basis for research and pre-competitive development technical projects, upon assessment of a project and firm by a team of Industrial Technology Advisors. NRC-IRAP's partner organizations also receive contributions to provide technical and research assistance to Canadian SMEs.
http://irap-pari.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/financialassistance_e.html#rd

Youth Employment Strategy Programs:
IRAP's Internship Program with Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Collaborative Research Internships Program provide firms with support to hire post-secondary graduates. Both firms and graduates benefit from these programs: firms benefit from the graduate's expertise in a diverse variety of disciplines and graduates gain valuable work experience that will help open the doors for future employment. NRC-IRAP delivers this youth initiative on behalf of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES) Programs with funds from the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSD).
http://irap-pari.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/youthinitiatives_e.html

NRC Mandate

NRC's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)
is the Government of Canada's premier innovation and technology assistance instrument for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For almost 60 years, NRC-IRAP and its predecessors have been helping Canadian firms improve their performance through technological innovation.

NRC-IRAP's mandate – to stimulate wealth creation for Canada through technological innovation – is largely accomplished by providing technology assistance to SMEs at all stages of the innovation process, to build their innovation capacity. Innovation – translating knowledge into new products, processes and services that improve the firm's competitiveness – is at the base of a strong economy.

NRC-IRAP helps SMEs understand the technology issues and opportunities and provides linkages to the best expertise in Canada. NRC-IRAP provides innovation assistance to 12,000 firms each year, sharing the financial risks with some 3,300 of these for R&D projects and pre-commercialization activities.

With a national network of more than 100 partners and a field delivery staff of 235 Industrial Technology Advisors (ITAs), NRC-IRAP's programs and value-added services stimulate R&D and innovation in businesses and communities across Canada, including rural and remote areas.
For more information, please visit: http://irap-pari.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/main_e.html