Ready to Scale Faster? NRC-IRAP Can Supercharge your Innovation!
The Canadian aquaculture industry is full of innovation. Onda has the privilege of working with many of these companies who are revolutionizing our industry and seeing innovation in action. Bringing new products to the market is always a challenge, but financials shouldn’t be the biggest obstacle for small and medium sized business as they work to improve their farms. This is where the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) can help keep our industry innovating.
Here's everything you need to know for your application:
Who Can Apply?
There are two criteria for applicants:
1. Must be incorporated, for-profit, and classified as a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) in Canada which are businesses under 500 employees.
2. Projects must involve clean technologies with tangible, scalable environmental benefits and be paired with a commercialization partner.
What Support Does IRAP Offer?
IRAP can support business in a multitude of ways such as:
· Funds to accelerate R&D, product development, or commercialization.
· Access to skilled Industrial Technology Advisors (ITAs) who provide business and technical guidance, strategic connections, and help in navigating your innovation journey.
· A separate program to hire post-secondary graduates (aged 15–30) for R&D, engineering, multimedia, or market analysis roles for 6 to 12 months. The business shares salary costs while receiving partial funding.
How to Get Started: Applying to IRAP
1. Reach out—call IRAP’s toll-free (1-877-994-4727) number to explore your business needs.
2. Connect with an Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA)—they’ll help shape your innovation objectives and build a strong proposal.
3. Prepare and submit your proposal—collaborate with your ITA to define project scope and funding justification.
4. For youth hires—the ITA can help you identify eligible candidates and outline the hiring plan.
Whether you're developing clean tech or hiring young talent to drive R&D, IRAP can help you move faster and smarter, and Onda’s here to help. Reach out to Adam or Julianna to learn more about how Onda can help with your next project funding opportunity.