This is a great time for research and development around the world, and also a great time to apply for a grant to help fund your R&D projects in Canada for 2026.
No matter what sector or industry your business is in, from internship funding to funding for travel to help you to collaborate with partners from another part of the world, there are funding programs to help you to reach those goals. So now is the time to pick the best program, or programs, and let your new research disrupt or advance current technology or industry.
The majority of the funding programs that are available are nationwide and offered by the Government of Canada, so any Canadian corporation has an almost equal opportunity as businesses in Ontario. Some of the programs only fund organizations within a specific industry, but the majority just want to help you to advance your research and solve any challenges or improve the processes, systems, or products that are currently available.
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New Research and Development Funding Programs for 2026
The National Research Council of Canada - Challenge Programs
The National Research Council of Canada has partnered with public and private sectors, academic and other research organizations internationally and within Canada, through the Challenge Programs, to advance high-risk, high-reward, transformative research that addresses priorities in Canada.
The National Research Council of Canada - Supercluster Support Programs
To support the super clusters and foster strong collaboration with industry and academic innovators, the National Research Council of Canada has developed its support programs. The collaborations with external organizations will be given support through contribution and grant funding, in particular, to small and medium-sized corporations and academic researchers.
The National Research Council of Canada - Ideation Fund
Forward thinkers that work at the leading edge of research and tech are recruited by the National Research Council of Canada to set a new standard of innovation. In collaboration with external partners such as small and medium-sized corporations and academic institutions, the Ideation Fund allows the NRC researchers to investigate transformative research ideas.
Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada - Strategic Innovation Fund Stream 5: National Ecosystems
Large-scale national ecosystems will receive support with this program through high-impact collaborations between corporations of all sizes, research, and academic institutions, and not-for-profit corporations to support the innovative ecosystems in Canada.
Government of Canada, Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) - Strategic Innovation Fund Stream 4: Collaborative Technology Development and Demonstration
The objective of this program is, through collaboration between researchers, private sector, and non-profit organizations, to advance industrial development, research, and technology demonstration.
College and Community Innovation Program - Applied Research and Development Grants - NSERC
This program is intended to provide businesses that are operating from Canada access to the unique expertise, knowledge, and capabilities that are available at colleges in Canada to train students in the essential technical skills that are required by corporations.
College and Community Innovation Program - Engage Grants - NSERC
These grants have been made to foster the development of new research partnerships by support their short-term research and development projects that are aimed at addressing a specific company problem.
College and Community Innovation Program - Engage Plus Grants
The Engage Plus Grants are designed to further the developments made from Engage Grant projects that are currently ongoing or recently completed or to continue the project while looking for longer-term support.
College and Community Innovation Program - Entry-Level Innovation Enhancement Grants
Any colleges that have not been awarded an Innovation Enhancement, Industrial Research Chair for Colleges, or TAC grant are encouraged to apply for this grant to start their applied research program within the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and/or health sciences to address the business-driven opportunities and challenges.
College and Community Innovation Program - Build and Extend Innovation Enhancement Grants
Colleges that have previously been awarded an Entry-level IE grant can apply for a Build IE grant in the same area of applied research. Colleges are then encouraged to consider applying for the Extend IE grant if they have well-established expertise within an area of applied research that has collaborated with a similar sector or has already received support from a five-year IE grant.
College and Community Innovation Program - Innovation Links Grants
College-university collaborations working within the business sector can receive support from the Innovation Links Grant to realize successful commercialization. It is intended to support these institutions’ participation in the extension or improvement of existing commercial products or company technology, services, and/or processes.
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) - College and Community Innovation Program - College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF)
These grants are made to support focused and well-defined community innovation projects that are undertaken by college researchers with their partners from the private, public, or not-for-profit sectors.
Idea to Innovation Grants NSERC
University and college faculty members can receive funding provided by the Idea to Innovation Grants to support research and development projects with recognized technology transfer potential. This is to promote technology transfer to Canadian companies.
NSERC Alliance Grant
This grant program encourages collaboration between university researchers with organizations, which can be from the public, private, or not-for-profit sectors. The grants support research projects that are led by complementary, strong, and collaborative teams that will create new knowledge and accelerate the application of research results that create benefits for Canada.
National Research Council - EUREKA Cluster
The EUREKA Clusters are conceptual funding programs that are driven by communities of SMEs, large companies, research institutes, universities, and end-users. This will give you the opportunity to access national funding and work with major players in the industry on projects that are close-to-market that meet your innovation objectives.
EUREKA Eurostars Programme - National Research Council
This is a support and funding program that is dedicated specifically to small and medium-sized businesses performing research and development. The program stimulates them by easing access to funding and support to let them lead any innovative projects and international collaborative research.
EUREKA Network Project - National Research Council
This program eases the collaboration between the organizations that are in Eureka countries and offers you the freedom to design the proposal for your project and build your ideal group.