Canada France call for innovative projects

Scope

Although this call invites projects in all thematic areas or application domains, special attention will be given to the two following domains:

• Future of Healthcare using Artificial Intelligence (AI), including AI for augmented diagnosis, AI for personalised medicine, AI for medical research, prevention, and pandemic preparedness.
• GreenTech and all technologies and science reducing human impacts on the natural environment, including CleanTech, AgriTech, Greener Smart City, etc.

Your project should aim to research or develop an innovative product, process or service for commercialisation.

Timeframe

• 8 JUNE 2022: Call opens
• 14 SEPTEMBER 2022: Registration deadline (Canadian SME applicants only)
• 28 SEPTEMBER 2022: Expression of interest deadline (All applicants - to inform your respective national funding bodies of your interest to apply)
• 14 DECEMBER 2022: International consortium project proposal submission deadline (18:00 CEST) (Paris) / 12:00 EST (Ottawa)
• MAY 2023: Projects can begin (expected)

Eligibility

Eureka has limited eligibility criteria for organisations participating in a Network projects consortium:

• Your project idea must represent international cooperation in the form of a specific project. 
• The project must be directed at researching or developing an innovative product, process or service with the goal of commercialisation. 
• The project must have a civilian purpose.
• Your consortium must include at least two mutually independent companies, one from France and the other from Canada. 
• No single organisation or country can be responsible for more than 70% of the project budget.

This call for projects has additional criteria for organisations to be eligible to receive funding:

• The Canadian and French partners must express their will to cooperate to the development of a new product, industrial process or service. The product, process or service must be innovative and there must be a technological risk involved. 
• The project should have an obvious advantage and added value resulting from the technological cooperation between the participants from the countries (e.g. increased knowledge base, commercial leads, access to R&D infrastructure etc.)
• The project should demonstrate the contribution of all participants and the project must be significant to them.
• The participants are required, prior to obtaining the Eureka label endorsement, to have signed a project consortium agreement.

NRC IRAP has additional criteria for Canadian organisations to be eligible to receive funding which include:

• Your organisation must be a small and medium-sized enterprise in Canada, incorporated and profit-oriented. 
• Your organisation must have 500 or less full-time equivalent employees.
• You must have the objective to grow and generate profits through development and commercialisation of innovative, technology-driven new or improved products, services, or processes in Canada.

For all Canadian criteria, please refer to NRC IRAP’s International opportunities - National Research Council Canada for this call for proposals (filter using “France”)

Bpifrance has additional criteria for French organisations to be eligible to receive funding. The French applicant must:

• be an incorporated, profit-oriented business in France
• have 2000 or fewer full-time equivalent employees
• pursue growth and profit by developing and commercializing innovative, technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes in France
  • have a differentiated and protectable technology
  • have sufficient working capital and resources to undertake a multi-year R&D collaboration and commercialize the results
  • be committed to significant growth through international market expansion

Evaluation

Your project application will be reviewed according to our Network projects evaluation methodology.

Impact

• Is the market properly addressed (i.e. size, access and risks)?
• Is the value creation properly addressed (i.e. employment opportunities and environmental and societal benefits)?
• What are the competitive advantages of your project (i.e. strategic importance, enhanced capabilities and visibility)?
• Are your commercialisation plans clear and realistic (i.e. return on investment, geographical and sectoral impact)?

Excellence

• What is the degree of innovation? (i.e. is the proposed product, process or service state-of-the-art? Is there sufficient technological maturity and risk)?
• How is the new knowledge going to be used? 
• Is your project scientifically and technically challenging for consortium partners? 
• Is the technical achievability and risk properly addressed?

Quality and efficiency of implementation

• What is the quality of your consortium (i.e. balance of the partnership and technological, managerial and financial capabilities of each partner)? 
• Is there added value through international cooperation? 
• Is your project management and planning realistic and clearly defined (i.e. methodology, planning approach, milestones and deliverables)? 
• Is your cost structure reasonable (i.e. costs and financial commitment for each consortium partner)?

Overall perception

Experts will list three positive and negative points to your application and finally state whether they recommend your project for public investment.

Your national funding body may carry out a further evaluation (performed by the national project coordinator and technical experts) according to national rules before allocating funds to successful applicants.

How to apply?

1.  Contact your national funding body using the contact form on Eureka’s website to discuss your project idea, financial viability, eligibility and national procedures. 
2. Create an account on our application portal (one per consortium) and select the funding opportunity you want to apply to. 
3. Using the portal, complete one application form per consortium (in English) and invite other consortium partners to fill in a partner form. 
4. Upload a GANTT chart (one per consortium), a signed and completed co-signature form (which you can download from the platform) and any additional required annexes. 
5. Your application will be checked for completeness and eligibility before being reviewed using a standard evaluation procedure. If successful, your project will receive a Eureka label. 
6. Your national funding body may carry out a further evaluation (performed by the NPC and technical experts) according to national rules before allocating funds to successful applicants. 
7. The final step is to complete and sign a project consortium agreement (PCA). We recommend that you seek legal advice when drafting your PCA.

Additionally, each applicant must submit all required documents to their respective national funding authority and meet its due diligence process requirements

Canadian applicants must complete the following application steps

1. Register on the NRC IRAP International opportunities call webpage by the Registration deadline 14 September 2022 for an Expression of Interest (EOI) form. NRC IRAP will provide an EOI form to Canadian applicants once your registration has been reviewed and accepted.
2. Complete and submit the EOI form to NRC IRAP by the Expression of Interest deadline 28 September 2022. We strongly recommend Canadian applicants complete the EOI step as early as possible, so NRC IRAP can confirm the firm’s potential eligibility for funding before assembling and submitting a proposal.
   Only qualified applicants will be invited to submit the more detailed Eureka Network projects proposal and draft project consortium agreement in collaboration with their project partners. Qualified Canadian applicants will be provided a NRC IRAP Canadian Annex form that will need to be completed along with the Eureka Network projects proposal.
3. Complete and submit the Eureka application, the draft project consortium agreement, and the Canadian Annex by the Call application deadline.

For complete information related to application steps, requirements, instructions, Eureka online project application, and the national funding body proposal and funding agreement, please consult the call for proposals webpage NRC IRAP call for proposals announcement and filter using “France”.

French applicants must complete the following application steps:

1.  Submit their application on the Eureka platform. Any additional documents (especially a “State of the Art” document) are welcome.
2. Submit additional financial documents once your Chargé.e d’Affaires Innovation opens the funding application on Bpifrance en Ligne (BEL)

For information related to expression of interest, application steps, requirements, instructions, online application, and national funding body proposals and funding agreements, please consult the Bpifrance call for proposals announcement.

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