Canada Israel call for innovative projects

Timeframe

Call opens: 1 February 2022
Canadian registration deadline: 16 May 2022
Canadian expression of interest: 20 May 2022
Submission deadline: 28 June 2022 15:00 (CEST/ Brussels time) OR 12:00 (noon IST/ Israel time OR 05:00 (EST/ Ottawa time)
Projects can begin (expected): December 2022

Scope

This project call is for R&D projects with priority given to the following field(s):

• Agricultural technologies and agri-food technologies
• Clean technologies and low carbon economy technologies, including materials for clean fuels, clean transportation/mobility, climate resilient building/infrastructure, renewable energy, water and waste water management
• Digital technologies, including cyber security, smart cities and smart mobility
• Environment protection technologies, including transportation infrastructure, renewable power sources, energy storage, eco-friendly energy, eco-friendly vehicles, smart environmental solutions and soil remediation technologies
• Health and bio-sciences, including healthy ageing, mental health, biomedicine and biomedical engineering
• Quantum computing technologies, including sensing and timing, simulation, communications, imaging, and artificial intelligence

Your project should:

• address at least one of the fields mentioned in the call description and
• demonstrate the potential to research or develop a product, process or service for commercialisation. 

Funding information

Canada

In Canada, this call for projects is offered through the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP). NRC IRAP is responsible for delivering this call for proposals and for managing any resulting funding agreements.

Eligible Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of eligible project costs up to a maximum total funding amount of $500,000 CAD over 12 to 24 months (an extension of 12 months may be considered if sufficiently justified and accepted by both countries).

Canadian SMEs may also participate in a collaborative project on a self-funding basis.

NOTE: Canadian SME applicants must be eligible for funding as NRC IRAP clients before they can be considered for funding through this call for proposals. For more information on NRC IRAP eligibility and becoming an NRC IRAP client, please contact NRC IRAP at 1-877-994-4727. 

NOTE: Canadian SME applicants may apply to more than one NRC IRAP call for proposals simultaneously. However, NRC IRAP may limit the number of funded projects per applicant. Canadian SME applicants who are applying to more than one opportunity or who have ongoing NRC IRAP projects should speak to their NRC IRAP representative for more information.

Israel

In Israel, this call for proposals is offered through the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA). IIA is responsible for the delivery of this call for proposals and the management of any resulting funding agreements. 

Financial support may be provided to eligible Israeli companies in support of industrial research or technological development activities. Eligible Israeli companies may receive up to 50% of the Israeli R&D cost.

Please consult the IIA call for proposals announcement for funding parameters.

If there is no allocated budget for your organisation type in your country and you want to participate in a project consortium, contact your national funding body using the form below to see whether there are other funding opportunities available or talk to them about self-funding.

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 independent legal entities from a minimum of two Eureka countries].
• No single organisation or country can be responsible for more than 70% of the project budget.  

NRC IRAP has additional criteria for Canadian organisations to be eligible to receive funding. The Canadian applicant must:

• be an incorporated, profit-oriented small or medium-sized business in Canada
• have 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees
• have been in operation for a minimum of 12 months prior to the call application deadline
• pursue growth and profit by developing and commercialising innovative, technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes in Canada
• have a differentiated and protectable technology
• have sufficient working capital and resources to undertake a multi-year R&D collaboration and commercialise the results
• be committed to significant growth through international market expansion

NRC IRAP funding for an international project is typically restricted to Canadian SMEs that have at least 15 full time equivalent employees and at least $500,000 CAD in annual revenue.

Evaluation

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

1. 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)? 

2. 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? 

3. 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)? 

4. 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 consortium agreement (CA). We recommend that you seek legal advice when drafting your CA.

Canada

Canada has additional steps for submitting your application:

1. Register on the NRC IRAP International opportunities call webpage by 6 May 2022 for an Expression of Interest form. NRC IRAP will provide an Expression of Interest form to Canadian applicants once your registration has been reviewed and accepted.
2. Complete and submit the Expression of Interest form to NRC IRAP by 13 May 2022. We strongly recommend Canadian applicants complete the Expression of Interest 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 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 by the deadline.

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

Israel

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

Israeli applicants will have to submit an online national funding application to the Israel Innovation Authority as well as the Eureka application. A copy of the Eureka application must be attached to your national funding application.

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