Support for Attracting Business Expansion, R&D and Investment in Canada

The Strategic Innovation Fund Business Growth and Development (SIF)  offers up to 50% interest-free loans of no less than $10 million towards business R&D, commercialization, expansion, growth, investment attraction and reinvestment.

• Research and Development/Commercialization of product/technology or process at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1-9 . Project examples include:
  1. R&D to test the commercial potential of early TRL concepts or findings,
  2. adaptation of research findings for commercial applications that have the potential to disrupt the market.
  3. development and improvement of current products by implementing new technology that will enhance the company’s competitive capability.
  4. process improvements reducing the environmental footprint of current production by using new technologies.
• Firm Expansion and Growth expansion or material improvement of existing industrial or technological facilities. Activities must be a Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) of 8 to 9, where the new product or technology has been qualified through tests and demonstrations and/or been proven successful. Project examples include:
  1. increasing manufacturing capacity to meet demonstrated market demand.
  2. improving production efficiency through plant and equipment improvements
• Investment Attraction and Reinvestment supports new investments in R&D leading to significant hiring of full-time-equivalent employees in Canada. Activities for these projects should be a minimum of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2, where the technology concept or application has been formulated. These projects should support the establishment of new facilities or bring new ventures to Canada. Project examples include:
  1. a Canadian company establishing a new production facility that did not previously exist in Canada.
  2. getting a production mandate for a product previously produced outside Canada or being produced for the first time.
  3. getting a research and development mandate previously held outside Canada or being established for the first time.

Supported costs include project-related direct labour, overhead, subcontracts, consultants, direct materials, equipment, and land/building purchases.

Applications will be assessed on the project’s level of innovation, economic benefits and resulting benefits to Canada.