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Canada-Korea 2020-2021 collaborative industrial research and development call for proposals

From: National Research Council Canada

Important notice

Given the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, NRC IRAP International will continue coordinating with its national and international partners, and other government departments, and reserves the right to modify, postpone, or cancel planned or anticipated international activities where required.

We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we all do our best to navigate these unprecedented challenges together.

Please direct any questions and concerns to IRAP.International.PARI@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.

Should you be interested in learning more about how the NRC is helping to find solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit our webpage on the NRC COVID-19 response.

1. Introduction

Working together, the governments of Canada and South Korea aim to foster and support collaborative industrial research and development (R&D) projects with a high potential for commercialization. This call for proposals is open to organizations from Canada and South Korea who wish to form project consortia to perform collaborative projects focused on developing innovative products, processes, or technology-based services in advanced manufacturing, clean technologies, digital technologies, and health and bio-sciences sectors.

2. Application deadlines

February 25, 2021

Canadian registration deadline

March 11, 2021

Canadian expression of interest deadline

June 2, 2021

International consortium project proposal deadline

3. Sectors of focus

4. Eligibility requirements

To be considered for funding, applicants must form a project consortium and develop a collaborative R&D project that meets the following criteria:

  1. The project consortium must include at least:
    • 1 incorporated Canadian small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), defined as a for-profit company with 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees
      • participation of Canadian research institutes/universities, large enterprises and other companies are welcome as additional participants on a self-funding basis or as sub-contractors
    • 1 eligible South Korean R&D-performing company
      • participation of South Korean research institutes/universities are welcome as sub-contractors
  2. The project partners that form the consortium must:
    • be capable of implementing the project including funding their respective share
    • agree in advance on intellectual property rights and a commercialization strategy and
    • not be related in terms of corporate ownership
  3. The project must focus on co-developing a product, process, or technology-based service that:
    • is highly innovative
    • has significant commercial potential
    • has outcomes that can be realized within 2 years of completion of the project, and
    • does not involve R&D related to products, processes, or technological-based services with military or non-peaceful applications
  4. The project must demonstrate:
    • the unique scientific and technological contribution that each organization brings to the project
    • an obvious advantage and added value for each project partner resulting from the collaboration, such as an increased knowledge base, an access to R&D infrastructure or new fields of application or a solutions for commercial needs and
    • an adequate balance and significance for all project partners, with no more than 75% of the project budget contributed by any one organization or country

In addition to the above eligibility requirements, each applicant must meet their country-specific requirements, outlined below:

4.1 Canadian eligibility requirements

Canadian applicant(s) must also meet the following criteria:

  1. The Canadian SME must have a technology that is:
    • competitive in global markets, differentiated, and protectable, such as a unique or novel patentable technology that may alter the industry or market
  2. The Canadian SME must be committed to:
    • pursuing growth and profit by developing and commercializing innovative, technology-driven new or improved products, processes or technological-based services and
    • aggressive growth through global market expansion
  3. The Canadian SME must be ready, and have the resources to:
    • make a serious new market entry push, typically having more than 15 full-time equivalent employees and $500,000 CAD in annual revenue and
    • complete a collaborative project with international partners

4.2 South Korean eligibility requirements

South Korean companies must meet the criteria outlined in the South Korean call for proposals announcement webpage.

5. Funding

Eligible project participants in collaborative projects selected through this call for proposals may receive funding from their respective national funding body. Funds will be provided in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, rules, and procedures established by the relevant national funding body, country, jurisdiction and/or program.

Non-eligible Canadian project participants (e.g. universities, research institutes, etc., and participants from other countries) are welcome to participate on a self-funded basis or as sub-contractors to funded participants, according to each country's funding regulations.

Note: 1 country and/or project partner cannot represent more than 75% of the total project budget.

Additional country-specific funding parameters are outlined below:

5.1 Canadian funding

In Canada, this call for proposals is offered through the Canadian International Innovation Program (CIIP) - an international innovation R&D funding program offered by Global Affairs Canada in partnership with 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 $600,000 CAD over 12 to 24 months (an extension of 12 months may be considered if sufficiently justified and accepted by both countries).

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 1 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 1 opportunity or who have ongoing NRC IRAP projects should speak to their NRC IRAP representative for more information.

5.2 South Korean funding

In South Korea, this call for proposals is offered through the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). KIAT is responsible for the delivery of this call for proposals and the management of any resulting funding agreements.

Foreign applicants should consult the funding parameters outlined on the call for proposals announcement webpage.

6. Application process

Application processes and evaluations will be performed independently by each national funding body in accordance with their national and institutional laws and regulations. Once each national funding body has evaluated the applications received, a final joint-project selection will be performed.

Each applicant must submit all required documents to, and meet the due diligence process of, their respective national funding body. Failure at any point or for any reason to do so may cause the entire collaborative project application to be considered incomplete or ineligible and render the entire project consortium ineligible for funding through this call for proposals.

Information on respective application processes follows below:

6.1 Canadian application process

The Canadian application process has 4 phases:

  1. Registration
  2. Expression of interest (EOI)
  3. International consortium project proposal (ICPP)
  4. National funding body proposal and funding agreement

Step 1: Registration phase
Each Canadian applicant must register using the Register button at the end of this page.

Basic information about the applicant and the organization will be required upon registration.

NRC IRAP will review registrations for this call for proposals and contact applicants if more information is required. Qualifying applicants will proceed to the next phase and be invited to submit an expression of interest form.

Step 2: Expression of interest phase
During this phase, each Canadian applicant seeking funding must submit an expression of interest (EOI) form outlining basic information on the applicant and the collaborative project.

While completing the EOI form, each Canadian applicant is encouraged to contact their NRC IRAP representative to discuss their project idea and receive guidance on preparing their submission.

It is recommended that applicants submit the EOI as early as possible. EOIs will be evaluated by the applicant's NRC IRAP representative and the NRC IRAP International Office. Qualifying applicants will be invited to submit the more detailed international consortium project proposal in collaboration with their project partners.

Step 3: International consortium project proposal phase
During the international consortium project proposal (ICPP) phase, all project partners work together to complete and submit an ICPP package to each implicated national funding body. The contents of the ICPP package are unique to each national funding body.

In this call for proposals, the Canadian ICPP application package consists of:

  1. an International Consortium Project Proposal (ICPP) form outlining the:
    • project consortium
    • collaborative project
    • expected outcomes and
    • funding request
  2. a draft International Consortium Agreement containing descriptions of the:
    • roles and responsibilities of each consortium member
    • project management framework
    • financial plan
    • division of intellectual property rights and
    • confidentiality and publication agreements, and liability clauses

Canadian ICPP applications will be evaluated by an NRC IRAP evaluation team including the applicant's NRC IRAP representative and the NRC IRAP International Office. Next, the amalgamated evaluation results will be shared between both implicated national funding bodies to jointly select the collaborative projects that will be invited to proceed to the final national funding body proposal and funding agreement stage.

Step 4: National funding body proposal and funding agreement phase
During the national funding body proposal and funding agreement phase, all eligible project partners work independently to complete funding proposals and sign legally binding funding agreements with their respective national funding body. Canadian applicants will work with their NRC IRAP representative to prepare an NRC IRAP funding proposal and contribution agreement.

6.2 South Korean application process

For information related to application stages, requirements, instructions, ICPP application packages, and national funding body proposals and funding agreements, please consult the South Korean call for proposals announcement.

7. Contacts

For questions, concerns, or for more information, please contact the appropriate call for proposals representative listed below:

7.1 Canada

Wei Ning
Korea National Program Coordinator for NRC IRAP
National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program
Wei.Ning@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

7.2 South Korea

Wonseok Shin
Researcher, International R&D Cooperation Team
Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT)
wsshin1204@kiat.or.kr

8. Registration

To begin the application process, all interested Canadian applicants must register for this opportunity by clicking the Register button below: