NGen Manufacturing Program: Receive up to $250k Via the Pilot Project Stream

Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) is an industry-led, non-profit organization dedicated to building next generation manufacturing capabilities. It is one of five “superclusters” created from Canada’s Innovation Superclusters Initiative and maintains a pool of funding to award to competitive member-based projects. This pool of funding created the NGen Manufacturing Program, which seeks competitive proposals for collaborative manufacturing technology projects.

NGen is leveraging a portion of its Supercluster funding to Capacity Building projects targeted at Canadian SMEs before the end of March 2023. Several program streams will be available under this initiative, one of them being Pilot Projects. This stream assists Canadian firms to advance high-potential technologies, transform processes, and de-risk technology adoption.

The NGen Manufacturing Program – Pilot Project Stream offers up to 50% of eligible project expenses to a max of $50,000-$250,000 in research and development funding.

To apply for NGen Pilot Project Stream funding, applicants (partnerships of two or more industry partners plus other collaborators) need to be members of the NGen Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster. Membership is free but requires an additional application. The Pilot Project Stream has an upcoming deadline of April 15, 2020.

About the NGen Manufacturing Program – Pilot Project Stream

As part of the federal Innovation Superclusters Initiative, the NGen Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster (Next Generation Manufacturing Canada) manages a pool of funding designed to spur collaboration between manufacturers and technology developers. The objective of its Pilot Project Stream is to support a team of at least two Canadian SMEs to run a collaborative development, demonstration, or advanced manufacturing research project.

Pilot project funding can be used as a gateway to accelerating high-risk activities to quickly determine their capabilities and be used as an introduction to larger funding applications under subsequent NGen or other funding.

Through the NGen Manufacturing Program Pilot Project Stream, innovative partnerships may receive up to 50% to a maximum $250k grant per project.

Due to the collaborative nature of supercluster funding, innovative manufacturing grants are awarded to support partnerships involving NGen members. To qualify for funding, your organization needs to partner with other for-profit NGen members that can also contribute towards project deliverables. Projects under the Pilot Project Stream must be completed within nine months of initiation.

Projects Eligible – NGen Pilot Project Stream

Project costs must be between $100,000 and $500,000. To be considered for NGen Manufacturing Program Pilot Project Stream funding, projects should align under the following criteria:

• Must be transformational in scale or impact for its participants;
• Must have a wider benefit to Canada’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem;
• Must develop technology to improve manufacturing processes and de-risk adoption; and
• Must involve advanced manufacturing and include at least one of the following:
  • Risk mitigation planning;
  • IP Commercialization strategy development;
  • Business case development;
  • Manufacturing process development;
  • Technical program development;
  • Technology development; and
  • Manufacturing process scale up from bench-scale toward full-scale.

Eligible Costs

• Sub-contracts and consultancy fees;
• Salaries and wages;
• Equipment related to project; and

• Materials and supplies.

Applicant Eligibility: Pilot Project Stream

Eligibility criteria for the NGen Manufacturing Program Pilot Project Stream is as follows:

• Must have at least two for-profit SME partner companies contributing to the project;
• Participants can come from all industries and sectors but must bring together manufacturing and technology capabilities for the project;
• Each partner must have less than 500 full-time employees; and
• All project contributors must be NGen members. Membership is free.

How to Apply for NGen Canadian R&D Grants

The NGen Manufacturing Program Pilot Project Stream is currently open and will be accepting applications until April 15, 2020.

Collaborative partnerships need to first submit an “Initial Application” for consideration. Applications are reviewed after that submission and those meeting basic program criteria will advance to a second “Full Application” screening. Any costs incurred before signing a Contribution Agreement are ineligible.

To learn more about the offerings through NGen Manufacturing Canada, feel free to explore their website.

Updated: March 22, 2020