CanExport Innovation funding to commercialize your technology

Your organization has developed a promising technology, but advancing it with a foreign partner takes time and resources. CanExport Innovation is designed to support this exact stage.

The federal program covers up to 75% of eligible expenses related to negotiating and signing a new international research and development (R&D) agreement. An application can include a project budget of up to $50,000, for a maximum contribution of $37,500 per project.

Contrary to a common misconception, CanExport Innovation does not fund conventional commercial market development. It is intended for Canadian organizations seeking a technology collaboration with a foreign partner to develop, adapt or validate a technology.

Here is what you should verify before applying.

What is CanExport Innovation?

CanExport Innovation is a funding stream delivered by the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service in partnership with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).

It helps Canadian organizations that own a technology establish and formalize a new R&D collaboration with an international partner. Funding stops once the partnership is formalized. R&D work performed after the required agreements have been signed is therefore not eligible.

This is not a grant for selling a finished product in a new market. Its purpose is to help negotiate a collaboration that will develop, adapt or validate the technology before commercialization. If your project is primarily about prospecting and sales, read our guide to export grants instead.

CanExport Innovation and CanExport SMEs: two distinct streams

CanExport Innovation is often confused with CanExport SMEs. The two programs complement one another, but address different needs.

Program	Main objective	Share of eligible costs	Maximum contribution
CanExport Innovation	Negotiate and formalize a new international R&D collaboration	Up to 75%	$37,500 per project
CanExport SMEs	Develop new commercial markets abroad	Up to 50%	$50,000 per project

An organization may receive support from both programs if the funded activities and expenses do not overlap. Government assistance stacking limits and all applicable caps must also be respected.

CanExport Innovation also requires the applicant to own or co-own the intellectual property rights to the technology, or to have appropriate decision-making authority over those rights.

What CanExport Innovation funds

Activities must contribute directly to negotiating and establishing a new collaborative R&D agreement with a pre-identified foreign partner.

Expense type	Eligible examples
Travel and meetings	Travel within Canada or abroad to meet a pre-identified foreign partner; attendance at an event to meet that partner
Non-travel activities	Intellectual property protection or certification in a foreign market; legal and business advice; shipping technology for feasibility or compatibility testing; translation and adaptation of materials; virtual meetings and conferences

Expenses must be incurred between the project start and completion dates in the funding agreement. The program does not reimburse costs incurred before the project start date.

Production, manufacturing, client acquisition, distribution and the R&D work itself are not covered by this stream. A relationship in which one party pays for all R&D work may also be treated as a service contract rather than a genuine partnership.

Who can apply?

According to the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, three types of Canadian organizations may submit a project:

• Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 full-time equivalent employees;
• recognized Canadian academic institutions;
• Canadian non-government research centres.

An SME must be an incorporated legal entity, a limited liability partnership or a cooperative in Canada. Sole proprietorships are not eligible.

The organization must also:

• be registered in Canada and have an active Canada Revenue Agency business number;
• own or co-own the technology’s intellectual property, or have appropriate decision-making authority over it;
• have a prototype at Technology Readiness Level 4 or higher;
• intend to commercialize the technology within five years;
• be able to fund its 25% share of costs without in-kind contributions.

Technology Readiness Level 4 means the idea has progressed beyond the conceptual stage and its components have been validated in a laboratory. Strong technical records remain important when demonstrating this level.

Intellectual property also deserves careful review. An organization that fully outsourced development without retaining the required rights or decision-making authority may be ineligible. Our guide to technology innovation grants presents other options when a project does not fit CanExport Innovation.

What foreign partners are eligible?

An application may target up to three foreign partners for one technology. Each partner must contribute specialized expertise or proprietary technology that directly supports the development, adaptation or validation of the Canadian technology.

The partner must be identified before the application is submitted. CanExport Innovation does not fund an exploratory search for contacts. The file should instead document a verifiable relationship and a concrete plan leading to a new R&D agreement.

The partnership must not already be formalized and the R&D work must not have started. The applicant’s subsidiaries, consultants, distributors, basic service providers and customers paying for a solution tailored to their needs are generally not eligible partners.

How to apply

CanExport Innovation has four application openings each year. Each window may be very short and closes when the intake budget is fully allocated. Files that are not assessed do not automatically roll over to the next intake.

For the September 2026 intake, the portal is scheduled to open on September 1 at noon Eastern Time for 24 hours. Projects involving defence and dual-use technologies will receive priority consideration. Partnerships with organizations in the Indo-Pacific region will receive secondary priority. Other eligible applications will then be assessed in the order received, subject to available funds.

Before applying, review the official Applicant’s Guide. A persuasive application clearly explains:

• the Canadian technology and its readiness level;
• the foreign partner’s technical contribution;
• the intended R&D outcome;
• the activities required to negotiate and formalize the agreement;
• the budget, dates and connection between each expense and the partnership.

The program states that a funding decision can take up to 60 business days. If the project is approved, the submission date will normally become the agreement start date, but any expenses incurred before the decision remain at the applicant’s risk.

Why priorities change from one intake to another

Each intake may emphasize different sectors or regions based on the federal government’s current economic and trade strategies.

A priority does not replace the eligibility criteria. Instead, it determines the order in which applications are assessed when demand exceeds the available budget. A project outside the priority areas may therefore remain eligible, with no guarantee that it will be reviewed before the intake budget is exhausted.

This makes preparing the application before the portal opens especially important. An eligible technology and a relevant partner cannot make up for an incomplete form or late submission.

Structuring your CanExport Innovation project before applying

Before the next intake, validate four elements: your technology’s readiness level, your intellectual property rights, the partner’s technical contribution and the eligibility of every expense. Also confirm that the R&D agreement has not already been signed and the work has not started.

The program may cover up to $37,500, but that contribution depends on a precise budget and a genuinely technological collaboration. It is also one part of the broader range of incentives listed in our grants and tax credits directory.

To assess your eligibility and prepare a coherent application before the next opening, book a consultation with the Avinova team.

FAQ

How much funding does CanExport Innovation provide?

CanExport Innovation covers up to 75% of eligible expenses for a project with a maximum budget of $50,000. The maximum contribution is therefore $37,500 per project. The applicant must pay the remaining 25% without using in-kind contributions. An organization may receive no more than $100,000 in CanExport Innovation funding over any 12-month period, subject to other stacking rules.

Do I need to have already identified a foreign partner?

Yes. The program funds the negotiation and formalization of a new agreement with a pre-identified partner, not a general search for partners. The partner must contribute expertise or technology that directly supports the development, adaptation or validation of the Canadian technology. The R&D agreement must not already be signed and the work must not have started.

Can CanExport Innovation and CanExport SMEs be combined?

Yes. An organization may benefit from both programs if the funded activities and expenses do not overlap. CanExport Innovation supports the negotiation of an international R&D collaboration, while CanExport SMEs focuses on developing new commercial markets. All other government assistance stacking limits continue to apply.

Can the SR&ED tax credit be combined with CanExport Innovation?

Combining the programs may be possible when they cover distinct activities and expenses. CanExport Innovation funds the steps leading to a formal international partnership, but not the R&D work performed after signing. Government assistance must be disclosed and total public funding cannot exceed the applicable stacking limits. A cost-by-cost review before applying is recommended.