Financial leverage
Helping you bring your projects to life
The Centre technologique en aérospatiale guides companies and organizations in searching for funding for their innovation and applied research projects. With our in-depth knowledge of available grant programs and our strong network of partners, we help you identify the financial levers best suited to your needs and objectives and maximize your chances of success.
Available Funding and Support Programs
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Applied Research and Development grants
Do you have a technological challenge to solve? The federal Applied Research and Development (ARD) college grants are designed to accelerate innovation through applied research by reducing the risks associated with developing new technologies. They enable companies established in Canada to collaborate with college research teams to design and test practical solutions. This gives you access to cutting-edge expertise and customized solutions validated under real-world conditions. Projects last from one (1) to three (3) years and allow you to innovate faster, more efficiently, and with a stronger return on investment.
National Research Council Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP)
Are you an innovative SME looking for support to develop a new technology or accelerate your R&D? The National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) is a key lever to help you move forward.
This federal program offers companies:
- Tailored technical support
- Direct funding to support your research and development activities
- Privileged access to a vast network of experts and research centres, including the CTA
With NRC IRAP, you can:
- Reduce the risks associated with innovation
- Accelerate the development of your products, processes, or services
- Build collaborative projects with partners like the CTA, recognized for their industrial expertise
The CTA is a trusted NRC IRAP partner. Together, we help you structure, test, and advance your projects faster—and more efficiently.
Get a subsidized technology assessment with NRC IRAP interactive visits
Do you have an innovative idea but don’t know where to start? Take advantage of an NRC IRAP interactive visit to get expert insights—quickly, efficiently, and at very low cost.
Through this unique program, eligible SMEs can benefit from:
- About 20 hours of personalized support from CTA experts
- A comprehensive technology assessment
- Concrete recommendations to validate your ideas, guide your technology choices, or structure an R&D project
- And all this for only $250, thanks to funding from the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).
It’s the perfect entry point to:
- Explore a technology or process
- Unlock a pending project
- Identify the best funding levers to move forward
Simple. Fast. Accessible. Don't let your ideas lie dormant in a notebook.
Tax credit for research, innovation and commercialization (CRIC)
The CRIC is a new refundable tax credit available to corporations conducting scientific research, experimental development (R&D), or pre-commercialization activities in Québec. It applies to taxation years beginning after March 25, 2025.
This tax credit is designed to encourage innovation by financially supporting businesses in the development and commercialization of new solutions. It represents a strategic opportunity to reduce your development costs and accelerate the path from your ideas to market.
Grants from Québec's ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie (MEIE)
Do you have a technological innovation project? Quebec’s Sector-Based Industrial Research Clusters (RSRI) offer you funding of up to 80% through the Programme de soutien à la recherche industrielle collaborative (PSO).
Supported by the Gouvernment du Québec, these programs enable companies to collaborate with research centres to develop new technologies, test processes, or modernize products—all while reducing risks and costs.
The RSRIs cover key sectors:
- CRIAQ – Aerospace
- PRIMA Québec – Advanced Materials
- Prompt – Digital Technologies (AI, cybersecurity, quantum, etc.)
- InnovÉÉ - Electrical energy
The PSO perfectly complements federal levers such as NSERC or NRC IRAP, helping you build an optimal funding package.
Major Strategic Funding Programs
Do you carry an ambitious vision? Are you driving high-potential projects with the power to transform industry? Certain strategic programs can offer you far more than funding: they provide access to a network, recognition, and international reach.
These powerful levers are for organizations seeking to:
- Build strong and credible consortiums
- Secure large-scale funding
- Position themselves as global technology leaders
Got the ambition to rise to the challenge? CTA can help you unlock these opportunities.
NGen (Next Generation Manufacturing Canada)
NGen (Next Generation Manufacturing Canada) drives collaborative projects in advanced manufacturing nationwide. Automation, industrial AI, robotics, clean technologies —this program helps you build resilient value chains, commercialize your innovations, and accelerate your growth with substantial financial support.
INSAT (Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Technology)
INSAT (Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Technology) supports multi-sector consortiums that are revolutionizing mobility. Green aeronautical technologies, electrification, smart logistics—the program funds the ideas that are moving Québec towards a low-carbon future.
Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe, the European Union's largest research and innovation funding program, is open to Canadian partners. It gives you access to world-class collaborative scientific projects in fields ranging from climate and health to digital technologies, energy, and sustainable mobility.
Innovation Challenges and Funding in Security and Defence
Are you developing cutting-edge technologies in robotics, sensors, AI, cybersecurity, or embedded systems? Your solutions could also address critical defence and security challenges. Several targeted programs allow you to test, fund, and deploy these innovations in high-impact contexts—while opening doors to highly strategic markets.
With these programs, your innovations can :
- Access significant and competitive funding
- Joining strategic consortiums
- Gain visibility nationally and internationally
- Open doors to new technology opportunities
The CTA can help you activate these levers. Do you have a technology with defence or security potential? Let’s talk.
DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic)
DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic), NATO’s innovation program, provides funding, support, and an international network to SMEs developing dual-use solutions for both civilian and military applications. The CTA is proud to be among Canada’s DIANA-certified research centres, providing access to NATO-standard testing infrastructure—right here in Québec.
IDEaS, the Department of National Defense (DND) program
IDEaS, a program of the Department of National Defence (DND), regularly launches technology challenges for SMEs, research centres, and innovators. This is your chance to transform ideas into real solutions for the Canadian Armed Forces.
DND Innovation Fund
The DND Innovation Fund supports technological development, demonstration and validation projects in strategic areas such as autonomy, energy, advanced logistics and climate resilience.