The National Cybersecurity Consortium’s (NCC) annual Call for Proposals program supports Canadian organizations within academia, industry, and the not-for-profit sector by funding projects that advance cybersecurity in Canada. In order to foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and growth between these sectors, the NCC seeks to fund projects with matching contributions in the following streams:
Commercialization projects support the commercialization of new technology (with Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 7-9), and products and services that address cybersecurity challenges in critical infrastructure protection, human-centric cybersecurity, network security, software security, and privacy and privacy-enhancing technologies.
• Maximum Request of NCC Funding: $1 Million
• Recommended* Matching Contribution: 70%
Training projects provide robust and varied opportunities for the upskilling and reskilling of cybersecurity professionals across a variety of cybersecurity-related disciplines. Training projects may include public activities to raise cybersecurity awareness.
• Maximum Request of NCC Funding: $1 Million
• Recommended* Matching Contribution: 50%
Research and Development – Standard projects support research and development activities (with Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1-6) to design and implement innovative cybersecurity technologies, advance the state-of-the-art, and conduct studies.
• Maximum Request of NCC Funding: $2 Million
• Recommended* Matching Contribution: 50%
Research and Development – Spearhead projects are originally from post-secondary educational institutions and not-for-profit organizations that are novel in nature, explore risky early-stage ideas, and have defined goals and milestones. Projects should also be sufficiently flexible to adapt as new insights emerge.
• Maximum Request of NCC Funding: $500,000
• Recommended* Matching Contribution: Matching Not necessary
*Note: Applicants are strongly encouraged to meet the recommended level of matching contribution for their proposals. This is a part of the Evaluation Review Criteria as described in the 2024 Call for Proposals Guide. Projects with high merit in other Evaluation Review Criteria may be funded with lower matching contribution ratios at the discretion of the NCC.
The Call for Proposals is designed as a streamlined three-stage process. Applicants must successfully complete three main phases in order to receive funding.
Following the second call for proposals under the Cyber Security Innovation Network program, 37 eligible projects were selected for funding for a total of $22.8 million.
The Call for Proposals is designed as a streamlined three-stage process. Applicants must successfully complete three main phases in order to receive funding.