Putting together a funding proposal can be an involved undertaking, but the National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC) team is here to support applicants during the process. Below you’ll find a list of questions that our team is frequently asked.
If you’d like to learn more, please visit our Resources page or contact projects@ncc-cnc.ca.
An organization can submit multiple projects in different categories as eligible; however, the same project cannot be submitted under multiple categories or streams.
Matching contributions do not need to be committed when submitting your LOI for projects submitted under Category 1 – Accelerated Projects or Category 2 – New Projects. However, Letters of Commitment are required for Category 1 projects by the end of Stage 2. Projects under Category 2 are strongly encouraged to submit Letters of Commitment as part of their Project Proposal in Stage 2 and are required at Stage 3 of the Grant Competition.
The table provided in the 2025 Call for Proposals Guide describes the TRL scale as defined by Innovative Solutions Canada.
No, the Lead Organization (the organization with which the Project Lead is affiliated) does not need to be a NCC Member at the time of LOI submission. However, if the application is selected to proceed to Stage 2 of the Grant Competition, the Lead Organization must be a member in good standing by the Stage 2 close deadline (i.e., base membership paid) for the proposal to be considered further.
Open Source (OS) software is licensed under various models designed to protect software developed by others and used as inputs into projects that may generate additional software, which may or may not be held as Open Source after production.
The National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC) / the Cyber Security Innovation Network (CSIN) obligations regarding Intellectual Property (IP) restrict the sale of resultant project-produced IP without the explicit permission of the Ministry. All Open Source licenses currently available are held under an understanding that the software will continue to be held open and are therefore not allowed to be “sold”.
Thus, the copyright (and corresponding IP) assigned to Open Source software cannot be exclusively sold, which is the only limitation placed on IP by the NCC/CSIN. Therefore, using and producing Open Source software is permitted, as it exists or will exist in the public domain.
Note: Many companies using Open Source approaches make money by providing services that support the use of Open Source systems, and this is both allowed and encouraged.
NCC grant recipients can choose their own publication venues and processes.
The NCC strongly encourages applicants to get the strongest Letters of Commitment possible, as soon as possible.
The NCC understands that financing agreements between parties may take time to be fully negotiated. In lieu of such ultimate agreements, the NCC will require parties to provide Letters of Commitment to outline the intention of the parties with respect to project financing.
Letters of Commitment from Participant Organizations must contain, at a minimum, the following information:
Letters of Commitment must be signed by an Authorized Signatory of the Participant Organization and issued on the Participant Organization’s official letterhead.
Although Letters of Commitment are not required at Stage 2, applicants should be aware that greater specificity and completeness indicate a higher level of project readiness and will be considered positively during the Evaluation Review period.
The final Letters of Commitment and/or Financing Agreements must be in place before the Ultimate Recipient Agreement is signed.
Visit the Application Process page for up-to-date information.
Project Leads are required to have an Authorized Signatory to consent and submit the LOI and Project Proposal submissions. The Authorized Signatory is an individual who holds responsibility to submit the application on behalf of the Organization that the Project Lead is affiliated with and has the authority to legally bind the Organization to financial and contractual decisions.
Once you register in the Adsigno Portal, click on the LOIs box to select the appropriate funding stream. Once you complete the eligibility screening questions, the LOI application tab will have an “LOI Summary button” near the top that generates a PDF. This can be used as a template.
Please contact projects@ncc-cnc.ca if the generated PDF does not meet your accessibility needs.
Collaborators can be from any of the following types of partner organizations:
Collaboration within an organization is acceptable; however, it is encouraged that collaborators be external to the organization and from across Canada. The team’s geographic location and diversity will be considered as part of the Project Proposal evaluation in Stage 2.
Collaborations outside of Canada are possible, but costs incurred outside Canada cannot exceed 10% of the awarded NCC funds. Intellectual Property arrangements will also need to comply with the NCC’s Ultimate Recipient Agreement, which is signed with the awarded organization.
Note: The NCC follows the Government of Canada’s Guidelines and Tools to Implement Research Security, which includes Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern. Should your project be awarded, the Lead Organization (Ultimate Recipient) will be required to complete an attestation that these Government of Canada policies will be adhered to.
As the NCC strives to develop a pan-Canadian network of cybersecurity professionals and experts, we will review projects at the LOI phase and identify any potential collaborations. Applicants will be notified of these potential collaboration opportunities. Although not required, we strongly encourage that these opportunities be included in the Project Proposal, if appropriate.
Please contact projects@ncc-cnc.ca if the generated PDF does not meet your accessibility needs.
To participate in our funding competitions, an organization must be eligible to receive and administer NCC funding.
Eligible organizations include:
To be eligible, an organization must be:
The NCC may request additional clarification and documentation to confirm eligibility.
The Project Lead identified on a project must have a full-time position (full-time employment)/tenure-track, or tenured appointment with the Lead Organization with which they are affiliated.
A list of eligible expenses is available in the Pre-Award Program Guide.
Matching contributions can be from any non-federal government (Canadian) source, including:
Projects have different maximum funding requests and matching contributions depending on the stream selected.
Funding Category 1
Maximum Request of NCC Funding
Required* Matching Contribution+
Accelerated Projects: $2.5 Million
70% for commercialization proposals
50% for all other project types
Funding Category 2
Maximum Request of NCC Funding
Recommended* Matching Contribution+
New 2025 Projects
R&D Standard: $2 Million — 50%
R&D Spearhead: $500,000 — Matching not required
Commercialization: $1 Million — 70%
Training: $1 Million — 50%
Funding Category 3
Maximum Request of NCC Funding
Recommended* Matching Contribution+
Top-Up to 2023/2024 Projects: $500,000 — 50%
Matching contributions may be either monetary (cash or actual costs including employee salaries) or non-monetary (“in-kind”).
Cash – any monies that would have to be spent for the project if this were not being provided from another source.
In-Kind – means cash-equivalent goods or services that replace an incremental expense that would be paid with the awarded funds.
It is recommended that matching contributions consist of 50% cash, as defined above. The relative composition of matching funds (cash versus in-kind) is part of the Evaluation Review Criteria. Projects with high merit in other Evaluation Review Criteria may be funded with lower cash contribution ratios at the discretion of the NCC.
Federal funds are not eligible as a source of matching contributions; however, we encourage you to contact us at projects@ncc-cnc.ca to discuss further. Provincial, territorial, and municipal government funds are eligible as sources of matching contributions.
Existing funds (from non-federal sources) can be used for the projects if they are not committed to another research project. All funds must be used for eligible project costs and activities related to the project. Conceptual and/or financial overlap occurs when the ideas in the proposal are, or appear to be, the same ideas that are supported by other sources (applicant’s other projects/programs). Different sources can support complementary parts of an applicant’s research program.
The onus is on the applicant to differentiate between the proposal to be covered by NCC and other research programs/projects supported by other sources. Funds requested from NCC must support the proposal. It is not sufficient to simply state that there is no overlap.
Federal sources of funds are not eligible as matching funds. This option is not available for the current 2025 Call for Proposals.
The onus is on the applicant to differentiate between the proposal to be covered by NCC and other research programs/projects supported by other sources. Funds requested from NCC must support the proposal. It is not sufficient to simply state that there is no overlap.
Spearhead projects are research and development projects that originate from post-secondary educational institutions (PSE) and/or not-for-profit (NFP) organizations, but do not have matching contributions identified.
Spearhead projects should be novel in nature and explore riskier early-stage ideas. However, they are NOT curiosity-driven projects. A spearhead project should have defined goals and milestones, but remain sufficiently flexible to adapt as new insights emerge. Thus, the approaches to the goals may change, but the goals should remain the same. Changes to goals and milestones must be reported in advance, as specified in the Program Guide’s reporting requirements.
The purpose is to expand the project’s participants and broaden its potential impact beyond the lab. In addition, it is anticipated that this will enable a subsequent application to the NCC in the Standard category to continue moving the idea forward.
Standard projects are research, training, or commercialization projects that are larger in scope and have clearly defined goals and milestones.
For Standard projects, matching contributions need not be fully secured at Stage 1 or 2 of the grant competition process. Still, they must be in place and documented with commitment letters by the time the Stage 3 submission is made.
Matching contributions can be drawn from the public sector, including post-secondary (see Pre-Award Program Guide for detailed allowable matching), the private sector, philanthropic sources, provincial/territorial and municipal government sources, and/or not-for-profit organizations.
Yes, companies can submit commercialization projects without partnering with academic institutions.
Yes, training projects for K-12 students will be considered for funding.
The NCC is dedicated to growing a pan-Canadian network with private and public sectors to lead world-class cybersecurity innovation and talent development and to increase cybersecurity-related economic activity in Canada. Membership is open to organizations from Industry, Academia, and the Not-for-Profit sector in Canada. Visit the NCC membership page to learn more about membership categories and benefits.
Yes, the Lead Organization (the organization to which the Project Lead is connected for the grant submission) must be a member in good standing to receive funds. For Project Proposals that proceed beyond Stage 3, Partner Organizations identified as receiving NCC funding from the project must also become members in good standing of the NCC. Other identified Partner Organizations are encouraged to join the NCC. This base membership applies to the full term of the award.
An additional 3.5% incremental membership fee based on the amount of awarded grant funds applies to successfully funded projects.
The Lead Organization does not need to be an NCC Member at the time of Letter of Intent (LOI) submission. However, if the LOI is selected to proceed to Stage 2 of the Grant Competition, the Lead Organization must be a member in good standing (i.e., base membership paid) to proceed.
Please visit the NCC Call for Proposals page or review the 2025 Call for Proposals Guide for additional information about NCC funding opportunities and membership.
No, the NCC membership fee is not an eligible expense of the NCC or of the Cyber Security Innovation Network (CSIN) program.
Yes, organizations can become NCC members at any time. Please visit the NCC membership page or contact membership@ncc-cnc.ca with any questions.
Base membership fees are due upon joining as a member organization.
NCC membership is one-year in duration.
Currently, the NCC does not offer an individual membership category. Organizations can join as NCC members, and the benefits will extend to the organization’s staff, and, as appropriate, faculty, students, and members.