Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) — Innovation Fund
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Scored mainly on community benefit. 17 lead with that.
- Has a stated policy on using AI to write your application. Only 21 say anything about it.
- Publishes the score sheet reviewers actually use. Only 30 do.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Canada's largest competitive research infrastructure fund. Up to 40% of costs for equipment/facilities at universities, colleges, and research hospitals. 2025 competition: $425M to 92 projects (plus a separate automatic operating-fund allocation). Private companies cannot apply directly but participate as co-funding industry partners with research access; IP terms are set by the recipient institution under its own policy (CFI claims no ownership or exploitation rights).
Eligibility Requirements
- Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, research institutes and non-profit research institutions only
- Private companies NOT eligible as primary applicants — industry participation as co-funding partner
- Minimum $1M total project cost, and the CFI contribution itself must exceed $400,000
- Institution must have current CFI agreement
- Companies (Canadian or foreign) are eligible co-funding partners whose cash/in-kind contributions count toward the required match, and company employees may be named among the project's team (capped at 10 team members total)
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to 40% of eligible costs (average ~$4.6M per project)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 40% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- 2027 competition open - NOI deadline Sep 29, 2026; full proposals Feb 2, 2027. Confirm on innovation.ca.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Very difficult — extensive requirements
High competition — many applicants
Very complex — extensive preparation required
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipFor private companies: your path is as a co-funding partner, not applicant.
Success Profile
How Canada Foundation for Innovation judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on innovation.ca, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-11.
6 of the sources
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What Canada Foundation for Innovation favours
Generate meaningful, practical outcomes for Canadians◦
“What matters most is that projects generate meaningful and practical outcomes for Canadians.”
The form
Notice of intent
- 1Notice of intent - Teamtableno limit
- 2Notice of intent - Project descriptionwritten answer · 3 pagesno limit
The project description should reflect the full scope of the planned activities. This document helps CFI staff understand the breadth of expertise required on the Expert Committee to assess the merits of your proposal.
Assessment criteria — Stream 1
- 3Assessment criterion: Team - Stream 1 (open)written answerno limit
Criterion standard: The team members and their partners have all the experience and expertise to conduct the proposed activities and will do so in an inclusive work environment.
- 4Assessment criterion: Benefits - Stream 1 (open)written answerno limit
Assessment criteria — Stream 2
- 5Assessment criterion: Team - Stream 2 (SSHA)written answerno limit
- 6Assessment criterion: Benefits - Stream 2 (SSHA)written answerno limit
Assessment criteria — Stream 3
- 7Assessment criterion: Team - Stream 3 (core facilities)written answerno limit
- 8Assessment criterion: Benefits - Stream 3 (core facilities)written answerno limit
Finance
- 9Contributions from eligible partners (the 60%)tableno limit
Research security
- 10Research security moduleyes/no + writtenno limit
- 11NSGRP Risk Assessment Form - does a private-sector partner trigger it?checkboxesno limit
- 12Private-sector partner identification formshort answerno limit
CVs
- 13CVsshort answerno limit
bar = length the funder allows, from its stated limits
Judged against
Canada Foundation for Innovation publishes its score sheet. in Premium
- 1
Is the research innovative and internationally competitive?
Show them Position the program against named national and international benchmarks with references, and set out the methodology, key challenges and how you will overcome them.◦
In the funder’s words · 1
- The research program is innovative, feasible and internationally competitive.
- 2
Can this team and its partners deliver it?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 3
Is the infrastructure necessary, well used and sustainable?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
What do Canadians get from this?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
5 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“Institutions must ensure that no sensitive or classified information is included in notices of intent or proposals.”
“A partner contribution that has already been used in full or in part to match funds for another project funded by CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, any program administered by the tri-agency, the Knowledge Infrastructure Program or the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund will not be recognized as an eligible partner contribution for a CFI-funded project.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 13 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
9 more rules that can reject you · 4 more criteria · 10 more prompts
Do you pass?
13 can rule you out; 1 is a preference. Tick the ones you meet.
Your organisation
Eligible Canadian institution
Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions recognized as eligible to receive funding from the CFI can apply to this competition.
The project
CFI contribution over $400,000
The CFI contribution to the project must be greater than $400,000 for proposals to be eligible for this competition.
Project cost over $1 million
Total project costs must be greater than $1 million for proposals to be considered for this competition.
Spending on or after November 1, 2025
To be eligible for funding, research infrastructure expenditures and in-kind contributions must have taken place on, or after, November 1, 2025.
AI use “Generative AI: follow the Government of Canada guidance on AI in grant proposals; institutions are accountable for all content”
2 things this funder says you do NOT need, in Premium.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
CFI shareup to $325M; 40% of costs
The CFI will invest up to $325 million in research infrastructure funding and will fund up to 40 percent of a project’s eligible infrastructure costs.
Partner shareremaining 60% from partners
Institutions leverage our support to attract the remaining 60 percent from partners in the public, private and non-profit sectors.
Operating allocation30% of CFI contribution
Your institution will automatically receive an allocation equivalent to 30 percent of the CFI contribution to your funded projects.
Minimum CFI contributionover $400,000 per project
The CFI contribution to the project must be greater than $400,000 for proposals to be eligible for this competition.
Minimum project costover $1 million total
Total project costs must be greater than $1 million for proposals to be considered for this competition.
Your shareremaining 60% from partners
Institutions leverage our support to attract the remaining 60 percent from partners in the public, private and non-profit sectors.
Stackingbased on total eligible cost less partner funding
This means the CFI contribution will be based on the total cost of eligible items less the funding received from the non-eligible partner.
Costs before approvalcosts from November 1, 2025
To be eligible for funding, research infrastructure expenditures and in-kind contributions must have taken place on, or after, November 1, 2025.
What it pays for · 3
- Eligible costs are defined as the costs of acquiring or developing research infrastructure.
- Salaries of scientific and technical personnel involved in the operation and management of a core facility are eligible for Stream 3 proposals.
- Salaries of technicians or professionals involved in the design, development and maintenance of a database are eligible.
What it does not pay for · 1
- However, in-kind contributions to the operating costs of research will not be accepted.
From application to money
- Consult partners earlyWork with provinces early in planning
- Submit notice of intentSeptember 29, 2026Notice of intent due September 29, 2026
- Submit proposalFebruary 2, 2027Proposal due February 2, 2027
- Board decidesNovember 2027Decision at November 2027 board meeting
- Finalize the awardAward finalization within nine months
- Report on the projectSubmit progress and financial reports
In the funder’s words · 6
- Consult partners early
- We encourage institutions to work with their provincial and territorial organizations as early as possible in the planning and development of proposals.
- Submit notice of intent
- Your institution must first submit a notice of intent in CAMS before the proposal module opens.
- Submit proposal
- The full proposal is submitted by the institution in CAMS.
- Board decides
- The CFI Board of Directors decides which proposals to fund at its November 2027 meeting.
- Finalize the award
- Funded recipients need to submit an award finalization form in the CFI Awards Management System (CAMS).
- Report on the project
- Once a project at your institution is up and running, you will need to submit progress and financial reports in CAMS.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win CFI
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 7-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 7-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application steps not yet documented.
Required Documents 7
Deadline Notes
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Unknown RiskHow CFI Compares
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