Grant
Federal
Between Intakes
CSA STDP AO 10.2 — Space R&D: Small Businesses Stream (2026)
Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
Maximum Funding
Up to $350,000
Between intakes — 2026 round (AO 10.2) closed March 13, 2026. No AO 11 or 202...
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
75%
CSA STDP AO 10.2 — Space R&D: Small Businesses Stream (2026) provides Up to $350,000 per project; up to $700,000 with extension. Annual CSA funding opportunity under the Space Technology Development Program (STDP), exclusively for Canadian small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. The program covers up to 75% of eligible costs. Between intakes — 2026 round (AO 10.2) closed March 13, 2026. No AO 11 or 2027 round has been announced yet. Expected Q1 2027 based on historical pattern..
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
Annual CSA funding opportunity under the Space Technology Development Program (STDP), exclusively for Canadian small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. Projects advance space technologies (TRL 3–6) in the space application segment. Up to $350,000 per project, with extension available to $700,000, drawn from a total pool of approximately $2 million per annual round.
Eligibility Requirements
- For-profit or not-for-profit organization established and operating in Canada
- Maximum 50 employees — the cap counts employees, not full-time employees (hard cap; distinguishes AO 10.2 from AO 10.1, which has no size limit)
- Academic and post-secondary institutions are excluded
- Must provide a minimum 25% CASH contribution and confirm direct access to it (in-kind does not count); maximum government assistance is 75%
- Project must advance space technology to TRL 3–6 in the space application segment by project end
- One application per organization per AO round; maximum 2 STDP projects total across AO 10.1/10.2/10.3
- Projects must not duplicate technologies already funded by CSA elsewhere
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
High
First-Timer
Not rated
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $350,000 per project; up to $700,000 with extension
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 75% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Between intakes — 2026 round (AO 10.2) closed March 13, 2026. No AO 11 or 2027 round has been announced yet. Expected Q1 2027 based on historical pattern.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
High
Deadline
Between Intakes
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win CSA STDP AO 10.2 — Space R&D: Small Busine...
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- 7 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 9-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipThe Post-Project Strategy section (50% of total score) is where most proposals lose points — evaluators want a credible TRL advancement roadmap past the project end, with named commercial partners or agency commitments.
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Rejection Pitfalls 7
- More than 50 full-time employees (automatic disqualification)
+6 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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5 steps
9 docs
Application Steps
1
Register via CSA Registration Portal Update dates when the next AO is announced. Remove specific 2026 dates from the step description; note 'registration typically required several weeks before the application deadline.
Required Documents 9
✓ Completed application form signed by an authorized organizational representative
✓ Two-page résumés for the project manager and key technical personnel
Eligible Expenses 8
Ineligible Expenses 9
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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3 partners
Compatible Programs
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Medium Risk
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How CSA STDP AO 10.2 — Space R&D: Small Busine... Compares
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| CSA STDP AO 10.2 — Space R&D: Small B... | Up to $350,000 | Hard | Reimbursement | Between intakes — 2026... |
| NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program | $100,000–$500,000 | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Minimum $10 million contribution | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
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| Innovative Solutions Canada | up to $150,000 | Hard | Milestone-Based | Challenge-specific — new... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about CSA STDP AO 10.2 — Space R&D: Small Busine...
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How is AO 10.2 different from AO 10.1?
AO 10.2 is exclusively for organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees, while AO 10.1 has no size cap. This makes AO 10.2 the only CSA space funding program specifically designed for micro-space companies that cannot compete against larger aerospace primes.
Can universities or colleges apply for AO 10.2?
No — academic and post-secondary institutions are explicitly excluded. Only for-profit and not-for-profit organizations with commercial or R&D operations can apply.
What does the 25% cost-share requirement mean?
The applicant must directly fund at least 25% of all eligible project costs from their own resources. CSA funds up to 75%. The applicant's 25% cannot come from other government sources — it must be confirmed private cash or in-kind at the time of application.
When will the next AO 10.2 round open?
The CSA runs annual rounds — the 2026 round closed in March 2026. The next round is expected to open for registration in approximately January 2027. Watch asc-csa.gc.ca for the announcement.
Can I apply for both AO 10.2 and IRAP at the same time?
Yes, but the same specific costs cannot be double-claimed. IRAP can fund complementary development work not covered by your AO 10.2 scope. Note that total government assistance from all sources cannot exceed 75% of eligible project costs.
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Full Playbook: CSA STDP AO 10.2 — Space R&D: Small Busine...
5 steps · 9 docs · reviewer insights