Innovation Factory HEALTHI Program

Insider Tip

The application form is the easy part — the prerequisites are the real work. You need to be an NRC IRAP firm with an assigned ITA (their recommendation is what actually approves you) and a registered client of Innovation Factory, which is free and takes minutes. Do both before you apply. Also read the stacking rule carefully: stacking federal funding on the same work is not allowed and you must declare every government dollar received in the previous 12 months, so if you are already running a federally funded project, scope HEALTHI around different activities. Finally, the $15,000 never touches your bank account — Innovation Factory reimburses the hospital directly after the work is done and the final report and attestation are in.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications are screened by the HEALTHI program team against the published minimum criteria — private Canadian incorporation, life science sector, TRL-6 or above, a clear clinical application, NRC IRAP enrolment and Innovation Factory client status — followed by an introductory meeting to explore project suitability and alignment. Final acceptance is not Innovation Factory's decision alone: the program team must secure a positive recommendation from the funder, NRC IRAP, through the firm's assigned Industrial Technology Advisor. The team then checks that a delivery partner has the capacity and matching capabilities to run the project before contracting.

Application Steps

Required Documents 9

Eligible Expenses 6

• Access to clinical coordinators and research administration staff at the delivery partner
• Support connecting with key clinical stakeholders and potential clinical champions
• Insight and support with applying to larger funding opportunities
• Templates and guidance for drafting project or clinical trial protocols
• Knowledge mobilization on the documentation required for larger commercialization projects or clinical trials
• Insight into hospital clinical workflows, budgets and patient acquisition strategies

Ineligible Expenses 5

• Third party contracting fees
• Travel expenses
• Alcohol
• Meals
• Hospital or health system partner overhead charges (not charged on HEALTHI collaborations)

Intake Periods

Rolling — applications accepted year-round with no fixed intake windows, until March 31, 2027 or until program funds have been fully committed.

Deadline Notes

HEALTHI runs a rolling application intake with no fixed windows. Innovation Factory states applications will be accepted until March 31, 2027, or until program funds have been fully committed — whichever comes first, so the practical constraint is fund availability rather than the date.

Open Application Portal →

Ineligible Organizations

• Firms that are not privately incorporated in Canada
• Publicly traded companies (the criterion specifies a privately incorporated firm)
• Businesses outside the life sciences
• Firms not enrolled with NRC IRAP
• Firms that are not clients of Innovation Factory
• Firms whose technology is below TRL-6
• Sole proprietorships and unincorporated businesses

Stacking partner data not yet available.

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

No clawback provisions are published. Payment flows to the delivery partner only after work is complete and the attestation and final report are accepted, so there is nothing to claw back from the firm — but the firm's $2,500 matching contribution is spent regardless of project outcome.