Grant
Federal
Active
Ocean Supercluster
Ocean Supercluster
Maximum Funding
Up to $5 million
Continuous intake (Core Technology Leadership and Innovation Ecosystem progra...
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
40%
Ocean Supercluster provides Up to $5 million. Accelerates ocean technology development and commercialization to strengthen Canada's ocean economy. The program covers up to 40% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
Accelerates ocean technology development and commercialization to strengthen Canada's ocean economy.
Eligibility Requirements
- Funded partners must be OSC Industry Members (free). Industry Membership is open to for-profits incorporated in Canada, Indigenous organizations, non-federal Crown corporations funded by commercial activity, and R&D not-for-profits funded mainly by industry. Associate members cannot receive Technology Leadership funding
- Project must deliver an ocean solution; priority areas include energy transition, sustainable seafood, future transport and ocean climate solutions, and other relevant ocean-sector opportunities can also be submitted
- Technology Leadership projects need at least two co-investing Industry Investing Organizations and must include at least one SME with operations in Canada; no single participant may provide more than 80% of matched industry contributions
- Industry partners must provide at least 60% co-investment for Technology Leadership projects
- Funded partners can be based anywhere in Canada: Industry Membership is open to organizations from all regions of Canada
- All projects must conclude by October 2027
- Project demonstrates a clear commercialization pathway with scalable ocean economy impact
- Core Technology Leadership projects need a minimum OSC contribution of $400,000 and at least $1,000,000 in total eligible industry contribution
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
High
First-Timer
Not rated
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $5 million
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 40% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Continuous intake (Core Technology Leadership and Innovation Ecosystem programs). Thematic Technology Leadership calls open periodically with their own deadlines.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
High
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Moderate
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipMembership is the prerequisite that most applicants overlook -- funded partners must hold the free OSC Industry Membership (Associate membership cannot receive Technology Leadership funding).
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See what trips up most applicants for this program — and how to avoid it.
Rejection Pitfalls 10
- Not an OSC Industry Member (Associate membership cannot receive Technology Leadership funding)
+9 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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All 10 pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win Ocean Supercluster
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 10 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 10-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 9-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 8-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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9 steps
10 docs
Application Steps
1
Become an OSC member (funded partners need the free Industry Membership, at oceansupercluster.ca/contact/become-a-member)
Required Documents 10
✓ OSC membership (associate or industry)
✓ Technology Leadership Preliminary Qualification form
Eligible Expenses 13
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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8 partners
Compatible Programs
NRC-IRAP
ACOA
Atlantic Innovation Fund
Provincial innovation programs
NRC Ocean Program
SDTC
NSERC Alliance Grants
Mitacs
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Low Risk
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How Ocean Supercluster Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Supercluster | Up to $5 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Continuous intake (Core... |
| Business Development Program (BDP) - ... | Varies (Repayable Contribution) | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| Mitacs Accelerate | $15,000 per internship unit | Easy | Advance Payment | Ongoing |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Minimum $10 million contribution | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Between intakes — the... |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Ocean Supercluster
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Can sole proprietors apply?
No. Technology Leadership projects need at least two co-investing Industry Investing Organizations plus at least one SME with operations in Canada. A research partner does not count toward the two.
What's the typical OSC contribution amount?
Typical OSC contribution for Technology Leadership projects is $2M-$6M (up to 40% of eligible costs). Total project values range from $1M to $29M+.
When are decisions made?
Technology Leadership Projects reviewed quarterly; submit well before cut-off dates. Thematic calls (e.g., Ocean AI 2025) have fixed deadlines like May 16, 2025.
Do I need to be incorporated?
Funded partners must be OSC Industry Members: for-profits incorporated in Canada, Indigenous organizations, non-federal Crown corporations funded by commercial activity, or R&D not-for-profits funded mainly by industry. Sole proprietors can join only as Associate members, who cannot receive Technology Leadership funding.
Why do most applications fail?
Most fail due to missing OSC membership at submission, insufficient co-investment (need 60%+), or lack of clear commercialization pathway.
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Full Playbook: Ocean Supercluster
9 steps · 10 docs · reviewer insights