Grant
Federal
Active
Scale AI Supercluster
Scale AI
Maximum Funding
Varies (project-based funding)
Ongoing
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Growing
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
40%
Scale AI Supercluster offers funding that varies by project. Canada's AI Global Innovation Cluster, providing non-repayable co-investment funding covering up to 40% of eligible costs (50% in Quebec) for collaborative, industry-led consortia deploying AI across healthcare, energy, manufacturing, agriculture, retail, transportation, and infrastructure. 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
Canada's AI Global Innovation Cluster, providing non-repayable co-investment funding covering up to 40% of eligible costs (50% in Quebec) for collaborative, industry-led consortia deploying AI across healthcare, energy, manufacturing, agriculture, retail, transportation, and infrastructure. Projects need more than one participant, including at least one SME. A startup-accessible Acceleration stream provides up to $50,000 through certified partner accelerators.
Eligibility Requirements
- A project needs more than one participant, and at least one participant must be an SME (under 500 FTEs)
- Projects must deploy artificial intelligence solutions — pure research is not eligible
- Participants can be solution adopters, product companies, service providers, academia or consultants
- Funding covers up to 40% of eligible project costs (50% in Quebec)
- Acceleration stream: startups can access up to $50,000 through certified Scale AI partner accelerators
- Open to AI adopters and AI solution providers in any sector, including (not limited to) consumer goods and retail, industrial goods and manufacturing, transport and logistics, healthcare, and infrastructure and construction
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
High
First-Timer
Not rated
Funding Details
- Amount
- Varies (project-based funding)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 40% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
High
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Good
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 TipScale AI has quietly evolved from a supply-chain-only cluster into Canada's broadest applied AI co-investment platform -- if your project uses AI in healthcare, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, or public services, you now qualify.
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See what trips up most applicants for this program — and how to avoid it.
Rejection Pitfalls 10
- Solo applicant: a project needs more than one participant, and at least one must be an SME (under 500 FTEs)
+9 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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See what successful applicants for this program actually look like.
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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 Scale AI 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
- 9-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-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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6 steps
9 docs
Application Steps
1
Attend a Scale AI information webinar Register for and attend one of Scale AI's weekly project webinars (Wednesdays and Thursdays at 3:00 PM EST) to validate that your project concept meets the selection criteria and to meet the investment team. This is the mandatory first step before submitting a proposal.
Required Documents 9
✓ Statement of Interest (SOI) with project summary and eligibility confirmation
✓ Full project proposal with detailed objectives, milestones, and timelines
Eligible Expenses 5
Ineligible Expenses 5
Deadline Notes
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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8 partners
Compatible Programs
SR&ED Tax Credits
NRC IRAP
Regional Development Agencies -- FedDev Ontario, CED Quebec, PacifiCan, PrairiesCan, ACOA, CanNor
Mitacs
DIGITAL -- Canada's Digital Technology Cluster
NGen -- Next Generation Manufacturing Canada
Provincial innovation programs
Pan-Canadian AI Strategy / CIFAR
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Low Risk
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How Scale AI Supercluster Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scale AI Supercluster | Varies (project-based funding) | Hard | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program | $100,000–$500,000 | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | 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 Scale AI Supercluster
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Can I apply as a solo founder?
No. A project needs more than one participant, and at least one must be an SME (under 500 FTEs). Participants can be solution adopters, product companies, service providers, academia or consultants, so a solo founder needs at least one partner.
What's the typical grant size for a project?
Industry-led projects average $2.9M total value (Dec 2025), with Scale AI covering 40% ($1.16M). Quebec projects average $4.3M total ($2.15M Scale AI share). Acceleration stream: up to $50,000 for startups.
Do I need to pay upfront for costs?
Yes. Scale AI reimburses a predefined portion of eligible project expenses on a quarterly basis, after they are incurred, so each participant pays its costs first and carries them until the reimbursement arrives.
Why do most applications fail?
Most fail due to missing consortium requirements (no SME or adopter), basic research instead of applied AI deployment, or insufficient private co-investment (can't show 60%+ cost share).
Can I stack this with SR&ED?
Yes — SR&ED can cover eligible R&D not funded by Scale AI, as long as costs aren't double-counted. For example, R&D on AI algorithms can be claimed under SR&ED while Scale AI funds deployment.
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Full Playbook: Scale AI Supercluster
6 steps · 9 docs · reviewer insights