C3I key parameters.
Who qualifies for C3I?
- Canadian companies with significant industrial innovation investments
- Manufacturing, processing, and technology-intensive enterprises
- Projects with meaningful job creation and productivity improvement
- Companies with demonstrated capacity to execute large innovation projects
What C3I funds.
- Industrial innovation leading to new products or significantly improved processes
- Technology adoption for productivity and competitiveness improvement
- R&D commercialization projects with clear industrial outcomes
- Capacity expansion tied to innovation-driven growth
- Collaborative innovation projects with research partners
From application to agreement.
- 01
Expression of interest
Submit initial project description to ISED for eligibility and strategic fit assessment.
- 02
Full application
Prepare detailed project proposal with financials, innovation outcomes, and job impact.
- 03
Negotiation
ISED negotiates contribution terms, repayability conditions, and performance milestones.
- 04
Agreement signed
Contribution agreement executed; project begins; milestone-based disbursements.
Your questions about C3I.
What is the C3I program?
C3I (Collaborative Contribution for the Competitiveness and Innovation of Industry, or equivalent ISED program) is an Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada contribution program supporting large-scale industrial innovation investments by Canadian companies. It funds technology adoption, productivity improvements, and industrial R&D commercialization.
Is C3I a grant or a loan?
C3I typically involves repayable contributions for commercially viable projects (paid back from revenues generated), and non-repayable contributions for projects with significant public benefit or pre-commercial innovation. Specific terms are negotiated project by project.
What types of projects does C3I support?
C3I supports industrial innovation leading to new products or significantly improved processes, technology adoption for productivity improvement, R&D commercialization with clear industrial outcomes, innovation-driven capacity expansion, and collaborative innovation with research partners.
Can C3I be combined with SR&ED?
Yes. C3I (federal contribution) and SR&ED (federal R&D tax credit) target different cost bases and are independently claimable. C3I covers project-level investments while SR&ED covers specific qualifying R&D expenditures. Proper expense tracking ensures no double-counting.
What is the minimum project size for C3I?
C3I is designed for significant industrial innovation investments, typically in the $1M+ range. Smaller projects may be better served by NRC-IRAP, SR&ED, or ESSOR. Hubvention assesses fit during the initial eligibility audit.
How long does C3I take to process?
From EOI to signed agreement, C3I typically takes 6–18 months for large projects. The timeline depends on project complexity, ISED's internal review capacity, and negotiation of contribution terms.
Is C3I available to Quebec companies?
Yes. C3I is a federal program available to all Canadian companies including Quebec-based ones. Hubvention's clients frequently combine C3I (federal) with IQC 4.0 or ESSOR (Quebec provincial) for large industrial innovation stacks.
How does Hubvention support C3I applications?
Hubvention structures the C3I mandate from EOI to signed contribution agreement: project framing for ISED criteria, financial modelling, innovation outcome definition, and negotiation support. We integrate C3I into a complete funding stack with SR&ED, IQC 4.0, and NRC-IRAP.
C3I — Start your file.
We handle the full mandate: eligibility audit, file structuring, submission, follow-up.
- Structured mandate
- Confidentiality guaranteed
- 20 minutes