Application Process

The National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC) Call for Proposals is broken down into simplified and streamlined steps making the application process a straightforward experience. Applicants must successfully complete three main phases in order to receive funding.

The NCC offers an annual Call for Proposals Guide that elaborate on each phase of the grant completion process, and will be a helpful tools in the preparation of your application.

The grant competition process consists of three stages:

Letter of Intent (LOI);
Project Proposal; and
Administrative Details Submission.

Letter of Intent Project Proposal Administrative Submission

For interested applicants, please register in NCC’s Adsigno Portal to access the LOI application. The LOI is designed for applicants to provide an overview of the proposed project, projected project costs, and potential or confirmed sources of matching contributions. The Call for Proposals Guide and FAQ are helpful resources when preparing an LOI Application. For help navigating the Adsigno Portal, please review our User Guide.

The NCC will review the LOIs for eligibility, completeness, and for opportunities where collaborations among applicants and across projects could occur. One of the NCC’s primary objectives is to encourage collaboration between Canadian academia, industry, and other partners to accelerate cybersecurity innovation through the development of products, services, and training programs. Collaborative projects where multiple stakeholders are involved is an important consideration. Commercialization and spearhead research and development projects may have a narrower scope.

LOI submissions that meet the conditions stated above will be invited to submit a Project Proposal.

Note: Should LOIs be selected, the Lead Organization must be a member in good standing of the NCC for the application to proceed to Stage two.

We encourage applicants to use the Evaluation Review Criteria noted in the 2024 Call for Proposals Guide to inform their responses. Our FAQ page is also available to help guide applicants in the process.

An external panel of subject matter experts (the Evaluation Committee) will review Stage 2 Proposals and score them against the Evaluation Review Criteria. Scores will be consolidated and discussed at consensus meetings where the Evaluation Committee will generate a list of Proposals recommended to proceed to Stage three.

All Project Leads and Lead Organizations will receive written notice regarding the outcome of their Proposal from the NCC at the conclusion of Stage 2.

Should the Proposal be successful at Stage 2, the NCC will require additional information to complete and validate the submission, depending on project and organization type. The NCC may request any or all of the following documentation to complete the Stage three Administrative Details Review:

Lead Organization’s current cybersecurity structure;
National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships Risk Assessment;
confirmation of Project costs, including letters of commitment;
key performance indicators and evaluation strategies;
commercialization strategy;
Cybersecurity plan;
intellectual property agreements;
project plans supporting EDIA principles;
incorporation documents and information on ownership (names and percentage of ownership);
constituting/incorporating documents and list of directors and/or members of the Board;
financial statements (current and up to five years previous);
supplier quotes;
copies of relevant permits and licenses;
HST rebate information (i.e., rebate rate);
other documentation, as required.

Award

Project Lead(s) and their Organization(s) will be notified of their Project Proposal funding status. The NCC will enter into an Ultimate Recipient Agreement with the awarded Lead Organization. If the project is successful in receiving an NCC grant, the Lead Organization will be required to pay an additional 3.5% incremental membership fee based on the amount of awarded grant funds. For Project Proposals to proceed beyond Stage 3, any Partner Organizations identified must be members in good standing of the NCC. For additional information, please visit membership page.

Download our Guides for the Call for Proposals

2024 Call for Proposals Guide

Learn more about the 2024 Call for Proposals.

Download here.

Pre-Award Program Guide

Learn more about the entire funding program.

Download here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Putting together a funding proposal can be an involved undertaking, but the National Cybersecurity Consortium team is here to support applicants during the process. We compiled a list of questions that our team is frequently asked to help you prepare your application.

Learn More.

Streams & Matching Contributions

The National Cybersecurity Consortium supports initiatives with funding from the Government of Canada through the Cyber Security Innovation Network program. As part of the 2024 Call for Proposals, we have accepted submissions in three streams.