Thank you for your interest in submitting a proposal to the NCC.
Please complete the form below and attach your proposal PDF files (up to 10MB in size).
Call for Proposals
INTRODUCTION
The National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC) has been appointed by the Government of Canada to lead the Cybersecurity Innovation Network (CSIN) program. The program is designed to support the growth of Canada’s cybersecurity ecosystem through industry-academic collaboration. The program seeks to enhance cybersecurity research and development, increase commercialization of cybersecurity solutions and support the development of skilled cybersecurity talent across Canada.
FULL PROPOSAL
The NCC is now accepting full applications only from those organizations that submitted to NCC “shovel-ready” projects and/or provided expressions of interest or letters of support in the Spring of 2021.
Submission Deadline
- Training and Commercialization Proposals: June 1, 2023
- Research and Development Proposals: June 15, 2023
Applicants must complete the Application form and required templates, create one pdf file and then submit it through the submit project page. Please note that the PDF file submitted should start with the Application followed by the required Templates in alphabetical order.
PROPOSAL SELECTION AND AWARD
- Proposals will be evaluated by the NCC selection committee and recommendations will be approved by the NCC Board of Directors. All individuals party to the evaluation process will be subject to a non-disclosure agreement and must comply with the NCC’s Conflict of Interest Guidelines.
- Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection committee and any corresponding conditions tied to the funding.
- The NCC may request applicants to revise aspects of their proposal before the final decision is rendered regarding the selection outcome.
- If approved, applicants will sign a project agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of funding.
- Decision announcements will be accompanied by feedback from the selection committee for the benefit of applicants.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The selection criteria have been developed to encourage a diverse set of projects that:
The following chart outlines the information required for the submission and the links to the templates and schedules required. All files can be downloaded from here.
| Item | Description | Reference Name |
|---|---|---|
| Application Form | NCC project application | Application |
| Project Costs | Breakdown of project costs by year | Template A |
| Personnel Costs | Wages and salary costs broken down by key employees | Template B |
| Project Financing | Identification of how the project costs will be paid for - Updated Template | Template C |
| In-kind/non-cash costs | Listing of non-cash costs, the supplier and the fair market value of cost | Template D |
| Major Project Milestones | Key project goals and when achievement expected | Template E |
| Activities to be conducted | Key to be conducted with proposed dates | Template F |
| Key Performance Indicators | Results to be achieved as a result of the project | Template G |
| Commercialization Strategy (Required for Commercialization Projects) | Outline of how product/service will be commercialized. Required for commercialization projects | Template H |
| Cybersecurity Posture Checklist | Review of cybersecurity measures in place to protect operations and IP | Template I |
| National Security Guidelines for Research Partnership Risk Assessment Form | Assess security risks associated with research and partners | Template J |
The following Schedules and Guidelines are available to assist with information regarding project submission.
| Item | Description | Reference Name |
|---|---|---|
| Project Selection Plan | Information required for application submission | Schedule 1 |
| Project Costing Memorandum | What costs are eligible/ineligible etc. | Schedule 2 |
| Cybersecurity Guide for NCC Ultimate Recipients/Baseline Controls | How will applicant ensure that project information and IP remains protected and secure | Schedule 3 |
| Data Management Guidance | How will applicant manage data developed and collected | Schedule 4 |
| NCC Project Selection Strategy 2022-2023 | How projects are selected for funding | Schedule 5 |
| Lead Recipient In-Kind Contribution Guidance | Information relating to in-kind/non-cash contributions | Schedule 6 |
| NCC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion | Document that outlines EDI considerations for projects | Schedule 7 |
| NCC Official Languages | Information that reflects the importance of official languages | Schedule 8 |
| NCC Project Appeals Process | Information on appealing a decision rendered | Schedule 9 |
| Access to Information | Guidelines relating to ATI | Access to Information Act (justice.gc.ca) |
PROJECT DURATION
The maximum permitted project duration is 48 months (about 4 years), subject to the availability of funding.
INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS
Please reference the NCC Project Selection Strategy 2022-2023 for more detailed information regarding how projects will be selected for funding. The documentation references the types of projects (spearhead and standard) as well as sharing or funding ratios with a note about shovel-ready projects.
For reference purposes note that:
“Lead Recipient” is the National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC).
“Ultimate Recipient” means one or more of the following types of organizations selected by the Lead Recipient to receive funding to carry out Eligible Projects:
-
- Centres of expertise on cybersecurity affiliated with post-secondary institutions
- Private sector
- Canadian post-secondary institutions; and,
- not-for-profit organizations.
“Network Activities” means the activities undertaken in Canada, except as otherwise permitted in the Agreement, and as described in the Statement of Work. For greater clarity, this includes Eligible Projects but does not include the continuation of the Lead Recipient operations during the Post Contribution Phase.
“Shovel-ready Projects” are those projects that have already been submitted to NCC in response to call for proposals issued on June 4, 2021.
FUNDING AMOUNTS
Minimum funding amount: The minimum NCC funding contribution is not formally defined however Spearhead Research projects are normally up to a maximum of $30K/year/Principal Investigator.
Maximum funding amount: The maximum NCC funding contribution cannot exceed $1 million per project.
| Type of Project | Maximum Permissible Sharing Ratio covered by NCC funding | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Research (Standard) | Up to 47% of the of the project total eligible costs | See note 2 below |
| Training (Standard) | Up to 47% of the of the project total eligible costs | See note 2 below |
| Commercialization (Standard) | Up to 30% of the of the project total eligible costs | See note 2 below |
| Spearhead Projects: projects which are forward-looking research or training projects that consist only of post-secondary educational institutions (PSE) and/or, when appropriate, not-for-profit (NFP) organizations as Ultimate Recipients. In this call, NCC will fund a limited number of spearhead projects for up to 10% of the total budget of the call. The project themes include Critical Infrastructure Protection, Network Security, Software Security, Human-Centric Cybersecurity, and Privacy Protection. | ||
| Research (Spearhead) | Up to 100%, see note 2 below | Normally up to a maximum of $30k/year/PI: There must be at least two institutional partners in a Spearhead Research project and by the final year of the project, a private sector partner is engaged to magnify impact. The maximum duration of a Spearhead Research project is three years. One PI can have at most one Spearhead Research project at any given time. Each proposal must clearly identify at least one of the five NCC research themes with which it is aligned. |
| Training (Spearhead) | UP to 100%, see note 2 below | Normally up to a maximum of $300k/year/Ultimate-Recipient: The maximum duration of a Spearhead Training project is three years. Ultimate Recipient organizations can have at most one Spearhead Training project at any given time. |
Sharing ratio means the proportion of costs covered by NCC funds.
Important Note
These maximum permissible sharing ratios are designed so that the NCC as a whole can meet the overall sharing ratio of 0.5 stipulated in the Contribution Agreement between the NCC and ISED. While the limits in the above Table indicate the maximum permissible proportion of Eligible Costs that can be requested as a contribution, note that:
- The NCC may decide to cap the sharing ratio for a given call depending on overall sharing ratio status of the NCC at a lower value than the maximum permissible sharing ratio. If this occurs, all projects of the same type accepted during a given call will be granted funding with the same maximum actual sharing ratio.
- Individual projects can request a lower sharing ratio than the maximum actual sharing ratio. In fact, the requested sharing ratio will be an important selection criterion (i.e., the lower the better).
COLLABORATION
Please note that one of the primary objectives of the Cybersecurity Innovation Network Program is to encourage collaboration between Canadian post-secondary institutions, the private sector, and other partners to accelerate cybersecurity innovation through the development of products, services, and training programs; therefore, collaborative projects where multiple stakeholders are involved an active is a key consideration for project approval.
For additional information see Schedule 5 – NCC Project Selection Strategy 2022-2023.
Need Help?
Peruse a few of our most frequently asked questions.