Call for Proposals

At the National Cybersecurity Consortium, we are helping to build a future where Canadian organizations are global leaders in cybersecurity. 

We are working to help Canadians be safe by supporting cybersecurity products and services that are meaningful across the country and around the world. The projects funded by the NCC represent a diverse range of activity, including protecting important Canadian sectors such as the automotive industry, critical marine systems, health care data, democratic elections in Canada, and increasing cybersecurity talent in the country.

The annual Call for Proposals, made possible by the Cyber Security Innovation Network program, contributes approximately $80 Million in funding over four years, supporting projects spearheaded by Canadian organizations within industry, academia, and not-for-profit sectors. Funded projects fall within three streams: 

See 2025 Call for Proposals Guide for further details on each stream 

  • Research and development: projects with Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)1-6 via the design and implementation of innovative cybersecurity technologies, advancing the state-of-the-art, and supporting studies into emerging cybersecurity issues;
  • Commercialization: Projects that including new technology with TRL 7-9, developing products and services that address cybersecurity challenges in critical infrastructure protection, human-centric cybersecurity, network security, software security, and privacy protection; or   
  • Training, upskilling, and reskilling: Projects that provide and build opportunities for cybersecurity and privacy professionals across myriad disciplines.

The 2025 Call for Proposals also supports projects in three funding categories:

  • Accelerated Projects: Intended to make impactful progress on highly targeted, larger budget projects;
  • New 2025 Projects: An open call for cybersecurity and privacy-related projects; and
  • Top-ups to 2023/2024 Projects: Intended to increase the impact of projects already vetted and approved by the NCC by allowing them to incorporate nascent insights or cover gaps that emerged through the work to date.

An important part of the Call for Proposals process is to evaluate and identify high quality projects for funding, and we are drawing on experts within Canadian cybersecurity and privacy to serve as external reviewers. Please complete this survey if you would like to be considered to be an External Reviewer.

Eligible Organizations 

Canadian organizations that carry out their activities primarily within Canada are eligible to submit a project proposal. Organizations must fall within one of the following three categories:

Academia

Industry

Non-for-profit Organizations 

Information Sessions

The NCC’s information sessions to guide project teams through the funding categories, streams, and application processes

Resources

To support applicants during the Call for Proposals submission process, our Call for Proposals Guides and other resources offer great insight into everything you need to know, including eligibility, reporting, financing streams, and general best practices.

2024 Funded Projects

Following the second call for proposals under the Cyber Security Innovation Network program, 37 eligible projects were selected for funding for a total of $22.8 million.

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.

Contact us with your questions. Our team is here to help!

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