EMBRAPII Industry R&D Co-Funding

EMBRAPII Industry R&D Co-Funding

Administers practical innovation grants for Brazilian firms to partner with industry for deployment.

EMBRAPII (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa e Inovação Industrial) operates Brazil's primary rolling non-reimbursable co-funding mechanism for industrial R&D, channelling funding year-round through a network of more than 90 certified research institutions (Unidades EMBRAPII) across more than 70 technological competency areas. EMBRAPII is a federal Social Organisation (Organização Social) established in 2013, operating under management contracts with the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI), the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC), the Ministry of Education (MEC), and the Ministry of Health. Cumulatively, EMBRAPII has invested R$ 8.43 billion in company R&D projects, supported 2,838 companies, and contracted 4,162 projects. There is no fixed application window; companies can engage a certified Unidade at any time throughout the year.

The funding model is strictly three-way: EMBRAPII contributes up to one-third of the total project cost as non-reimbursable grant; the participating company contributes one-third in cash or in-kind; and the Unidade EMBRAPII contributes one-third through its own resources and infrastructure. A Brazilian company cannot receive EMBRAPII funds directly — disbursement flows exclusively through the Unidade. The company must first identify a Unidade whose competency area matches the technology challenge, then jointly develop and submit the R&D project proposal. Eligible companies include both SMEs and large industrials; there are no size restrictions. All documentation is in Portuguese and all amounts are denominated in Brazilian Reais.

Because the programme is continuously open and project-driven rather than call-driven, the practical gateway for new applicants is selecting the right Unidade. EMBRAPII publishes a searchable directory of all accredited Unidades grouped by competency area, covering sectors from agribusiness and food technology to advanced manufacturing, health, energy, and AI. EMBRAPII also has partnerships with BNDES and Sebrae that can stack additional financing alongside the core R&D co-funding, providing a richer capital structure for more ambitious innovation projects.