Technology Leadership Program

Technology Leadership Program

Funds collaborative plant-protein research and production projects in Canada through partner-led co-investment.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

Protein Industries Canada (PIC) is one of Canada's federally funded Global Innovation Clusters, backed by a cumulative federal commitment of up to $323 million across two rounds. The Technology Leadership Program (TLP) is PIC's primary co-investment mechanism, reimbursing up to 45% of eligible project costs for collaborative consortia developing and commercializing plant-based protein technologies across four priority focus areas: Genetics (germplasm development), Crops (on-farm sustainability and value chain information), Ingredients (development and scaling of plant-based ingredients), and Products (converting Canadian-made ingredients into consumer-ready goods). A fermentation-focused intake window accepts expressions of interest through May 31, 2026, with $5 million available in that stream; general continuous intake remains open year-round.

Consortia must include at least three partners, with at least one Canadian small or medium-sized enterprise (499 employees or fewer per Statistics Canada definitions) and at least two Canadian companies or multinational corporations with significant Canadian operations. Each member must make a meaningful contribution to the project, and at least two must contribute financially. Projects must be incremental — they would not occur at the same scope or scale without PIC's co-investment — and must demonstrate environmental sustainability and economic reconciliation goals. A 4% administrative fee applies on total eligible reconciled project costs, capped at twice PIC's contribution. PIC is funded under Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Global Innovation Clusters initiative.

Applications follow a two-stage process: an Expression of Interest (EOI) is submitted first, and invited applicants then submit a Full Project Proposal. General intake is continuous, meaning consortia can submit at any time. To be competitive, proposals should demonstrate a clear path to commercialization, a diverse and inclusive team composition, and a documented incremental funding gap that PIC's co-investment closes. Contact for initial enquiries is projects@proteinsupercluster.ca.