NSERC Alliance Advantage grants$20,000 to $1,000,000 per year for 1 to 5 years
Alliance Advantage, formerly the Alliance cost-sharing option 1, funds partner-driven university research projects where a company, government body or not-for-profit sets the goal.
Written and reviewed by
Chase Miller, Chief Business Development Officer and Co-Founder
Chase Miller is Chief Business Development Officer and Co-Founder of Impact Applications, a Calgary grant consultancy that works with businesses across Canada on federal and provincial grants, tax credits and interest-free loans, and manages the whole process from first assessment through claims and reporting. He runs the first assessment on client engagements, deciding which programs a business should pursue and in what order, and has worked on Canadian government funding since co-founding the firm in 2023. LinkedIn
Program facts checked against the official source:
- average funding secured per client
- $334,132 average funding secured per client
- approval rate
- 94% approval rate
About this program
Alliance Advantage, formerly the Alliance cost-sharing option 1, funds partner-driven university research projects where a company, government body or not-for-profit sets the goal. NSERC covers 66.7% of the project against partner cash, at $20,000 to $1,000,000 per year over 1 to 5 years, with no application deadline. Note for companies: the grant is held by the university researcher, not by your business, so this is a way to buy research capacity rather than to receive funding directly.
Who is eligible
Canadian university researchers eligible for NSERC funding, working with at least one and up to an unlimited number of partner organizations from the private sector, government or the not-for-profit sector. At least one recognized partner must contribute cash. NSERC contributes 66.7% of the project, a 2:1 leverage against partner cash.
Verified against the official source
A person checked this program against the administering body's own page on that date. Programs change between checks, so confirm eligibility, amounts and deadlines before you apply. How dates like this are earned: our verification methodology.
Official program page