Advanced Materials for Energy and Defence — Call for proposals

Support for R&D for materials and components targeting clean energy and defence-relevant applications.

As part of Budget 2025, Canada announced $6.6 billion under the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) to strengthen national security and economic resilience by building a robust Canadian defence industrial base. As a pillar of the strategy, the DIS seeks to secure and deepen supply chains for key inputs of advanced defence technologies to ensure operational readiness and increased capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces. Reliable access to these key inputs, including critical minerals and specialized materials and components, will help Canada mitigate the impact of geopolitical disruptions and minimize economic and national security risks. Global demand for critical minerals, and for products that incorporate them, is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades, driven by the transition to a low-carbon economy and the growing need for enhanced security and defence capabilities. As such, there is a need to move quickly and fill gaps all along the critical mineral value chain and take action to further scale and integrate into the domestic supply chain network. One such opportunity lies for advanced materials and components that are produced from feedstocks containing critical minerals, where Canada currently relies heavily on foreign production and supply. At the same time, Canada has demonstrated leadership in the advanced materials space, offering a strong foundation for further investment, particularly for clean energy technologies. Building on this strength, this call for proposals (CFP) aims to bolster domestic production of advanced materials and components for both clean energy and defence applications, reinforcing civilian and defence supply chains and supporting Canada s long-term strategic resilience.

1. Review eligibility criteria 2. Prepare required documents 3. Create an account on the grant portal 4. Complete and submit the Expression of Interest (EOI) 5. If invited, complete and submit the Full Project Proposal (FPP)