Mitacs funding call for Defence & Security – Key Takeaways for Innovative Canadian Companies

Mitacs recently launched a new funding call for innovative Canadian companies in the Defence and Security sectors under its Accelerate program, in collaboration with Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND). Mitacs is a non-profit organization that connects students, researchers and organizations to work together on funded projects that turn academic knowledge into real world innovation. This initiative is designed to support industry–academic partnerships that advance technologies aligned with Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS), with a focus on strengthening domestic (“sovereign”) capabilities. 

Program Overview

The Mitacs program funds applied research and development (R&D) projects that pair Canadian companies with post secondary institutions and highly qualified personnel (graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) in the form of subsidized internships. Projects to be funded under this new initiative are expected to be mission-oriented and focused on delivering practical outcomes, including new technologies, products, services, and — of course — intellectual property. 

Key parameters include:

• Funding structure:
  • Master’s/PhD internships: $20,000 per unit (50% industry contribution)
  • Postdoctoral internships: $25,000 per unit (50% industry contribution)
• Scale: Up to 30 internship units per project

• Eligibility: Canadian post secondary institutions partnering with Canadian businesses and other organizations contributing to Canada’s defence industrial base

• Timeline: Applications open June 1, 2026 and close August 17, 2026; projects expected to start in early 2027
• Duration: Up to two years

Strengthening Canada's innovation ecosystem 

This call is part of a broader federal effort to strengthen Canada’s defence and security innovation ecosystem by linking industry, talent, and research institutions. Projects are expected to contribute to national priorities, including technological sovereignty, supply chain resilience, and global competitiveness.

For participating companies, the program offers a cost-shared mechanism to:

• De-risk early-stage R&D
• Access specialized academic expertise
• Accelerate development timelines
• Build relationships within Canada’s defence innovation ecosystem

Commercialization and IP Considerations

A central feature of the program is the expectation that funded projects will generate commercially relevant outputs, including protectable intellectual property. 

Companies should approach participation with a clear strategy for:

• Ownership and control of IP arising from collaborations with academic partners
• Protection mechanisms (e.g., patents, trade secrets) for key innovations
• Freedom-to-operate (FTO) assessments in defence-related technology areas
• Commercialization pathways, including integration into products, licensing, or defence procurement channels

Given the collaborative structure of the funding, it is important for companies to note that securing an IP agreement, upfront with academic institutions and commercial partners is critical to ensure alignment on IP ownership, publication rights, and commercialization rights. It is also important to balance the academic pressure to quickly publish research results with the critical need to keep information regarding any new inventions confidential until after a patent application has been filed to avoid jeopardizing its ability to be patented due to prior public disclosure.

Practical Takeaways

• This is a highly leverageable source of non-dilutive R&D funding for companies operating in defence, dual-use, or adjacent technology sectors.
• The program is particularly well suited to companies seeking to translate research into market-ready solutions.
• Early planning is advisable, including identifying academic partners and structuring IP arrangements before submission.

If you are looking for more IP funding options in Canada, you can read our recent article on Canada’s Renewed ElevateIP Funding. 

To discuss strategies for protecting intellectual property in context of early stage R&D, reach out to a member of the Marks & Clerk patent team.