Complete Funding Blueprint
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Accelerate therapeutic breakthroughs and FDA/Health Canada validation using non-dilutive research capital. Compare verified federal and provincial programs, verify matching criteria, and model your funding stacking.

Funding Range
$150,000 – $2,000,000+
Matched Programs
6 programs
Top Program
NIH SBIR Phase I/II
Avg. Timeline
6–18 months
Calculate potential matching grants and tax credits for your business profile.
Leverage university collaborations and federal seed awards to complete clinical validations.
Secure NIH or NSF SBIR Phase I awards to fund initial benchtop validations ($150k–$275k).
Partner with a research hospital to run early safety checks, matching academic wages under STTR or Mitacs streams.
Claim retroactive R&D tax credits on clinical materials, lab rentals, and research personnel wages.
Apply for Phase II allocations ($1M+) once Phase I milestones are achieved and verified.
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Agency: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Canada's largest tax incentive for businesses conducting scientific research or experimental development. Provides a fully refundable investment tax credit (ITC) for eligible R&D expenditures.
Pairs Canadian businesses with academic researchers (grad students and postdocs) to execute specialized R&D projects, offsetting the cost of hiring advanced researchers.
Helps small and medium tech businesses in Alberta access technical services, prototype development, market feasibility studies, and digital scaling assistance.
Provincial tax incentive that matches federal SR&ED, providing refundable tax credits on wages paid to employees conducting scientific research or experimental development in Quebec.
Known as America's Seed Fund for life sciences, these awards fund early-stage research and development with commercialization potential in biotech, medical devices, and digital health.
Provides non-dilutive funding to early-stage startups developing highly innovative, high-risk technologies with deep commercial market potential.
QWhat is the NIH SBIR Phase I award amount?
NIH SBIR Phase I awards are typically up to $275,000 for 6–12 months of feasibility research. Successful Phase I applicants can proceed to Phase II awards of $1,000,000+ over 2 years.
QCan a Canadian MedTech company apply for NIH SBIR?
No — NIH SBIR requires a US-incorporated entity (majority US-owned and operated). Canadian MedTech companies should target NRC IRAP, SR&ED, and the Quebec Innovation Tax Credit instead.
QDoes SR&ED cover clinical trial costs for Canadian biotech?
Yes — CRA SR&ED includes experimental development performed in Canada. Clinical trial costs including patient fees, CRO contracts, lab costs, and clinical staff wages are eligible if the trial is testing a novel hypothesis.
QWhat is the STTR program and how does it differ from SBIR?
STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) requires a formal research partnership with a US university or hospital (minimum 30% project lead). It's designed for research closer to academic science that benefits from university infrastructure.
How life sciences startups secure Phase I and Phase II seed awards.
How to set up SAM.gov entity details and submit clean applications.
Compare the NRC-IRAP wage subsidy grant against the CRA’s Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax refund program. Learn how to qualify, calculate yields, and stack them.
Compare the National Science Foundation (NSF) against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Learn which deep-tech R&D grants fit your startup.
Compare non-repayable government grants against government-backed business loans (like CSBFP and SBA 7(a)). Understand when to pursue grants vs. debt financing for your business stage.
Compare the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Learn which U.S. federal deep-tech grant requires a university partner and how funding amounts differ.
Direct application guides for the core funding programs available to healthcare, biotech & medtech:
Calculate potential matching grants and tax credits for your business profile.
Non-Dilutive Funding Advisory
FSI Digital provides pre-qualification reviews to help healthcare, biotech & medtech match the right programs. We do not charge upfront application fees.
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Commercial guides & program eligibility checklists