# Compare Canadian Funding Programs: SR&ED vs IRAP vs CanExport | GrantOps

A side-by-side comparison of Canada's three most important innovation funding programs — SR&ED tax credits, IRAP contributions, and CanExport grants — to help you understand which programs apply to your business and how to combine them for maximum recovery.

## Quick Comparison Table

| Feature | SR&ED | IRAP | CanExport |
|---------|-------|------|-----------|
| **Type** | Tax credit | Non-repayable contribution | Non-repayable contribution |
| **Amount** | 15-35% of eligible R&D expenditures | Up to $10M per project | Up to $50K per new market |
| **Administered by** | CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) | NRC (National Research Council) | TCS (Trade Commissioner Service) |
| **Eligibility** | All Canadian businesses | Canadian SMEs (500 or fewer employees) | Canadian SMEs ($200K-$100M revenue) |
| **Application** | Filed with T2 tax return (T661 form) | Competitive, requires ITA approval | Online application, competitive |
| **Timing** | Retroactive (after fiscal year end) | Upfront/milestone-based | Reimbursement-based |
| **Repayable** | No (tax credit) | No | No |
| **Filing deadline** | 18 months after fiscal year end | Rolling intake | Rolling intake with periodic windows |
| **Scope** | R&D activities in Canada | R&D and commercialization | Export market development |
| **Provincial add-ons** | Yes (OITC, Quebec, BC, Alberta, etc.) | No | No |

## Key Differences

### SR&ED — Best for: Ongoing R&D across all company sizes
SR&ED is a tax credit, not a grant. It is available to all Canadian businesses conducting eligible R&D, regardless of size. Claims are filed retroactively with your annual tax return. CCPCs receive the enhanced 35% refundable rate on the first $3 million in eligible spending. Provincial credits (Ontario OITC, Quebec R&D, BC, Alberta AITC) stack on top of federal credits for combined rates up to 50%+.

### IRAP — Best for: SMEs with specific R&D projects
IRAP provides direct, non-repayable funding for R&D and commercialization projects. Unlike SR&ED, IRAP is competitive and requires approval from an Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA). Funding can reach up to $10 million per project and is provided upfront or on a milestone basis — giving you cash flow during the project rather than after.

### CanExport — Best for: Companies entering new international markets
CanExport is specifically for export market development. It reimburses costs like trade show participation, market research, travel, translation, and legal/regulatory compliance in new target markets. It does not fund R&D — use SR&ED or IRAP for that.

## Stacking Guide: How to Combine Programs

Canadian businesses can — and should — use multiple programs simultaneously. Here is how they work together:

### SR&ED + Provincial Credits
Provincial R&D tax credits stack directly on top of federal SR&ED. A CCPC in Ontario can recover up to 38.5% of eligible expenditures. In Quebec, combined rates can exceed 50%.

### SR&ED + IRAP
IRAP contributions reduce your SR&ED-eligible expenditure pool (you cannot claim both on the same dollar). However, the combined benefit of IRAP funding plus SR&ED credits on remaining expenditures almost always exceeds either program alone. GrantOps automatically optimizes the allocation.

### SR&ED + CanExport
These programs cover different activities and can run in parallel. Claim SR&ED on your core product R&D while using CanExport to fund expansion into new international markets.

### IRAP + CanExport
Use IRAP for your R&D project and CanExport for market development in parallel. The two programs cover different cost categories and do not conflict.

### Triple Stack: SR&ED + IRAP + CanExport
A company can claim SR&ED on its broad R&D program, receive IRAP contributions for a specific innovation project, and use CanExport grants for international market entry — all simultaneously. GrantOps identifies and manages all three.

## How GrantOps Helps

GrantOps automates applications and claims across all three programs:
- **SR&ED**: Auto-generates T661 forms, technical narratives, and expenditure schedules from your connected dev tools
- **IRAP**: Produces project summaries, milestone plans, and progress reports
- **CanExport**: Generates application packages, activity reports, and reimbursement claims
- **Stacking optimization**: Calculates the optimal allocation across programs for maximum total recovery
- **5,500+ additional programs**: Surfaces other federal and provincial programs you may qualify for

## Learn More

- Full comparison page: https://grantops.ai/en/compare/
- SR&ED guide: https://grantops.ai/en/sred/
- IRAP guide: https://grantops.ai/en/irap/
- CanExport guide: https://grantops.ai/en/canexport/
- Browse 5,500+ programs: https://grantops.ai/en/programs/
- Get started: https://app.grantops.ai