PARTENAR-IA — CRIBIQ — Academic

For Quebec businesses exploring how artificial intelligence can improve industrial processes, partnering with a research institution can open the door to meaningful innovation funding. PARTENAR-IA — CRIBIQ — Academic is designed for companies that want to move beyond experimentation and into applied AI research, particularly where data, automation, and advanced analytics can drive measurable gains in efficiency, quality, or sustainability.

Delivered by CRIBIQ, the Consortium de recherche et d’innovations en bioprocédés industriels au Québec, this initiative supports collaborative R&D projects between businesses and academic or research centres. The focus is on artificial intelligence applied to industrial and bioprocess contexts, making it especially relevant for companies in biotechnology, agri-food, clean technology, and related industrial sectors. Funding is provided as a non-repayable contribution and can reach up to around $500,000, typically covering a significant portion of eligible project costs. This structure helps reduce the financial risk of tackling complex AI-driven research that would be difficult to fund internally.

The program is well suited to startups, SMEs, and larger enterprises with a clear R&D objective and the capacity to collaborate with external researchers. Applications are generally accepted on an ongoing basis, depending on available funding. For Quebec companies considering an AI research partnership, learning more about how PARTENAR-IA works could clarify whether this opportunity fits your innovation roadmap.