Recipient guide

CanExport SMEs will reimburse eligible expenses in Canadian dollars. If project expenses are incurred in another currency, proof of the exchange rate for the transaction should be kept.

Funding recipients must keep adequate financial records and segregate CanExport project costs from their normal operation costs. This is to provide traceability of CanExport expenses.

Recipients must keep receipts, proof of payments, and proof of travel for 5 years after completion of their project in case of an audit.

Contribution recipients must submit claims through the online portal for reimbursement of eligible expenses. It is imperative that recipients complete the status report as part of their claim. The processing of claims and the payment can take up to 30 business days.

It is strongly recommended that recipients submit a claim every 3 months throughout the duration of their project. The final claim and the final report must be submitted within 7 days after the project completion date. Both the claim and final report are completed electronically on the online portal. The Legal Signing Authority is responsible for identifying the project contacts who require access to the reporting module in the online portal.

Once NRC IRAP receives a signed copy of the funding agreement, payment is issued to successful grant recipients. Grant recipients do not submit claims.

For projects spanning more than one Government of Canada fiscal year, the program makes payments according to the fiscal year distribution of your agreement.

Companies should notify the program immediately if funds are not utilized, by writing to canexportsmes@international.gc.ca, and copying NRC IRAP (nrc.canexport.cnrc@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca).

It is possible for recipients of contribution funding to request a formal change to the terms of their funding agreement. Only one amendment per project is permitted.

Amendments are only considered under exceptional circumstances provided there is a strong rationale. The following conditions must be met prior to requesting an amendment:

• recipient has a signed contribution agreement
• at least one claim has been submitted and approved
• the request is made in advance and at least three weeks before the end of a project
• the activity has not already taken place
• project has not been previously amended

We cannot amend grant agreements or expired contribution agreements. In exceptional cases, grant agreements can be amended to extend the completion date only.

Contribution agreements are commonly amended to:

• add a travel destination
• add an activity category
• change dates of activities or extend a project
• request additional funding (on an exceptional basis)

Approval of your amendment request is required prior to making any changes to your project. CanExport SMEs reserves the right to approve or refuse amendment requests.

To request an amendment, email canexportsmes@international.gc.ca, copying NRC IRAP (nrc.canexport.cnrc@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca).

An amendment is required to add a destination that supports activities in approved target market(s). You must submit the request before travelling. Trips to new destinations will not be approved retroactively.

An amendment is required to add an activity category to your project.

Funding is allocated by the government fiscal year (April 1 to March 31 of the following year). Funds cannot be reallocated from one fiscal year to another. It is not possible to extend activities or the project completion date into a new government fiscal year.

Changing the date of your approved activity is permitted if it takes place within your project's duration.

Extending the project completion date will be considered under exceptional circumstances. However, the new end date must be within the government fiscal year approved in the funding agreement.

Amendments requesting additional funds are only considered under exceptional circumstances provided there is a strong rationale. CanExport SMEs will assess how your project is progressing. Requests for additional funding by a company that has not submitted any claims will be refused automatically.

Adding a target market: Expanding into a target market outside of your approved project is a notable change from the original agreement. As such, it is not eligible for an amendment. To pivot to a new target market, you will need to close your active project and submit a new application for consideration.

Removing an approved target market: An amendment is not required if you will not be conducting activities in all the target markets approved for your project. You may reallocate funding for a given target market to other approved markets if the total allocation per fiscal year is respected.

Removing an approved activity category: An amendment is not required if you will not be conducting activities in all the categories approved for your project. You may reallocate funding for a given activity category to other approved categories and target markets if the total allocation per fiscal year is respected.

Please inform us of any issue that is likely to affect your project, such as key changes to your company or its business activities, particularly if they affect your ability to complete your project, carry on business and pay debts due.

You must also inform us if you become aware of a breach of terms and conditions under the funding agreement, or any changes to information that identifies your company such as:

• name
• address
• designated representatives
• bank account details

You can only have one active project at a time. Applicants can close their project by submitting a final claim and report through the online portal. Processing time for final claims is approximately 30 business days. Once NRC IRAP officially closes the project, you are free to submit a new project for consideration.

Grant recipients approved for a project that spans more than one Government of Canada fiscal year must complete an interim report by March 31. They must do so to receive payment for the next fiscal year. The interim report asks for details on how your project is progressing.

All recipients must submit a final report no later than 7 days after the project completion date. Contribution recipients must include a final claim with their final report.

The final report will ask you to detail:

• activities completed
• project outcomes in relation to expected results
• successes in target markets
• successes outside of target markets
• challenges encountered
• lessons learned

If you do not satisfy the terms and conditions of the funding agreement, repayment of funds may be requested.

Recipients are asked to complete a one-page questionnaire once a year for 3 years following the end of the project phase. The snapshot report helps us understand how your company has benefitted from participating in the CanExport SMEs program:

• number of jobs created
• total revenues generated
• new markets where your company is exporting

This information is collected for statistical purposes only. It does not factor into the evaluation of future CanExport SMEs applications.

Recipients may be subject to an audit. If your company is selected for audit, you will be notified well in advance. Audits are carried out by independent auditing firms on behalf of GAC and NRC IRAP. You must maintain records of activities as well as receipts for all expenses related to your approved project for 5 years. If an audit identifies overpayment, it must be reimbursed.

On occasion, a trade commissioner with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) may visit companies at their place of business or at the site where approved projects and activities are taking place.

Evaluating program performance is a key part of the federal government's strategy to manage for results. Recipients of the CanExport SMEs program may be asked to provide information on how their project has been performed to an evaluator. Funding recipients may also be asked to respond to a questionnaire to support an evaluation of the program.

If you have further questions on the program, please contact: canexportsmes@international.gc.ca.

Please contact the NRC IRAP (nrc.canexport.cnrc@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca) if you have questions about:

• your funding agreement
• reporting
• claims

If you are having difficulty with our online application system or technical problems related to your account, please contact nrc.canexport-help-aide-canexport.cnrc@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.