Lumóra Inc. · Internal
Resources, strategy, and reference material for the Lumóra team.
Lumóra Inc. · Funding Strategy · April 2026
Non-repayable grants only. No loans, no accelerators. Each entry reflects the specific trigger that unlocks eligibility and the action needed to be ready when that window opens. Click any card to expand.
Now · April 2026
NSERC Alliance
UBC professor leads — Lumóra as industry partner
What it is
Federal non-repayable grant administered by NSERC. No intake deadline — rolling applications year-round. NSERC covers 66.7% of total project costs. Lumóra provides the remaining third as the industry partner cash contribution.
Key requirement
A Canadian university researcher must be the lead applicant — Lumóra cannot apply directly. The professor applies with Lumóra named as the industry partner. At least one partner must provide cash for cost-sharing.
Amount
$20K–$1M per year for 1–5 years. Realistic first project: $50K–$200K/year depending on scope and what the professor proposes.
The trigger
April 9 call with Prof. Renneckar (UBC). If he agrees to lead an Alliance project with Lumóra as industry partner, an application can be submitted immediately — no window to wait for.
Mid-2026
Innovate BC Ignite
BC's flagship provincial R&D grant — next intake expected mid-2026
What it is
BC-specific non-repayable grant for industry-academic R&D collaborations. Projects must solve a demonstrated problem in natural resources, engineering, or applied sciences. Paid in annual instalments over up to 3 years.
Key requirements
TRL 3 minimum — Lumóra already qualifies. Must have at least one BC-based academic partner + one industry partner. Commercialization plan within 3 years of project start.
The matching requirement
2:1 ratio — $2 from other sources for every $1 of Ignite funding. Up to 50% of the match can come from other grants (NSERC Alliance counts). Up to 50% can be in-kind contributions.
Why Lumóra fits
Natural resources sector. BC-incorporated. Academic partner forming at UBC. TRL 3 with filed patent. Clear commercialization path into a defined $600M bale/year North American market.
Fall 2026
TRL-UP + AgriScience
Two programs unlock after the UBC pilot pushes Lumóra to TRL 4
TRL-UP (BCIT Labs4)
EOI already submitted April 2026. $10K CAD stipend, runs Sept 7 – Dec 18, 2026. Lumóra is in the queue pending EOI review. Coordinator: Max Cimenti · max.cimenti@bcit.ca
AgriScience Program (AAFC)
Federal, non-repayable, up to $5M per project. Funds pre-commercial R&D at TRL 4–7 only. 50/50 cost-share minimum. Open until funding committed or March 2028.
Why TRL 4 is the gate
TRL 3 is "concept defined." TRL 4 is "validated in lab." The UBC REX pilot extrusion run is the experiment that crosses that line. Once results exist, the project summary can be submitted immediately.
Lumóra's fit for AgriScience
Agricultural sector. Biopolymer from surplus Canadian milk quota replacing petroleum PP in hay baling. Filed patent. UBC academic partner engaged. GHG reduction story: 420,000 MT of PP annually.
When ready
NRC IRAP
Continuous intake — unlocks once Lumóra has paid employees on payroll
What it is
Canada's largest R&D grant program. Non-repayable, covering up to 80% of eligible R&D labour costs. Average contribution: ~$500K. Realistic first-time range: $75K–$200K. Continuous intake — no deadline.
The current blocker
Requires paid full-time employees beyond the founders — both technical and business staff. The moment people are on payroll, this program opens immediately.
What it covers
Employee salaries and contractor costs for R&D. Qualifies under the Clean Technology stream which absorbed SDTC's mandate in 2024, adding ~$98M to the program.
How to start
Call to be connected with a regional Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA) in BC. No cold form — it starts with a phone call. The ITA relationship is ongoing beyond the grant itself.
On stacking
Programs can be combined — this is encouraged, not penalized. The only constraint is a 75% total government assistance cap across all sources on the same project costs. A realistic stack: NSERC Alliance + Innovate BC Ignite (Ignite accepts other grants as part of the 2:1 match) + NRC IRAP once payroll exists. AgriScience and IRAP can run in parallel on the same project at different cost lines. SR&ED (35% refundable tax credit on eligible R&D expenses) stacks on top of all of the above.