NRC-IRAP CTO Program Intake
AI Adoption for SMEs: Strategic Advisory & Applied R&D Support
Durham College's AI Hub supports eligible SMEs through the NRC-IRAP CTO Program by providing Strategic AI Roadmap (Advisory) and Applied Research & Development (R&D) engagements to assess feasibility, guide implementation, and validate AI solutions.
🔒 Restricted Access
This intake form is only available to selected NRC-IRAP clients. If you have received this link, your organization has been invited to apply. Access is provided directly through your IRAP advisor or Durham College AI Hub.
About the Program
Durham College AI Hub delivers structured AI advisory and applied research engagements for SMEs through the NRC-IRAP CTO Program. Engagements are designed to:
- Assess AI feasibility for your business context
- Plan for implementation with a structured roadmap
- Validate concepts and develop solutions through applied research and experimentation
Who This Program Is For
This program supports organizations across the AI adoption lifecycle, from early exploration to solution validation and optimization.
Exploring or Planning AI Adoption
- Looking to understand how AI can be applied to your business
- Evaluating feasibility before investing in development
Defining or Refining a Use Case
- Have a business challenge or opportunity to address
- Seeking to structure or scope an AI-driven solution
Validating or Building AI Solutions
- Interested in testing ideas through proof-of-concept development
- Looking to validate technical approaches, models, or architectures
Enhancing or Optimizing Existing Systems
- Have existing workflows, tools, or models and want to improve them using AI
- Looking to enhance performance, accuracy, or scalability
🔒 Eligibility Requirement
- Organizations must be working with an NRC-IRAP advisor
- Participation is limited to invited clients
Engagement Streams & Client Contribution
Organizations may indicate a preferred stream during intake. Final assignment is determined based on project fit, readiness, and program scope.
Includes:
- AI readiness and feasibility assessment
- Solution design and architecture planning
- Implementation roadmap
- Governance, risk, and ethical AI considerations
Includes:
- Proof-of-concept development tailored to your use case
- Technical validation and feasibility testing
- Lightweight solution design and evaluation
Some organizations may be eligible for both streams, where advisory work informs and de-risks subsequent applied R&D.
IRAP Funding Note
The remaining project cost is supported through the NRC-IRAP CTO Program, subject to eligibility. Client contributions above represent the organization's portion only.
Scope of Engagement
Engagements are tailored based on your organization's goals, data readiness, and stage of development. Work may span one or more of the following areas, depending on whether the engagement is advisory, applied R&D, or a combination of both:
Data Assessment & Readiness
- Evaluation of available data, structure, and quality Advisory
- Identification of gaps and preparation requirements for AI applications Advisory
- Large-scale or complex data preparation and pipeline work R&D
Feasibility & Risk Assessment
- Assessment of whether AI is suitable for the use case Advisory
- High-level feasibility analysis Advisory
- Technical validation of approaches, models, or existing systems R&D
- Identification of risks, constraints, and limitations Advisory
Solution Development & Validation
- Development of proof-of-concept or prototype solutions R&D
- Technical validation of AI approaches, models, or architectures R&D
- Enhancement or refinement of existing systems R&D
- Performance testing and experimentation R&D
Work delivered is experimental and pre-production in nature.
Advisory engagements focus on planning, feasibility, and risk assessment, while applied R&D focuses on solution development and technical experimentation.
Outputs
Deliverables may include:
- Technical reports and recommendations
- Implementation guidance
- Working code and technical artifacts (scoped to the project engagement)
Outputs are not production-ready systems and may represent partial or component-level implementations. Additional testing, refinement, and optimization may be required before production deployment.
Client Collaboration & Continuity
- Active participation in working sessions is required
- Timely feedback and access to relevant information is expected
- It is recommended that organizations have internal technical capacity (or a partner team) to continue development after the engagement
Before You Start
To complete this intake, you will need:
- Information about your organization and primary contact
- A description of the business problem you are trying to solve
- Your desired outcome from this engagement
- Your current project stage (exploring, defining, planning, or ready)
- Information about your IRAP advisor
- Your preferred timeline and any key constraints
You can save your progress at any point and return later (no password required). A secure resume link will be sent to your email.
Ready to apply?
Review What to Expect to understand the full program flow, client responsibilities, and deliverables, then start your intake when ready.