Automotive Partnership Canada has been conceived to meet the R&D needs of the Canadian automotive industrial sector. As such, there are two fundamental and underlying tenets to APC:

Any project or program of research funded by APC must be driven by industry needs, and must have active industrial participation and collaboration.

Since all research to be funded by APC must have an engaged industrial partner, proposals that comprise only the passing interest of an industrial partner will not be considered. Proposals must be able to demonstrate how the planned activities will be meeting the needs of industry; how industry has been integral in developing the proposed research; and, how the support of the industrial partner is integral to the research. Proposals will need to be crafted by researchers in close collaboration with their industry partners.
To meet the needs of industry, a flexible approach to funding mechanisms will be employed. APC will not be taking a "business as usual approach," forcing researchers to fit their proposed activities to pre-existing program structures. APC will work with applicants and their industrial partners to develop proposals and funding mechanisms that will fit the research activities best suited to industrial needs.

To increase flexibility and responsiveness, APC will not issue a specific call for proposals. Proposals will be accepted on an ongoing basis to more effectively address industry needs as they arise. This approach also allows for proposals to be uniquely crafted according to the requirements of the research and industry challenges at hand.

Interested applicants and companies should start by contacting APC's Project Office in Mississauga, Ontario. The office will:

act as a portal for industry to access APC;
work with applicants and potential industry partners to develop proposals; and,
proactively broker partnerships between companies and university/government researchers.