On September 2, 2026, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) launched the Key Technology Expedited Program (KTEP), a pilot initiative that allows applicants to request expedited examination of patent applications related to key technology areas identified by the Commissioner of Patents.
Initially, the KTEP will include one active stream focused on innovations that support Canada’s critical minerals supply chain, including technologies used to process, extract, or refine minerals on Canada’s critical minerals list. It will also include a contingency stream for innovations that mitigate the effects of a public health emergency. The Commissioner of Patents may activate this stream when such an emergency is identified.
Applicants may request accelerated examination under the KTEP for a qualifying application at any time between filing and grant. To qualify, an application must: (1) relate to an open KTEP stream; (2) be in good standing; (3) not have received an extension of time, been deemed abandoned, or not be part of a request for continued examination; (4) be open to public inspection; (5) have a request for examination on file; and (6) include a letter confirming that the patent application relates to a KTEP stream.
Once CIPO approves a request for accelerated examination under the KTEP, it is expected to issue a first office action within seven months, consistent with the timeline for its other expedited examination programs.
For the critical minerals stream, CIPO will accept up to 50 requests per year on a first-come, first-served basis. Regular application and examination fees will apply, but, unlike CIPO’s normal requirement for moving an application ahead of its routine order, the KTEP will not charge an additional fee for advanced examination.
On the same day that it launched the KTEP, CIPO also announced that it had retired its COVID-19 relief accelerated examination program.
For more information about the KTEP, visit CIPO’s KTEP web page.
Summary By: Claire Bettio
E-TIPS® ISSUE
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