The road mapping process, which is part of NRCan's Energy Innovation Program, was announced on 22 February by Parliamentary Secretary Kim Rudd on behalf of Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr. Driven by interested provincial and territorial governments and energy utilities, the exercise will be delivered by the Canadian Nuclear Association. It will engage stakeholders to better understand their views on priorities and challenges related to the possible development and deployment of SMRs in Canada.

Participation in the roadmap will eventually expand to include all "essential enabling partners" including manufacturers, researchers, waste management organizations and the national nuclear regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).

According to NRCan, the roadmap aims to foster innovation and establish a long-term vision for the industry, as well as to assess the characteristics of different SMR technologies and their alignment with Canadian requirements and priorities.