Ontario Centers of Innovation (OCI) – Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) – R&D Partnership Fund: Winter Tech Development

ByMaurice

Description:

OVIN’s R&D Partnership Fund – WinterTech Development stream supports Ontario small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their partners to validate, test, prototype, and demonstrate new products and technologies designed to meet the unique demands of winter weather conditions.

Because of OVIN’s WinterTech Development stream, Ontario is a global leader in the commercialization of new winter-ready mobility technologies and solutions.

Comments on Funding:

Funding is up to one-third of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $500,000 over a maximum of 24 months. All funds must be matched by a minimum 2:1 cash from applicants and/or partners.

Contribution match MUST be in the form of private sector contributions, and be unencumbered from other government grant sources.

This is a reimbursement program. Reimbursements are triggered by the submission and approval of quarterly reports.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be:

  • be an Ontario-based SME with fewer than 500 full-time employees;
  • have operations (R&D, manufacturing, product management, etc.) in Ontario; 
  • be the direct recipient of project funding from OCI for the project. The Applicant may be an Applicant on only one R&D Partnership Fund (C/AV, WinterTech, or EV) project at a time.
  • obtain OCI approval before a new application for funding is initiated, if they have received over $500,000 of funding from OCI administered programs in their lifetime (excluding TalentEdge).
  • be a co-signatory to the Funding Agreement.

Eligible partners:

  • For-profit Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
  • For-profit National and multinational enterprises (NEs and MNEs);
  • Publicly funded post-secondary institutions (secondary);
  • Municipalities;
  • Indigenous communities;
  • Not-for-profit organizations.
  • Required to have operations and carry out projects in Ontario.

Project eligibility criteria:

  • Eligible projects require a minimum of two partners. Generally, a SME – the Applicant – works with a Primary Partner (other than an Post-Secondary Institution).  Additional partners - Secondary Partners – can be any eligible organization and part of the team for strategic and commercial reasons. There is no limit on the number of partners.
  • Projects can be up to 24 months in duration.
  • Projects should be at Technology Readiness Level 3-9.
  • Typical project activities include technology development, demonstration, product/service validation, testing, certification, piloting.
  • Applicant and Partners should demonstrate close collaboration and scalable outcomes with high potential for commercialization, strong commercial pull, competitive advantage, and alignment with intended program benefits.
  • Eligible projects MUST include demonstration of actual products that can be showcased in Ontario at events, on the road, and/or at customer sites.

Applications Steps:

Applicants must submit:

To begin the EOI submission process, please complete a client intake form. An OCI Business Development Manager (BD) will contact applicants to discuss the opportunity and assist them with developing their EOI.

Documentation Needed:

Applicants must submit a signed Letter of Support (LOS) from contributing Partner organizations, confirming financial commitment to the project, activities, duration, resources as a “Project Contributor/Partner”, and acknowledgement of the requirement to sign the standard OCI funding agreement.

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    Other Things to Note:

    1. The Expression of Interest submission deadline was on June 3, 2022. Check their website for the next application intakes.
    2. Applications to the R&D Partnership Fund – WinterTech stream are accepted during open funding rounds. This is a reimbursement program. Reimbursements are triggered by the submission and approval of quarterly reports.
    3. Application intakes are based on funding rounds throughout each year until December 31, 2025, or when all funds are committed. Funding round timelines are stated in the Programs Overview on the OVIN website.

    About the author

    Maurice

    Maurice (Moe) Muise learned the ins-and-outs of government while an employee of the Government of Canada in Ottawa for 10 years. His current focus is helping small businesses in Ontario to identify and maximize government grants to grow their business. Click here to learn more about Moe’s background and how he can help your business.

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