Qualify for “Made in Ontario” Advanced Manufacturing R&D Challenge Program

January 21, 2014

by Ryan Weaver

The Made in Ontario Advanced Manufacturing R&D Challenge Program was developed and is operated by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) in collaboration with Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). This grants for small businesses in Ontario program is offering up to $2 million in grant funding to support as many as 7 projects undertaken by Ontario manufacturers.

Advanced Manufacturing R&D Challenge Program: Industry Partner Eligibility

In order to qualify as an industry partner, organizations must meet the following qualifications:

A For-Profit, Ontario-based company that has manufacturing operations in Ontario,
Must be incorporated for a minimum of 1 year.

Grants for Businesses in Ontario: Company Assessment (Ideal Industry Partner)

Businesses that meet the following criteria will make ideal industry partners for this program:

Export or have the potential to export to the world,
Are prepared to invest in future products and processes (invest in R&D/experimentation/prototyping),
Are growth oriented and successful,
Invest in modern capital equipment,
Have employee training/education/advancement/succession opportunities,
Actively pursue continuous improvement,
Have a plan/goal to be market leaders in their chosen sector.

Government Funding for Small Businesses in Ontario: Project Eligibility

In order to qualify as an approved project under the Made in Ontario Advanced Manufacturing R&D Challenge Program, projects will meet the following criteria:

Projects will have a high potential to lead to novel, newly adapted or adopted processes, products, or services
Projects will leverage the unique capabilities of the academic environment
Projects will meet known customer (or end user) demand or address a significant customer pain-point
Project outcomes will have global export potential from a manufacturing base in Ontario
Projects where research work conducted by the academic Institution will not be in competition with the private sector
Projects will address a significant need in the manufacturing industry sector
Projects will demonstrate a close industry-academic collaboration
Projects will have a broad industry applicability and impact (economically and/or environmentally)
Projects will have high potential to be commercialized/implemented, with good ROI forecast
Projects will qualify for support under the NSERC CRD/ARD grants
Projects fall within technology readiness levels TRL1-4 (1. Basic Technology Research, 2-4 Research to prove feasibility)

How to Apply for Funding through this Business Grants for Ontario Small Businesses Program

In order to participate in this program, companies must successfully complete a six-stage application process.

Government Funding for Ontario Manufacturers-Application Timeline:

Step#1 Wednesday, Dec. 11^th, 2013 Expressions of Interest (EOI) Accepted

Step#2 Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014 EOI Submission Deadline

Stept#3 March 31 –April 1^st, 2014 Panel Reviews EOI’s

Step#4 Friday, March 16, 2014 Final Draft of Application Due for Finalists

Step#5 Monday, June 16, 2014 Final Submission to NSERC CRD/ARD

Step#6 After Oct. 1, 2014 Approved projects begin

Learn More about the Made in Ontario Advanced Manufacturers Challenge Program

Find out more about this program by choosing “Overview” or click on “Get Started” to contact a Canadian government funding expert at Mentor Works.

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Interested in learning about additional funding opportunities to help your business grow? Sign up for a Canadian government funding weekly e-newsletter, and connect with us on your favourite social media network, including: LinkedIn and Twitter.

Tags: Business Expansion, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), Federal Funding, Government Grants, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Ontario Centres of Innovation (OCI)