Collaborate with a College or University Through OCE Connections Program

The Government of Canada and Ontario Provincial Government are realizing the potential that exists when businesses collaborate with local colleges and universities. This can be seen in the increasing number of collaboration programs that are being supported by the Government, such as CONII, NSERC Engage, and Connect Canada. The Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) is further supporting these business and post-secondary partnerships through a program called Connections.

Canadian Government Funding Eligibility

In order to be eligible for this partnership program, business candidates must be incorporated and operating out of Ontario, Canada. Non-profit organizations, associations or municipalities in Ontario are also eligible. OCE will sponsor up to $3,500 towards each R&D project, which can involve one or multiple students. Project duration is generally four months in length (ie. one semester), usually running from September to January or January to April, however these can be extended if necessary.

Helpful Tip: OCE offers another useful program that we have outline before called First Job, which funds up to $25,000 towards the hiring of a recent graduate in a full-time position, which we have outlined in our First Job blog post.

Applying for the OCE Connections Program

Interested companies should contact James Doran (james.doran@oce-ontario.org), Program Manager for OCE Connections, for more information about the OCE Connections application process. Alternatively, Mentor Works would be glad to help you find the right fit for your OCE Connections program and can provide useful information and support throughout your hiring process – please contact us today to get started. We will also help you take advantage of other Hiring & Training Programs to fund your human resources activities.