Administered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Investing in Business Innovation (IBI) offers small business loans to assist high growth, innovative startups and early-stage businesses in commercializing new products, processes, and technologies. Southern Ontario businesses with private funding that require additional cash flow can use IBI to help accelerate late-stage…
FedDev Ontario’s 2014 launch of the Southern Ontario Prosperity Initiatives (SOPI) provided $530 million for small businesses to finance a variety of innovative and productivity-building projects. Investing in Business Innovation (IBI) is one of the four business-oriented programs created through the SOPI’s and aims to assist early-stage businesses to commercialize new, innovative products and processes….
Canadian manufacturers have a variety of financing methods to help them grow their business and increase productivity. Canadian government grants, loans, and tax incentives all provide benefits to Canadian manufacturers which helps them to strengthen operations and become more competitive globally. However, just 16% of manufacturers will be using government funding programs this year, according…
According to a 2014 release of Statistics Canada data, Canada continues to decline in its commitment to innovation. The portion of Canadian businesses investing in process innovation fell from 33.5% in 2007-2009 to 29.0% in 2010-2012. Similarly, innovative businesses in Canada fell from 76.3% to 60.1% in the same time period. This decline is alarming….
The Investing in Business Innovation (IBI) small business loans program was created as part of the $530 million Southern Ontario Prosperity Initiatives (SOPIs). Provided through the Federal Agency of Economic Development for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), IBI provides funding for early stage businesses to commercialize new, innovative products and processes. For many businesses overcoming technology…
An article recently published in The Hamilton Spectator identified the Ontario automotive sector as lacking leadership and on the verge of a decline. Although the Ontario industry was a top global contender, manufacturers of vehicles and automotive components in Ontario are facing downward pricing pressures from developing nations with low labour rates, and consumer preferences…
The National Research Council (NRC) is an organization which is funded and administered by the Government of Canada. As the country’s premier research and development institution, the National Research Council enhances Canadian industry by conducting research and enabling new technologies to come to market. Their staff of scientists, engineers, and business experts seek to improve…
Since 2012, the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) has allowed businesses and inventors the ability to bolster their innovative technologies by selling and testing them with the Canadian government. This first procurement program enables businesses to overcome pre-commercialization gaps and use the government as their first possible customer and testers of their technology. BCIP…
The food and beverage industry across Ontario is rapidly changing and must adapt to handle many unique challenges. At the forefront of these challenges is water scarcity which will continue to become a larger problem for the sector in years and decades to come. BLOOM, an organization dedicated to managing risk and delivering economic, environmental…
Innovation Factory is a Regional Innovation Centre (RIC) which assists startups and SMEs in the Greater Hamilton Area by helping them bring innovation to market and get their business to the ‘next level’ of excellence. Startups as well as established businesses can benefit from Innovation Factory’s resources which help to strategically build innovation into their…