Commercialization Funding
A number of unique funding opportunities are available to WORLDiscoveries™ inventors with intent to commercialize. Some of the most common funds the Business Development Office assists researchers apply to include:
Internal Funds
Click on the following links to read more about these internal funding opportunities, detailed at the bottom of this page.
External Funds
The following list consists of external links to the funding program websites. A member of our team can assist you in determining which of these are the best fit for your project.
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Proof-of-Principle: Phase 1 (2009 - 2010)
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Proof-of-Principle: Phase 2 (2009 - 2010)
- Health Technology Assessment and Implementation Program, htx.ca
- Ministry of Research and Innovation - Innovation Demonstration Fund
- Ministry of Research and Innovation - Premier's Catalyst Awards
- National Sciences and Engineering Research Council - Idea to Innovation (NSERC i2i)
- NSERC - Partnerships
- Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Market Readiness
- OCE Collaborative Research Projects
- OCE Interact
- OCE Proof of Concept
- OCE Champions of Innovation
- Ontario Genomics Institute - Pre-commercialization Business Development Fund (OGI PBDF)
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) - Intellectual Property Development and Commercialization Program
- Precarn Programs & Funding
- TiEQuest 2010 Business Venture Competition
Western Innovation Fund (WIF)
View the Winter 2010 funding announcement
WORLDiscoveries™ personnel are available for consultation on issues related to intellectual property and commercialization. The Western Innovation Fund awards are made from funds provided annually by the Office of the Vice-President (Research and International Relations). They are intended to support the cost of projects that will advance innovative research results towards application and commercialization. The competitions are for one-time projects based on existing research initiatives. Applicants can only receive one grant per type of project or technology. WORLDiscoveries™ personnel are available for consultation on issues related to intellectual property and commercialization.
Projects are expected to be of short duration (6-12 months). Up to $50,000 in funding is available and is repayable only if there is a positive commercial outcome. The submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) is required before a full application can be submitted. A new LOI is not required if WORLDiscoveries™ has requested a resubmission to a new competition; however, a new ROLA Proposal must accompany the resubmitted application.
One of the first steps in the application process is to submit a Report of Invention (ROI) to WORLDiscoveries™.
Guidelines
Application
Reports
Deadlines:
Spring: |
Report of Invention |
March 31 |
|
Letter of Intent |
April 30 |
|
Application Deadline |
June 1 |
|
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Fall: |
Report of Invention |
July 15 |
|
Letter of Intent |
August 16 |
|
Application Deadline |
September 15 |
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Winter: |
Report of Invention |
November 20 |
|
Letter of Intent |
December 15 |
|
Application Deadline |
February 1 |
C4 Proof-of- Principle Fund (C4 POP)
*The C4 POP funding competition is currently closed, check back in Fall 2010 for a status update on this fund
This $1.2 million funding program, exclusively for C4 institutions, will help researchers prove discoveries are commercially viable. The C4 POP is designed to lead to either licensing, partnering with industry, or further development through second stage mechanisms such as CIHR-POP, NSERC-I2I, or other proof-of-principle programs.
This early stage fund provides up to $135,000 per project to researchers. It funds activities such as prototyping, animal model studies, or additional programming. The funding can also be used to analyze the market, prepare a business plan, and validate technical risks. Any funded project will also receive extra funding for patent costs, up to $10,000.
C4 plans to support dozens of projects over three years using a three stage model.
- Stage 1 – up to $10,000, requiring a defined milestone
- Stage 2 – up to $25,000 to meet a second commercialization milestone; must have formal IP protection in place
- Stage 3 – up to $100,000 in two $50,000 rounds, providing the milestones have been met and an acceptable commercialization plan presented; second round requires a match, co-investment, or OCE Market Readiness funding
For the first stage, business development managers and researchers will jointly prepare an application for review by an internal C4 selection committee. This stage offers a faster turn around with fewer burdens compared to external programs. It is intended to help start the commercialization process.
For the second stage, proposals will be reviewed by a C4 POP Advisory Board comprised of seasoned technology innovators. Applications for the third stage will be reviewed by both the advisory board and an external reviewer.
The C4-POP program is funded by the provincial government’s Ontario Research Commercialization Program.
About C4
Western, Robarts Research Institute and the Lawson Health Research Institute are members of the C4 consortium, along with McMaster, Guelph, Waterloo, Windsor, and Wilfrid Laurier, Hamilton Health Sciences, and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. C4 fosters innovation in Southwest Ontario by promoting technology transfer and commercialization. Learn more about the C4 at www.c4ontario.ca
Application
Contact your discipline’s Business Development Manager to request the Stage 1, 2 or 3 C4 POP application.
*The C4 POP funding competition is currently closed, check back in Fall 2010 for a status update on this fund
