Ontario Centres of Excellence

5G ENCQOR Academic Technology Development Program

Call for Proposals (CFP)

1 week in advance of your application

Deadlines vary depending on program. Please refer to website for active programs.

OCE Contribution is 100% of total eligible project costs, maximum to be defined in the posted Challenge Statement. Projects must be between 6 -36 months in duration.(Industry Partner Contribution is Not Applicable)

1. Submit Cover Sheet
2. Copy of all proposal files to Office of Research contact below
3. Applicants can apply for funding to execute a project in response to an ENCQOR Anchor Firm-defined Challenge Statement by submitting an EOI. Please review 5G (ENCQOR) Academic Technology Development Program guidelines and eligibility criteria before initiating an application.
4. If you are ready to start applying for 5G ADP Challenge, the applicant (from the post-secondary institution) should submit a client intake form. (Please note: completion of this form does not constitute an application for funding. An OCE Business Development Manager (BD) will contact you within two business days to discuss the opportunity. If you are already working with an OCE BD, please indicate this in the form. Once the BD confirms that the opportunity is suitable for the program, you will be sent a link to OCE’s online application system, AccessOCE.
5. Complete the online Expression of Interest
6. Request your OCE BD to provide an endorsement of the application. The endorsement must be requested at least one week prior to submission. Once the endorsement is provided, the applicant or BD will then be able to submit the application.

For program-related inquiries, including assistance with deadlines and applications, please contact:

Jennifer Moles
Program Manager
jennifer.moles@oce-ontario.org
(416) 861-1092 x1059

For general inquiries about the online application system and application form, please contact the Application Support Team at (416) 861-1092 x2400 or application-support@oce.zendesk.com

Ontario Centres of Excellence: Ontario-China Research and Innovation Fund

Ontario: Ontario partners may receive up to $210,000 CAD to fund 50% of their eligible project costs from OCE.  Contributions by OCE must be matched at least 1:1 in cash and/or in-kind by applicants/partners in Ontario and China, respectively.

China: Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) will support up to 50 per cent of the eligible research costs, to a maximum of $250,000 CAD per project, for the Chinese portion of the project. The same matching contributions are required as noted above.

Project terms cannot exceed three years and are non-renewable

Ibi Brown: ibi.brown@uwaterloo.ca

As a pillar of the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN), the AV R&D Partnership Fund supports projects related to the development and demonstration of technologies in the Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (C/AV).

The AV R&D Partnership Fund (Stream 1) contributes up to one-third of eligible project costs, for approved projects, up to a maximum of $100,000, with the remainder contributed by Applicants and/or Partners. Project funding can be used towards the development and demonstration of technologies in the Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (C/AV) sector, in the following Priority Areas:

• Mass light vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks and vans)
• Heavy duty vehicles (including commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles (RVs), and others used for goods movement)
• Transportation infrastructure
• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
• Transit-supportive systems and vehicles

Projects can benefit from additional funding to support qualified interns and/or fellows. For more information on support for internships and/or fellowships, please refer to the AVIN TalentEdge Internships and Fellowships guidelines. (if you plan to apply to the Internship and/0rFellowships programs please make sure to notify the Office of Research contact below).

Projects are encouraged to include demonstration of actual products, which can be showcased at events; at the Demonstration Zone in Stratford, Ontario; at one of the AVIN Regional Technology Development Sites with appropriate facilities; on the road, and/or at customer sites.

To be Eligible Projects must meet the following criteria:

• Eligible projects require a minimum of two organizations: Generally, an SME – the Applicant– works with a Primary Partner. Additional partners – Secondary Partners – can be any eligible organization and part of the team for strategic and commercial reasons.
• Minimum 2:1 cash match by Applicants and/or Partners
• Project activities are carried out in Ontario
• Projects should be at Technology Readiness Level 3-7
• Typical project activities include: technology development, demonstration, product/service validation, testing, and proof of concept

For additional requirements please also review the Full list of Eligibility Requirements.For additional information, please visit the Program Website.

Up to one-third of eligible project costs up to a maximum of $100,000

• Minimum 2:1 cash match from Applicant and/or Partners. The match MUST come from private sector contributions.

1. Submit Cover Sheet
2. Copy of all proposal files to Office of Research contact below
3. Submit a client intake form. (Please note: completion of this form does not constitute an application for funding. An OCE Business Development Manager (BDM) will contact you to discuss the opportunity and assist you with developing your application. Your OCE BDM will also maintain oversight responsibility for any approved project.)
4. Prior to submission, an Applicant MUST first request their BDM to provide an endorsement of the application for eligibility and suitability.
5. Once the endorsement is provided, the Applicant or BDM will then be able to submit the application. A sample application form can be viewed for informational purposes only. Applications are only accepted through OCE’s online AccessOCE system where full application and program Partner requirements are listed.
6. Applications must be accompanied by 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 OCE funding agreement.  A template for the Letter of Support is available. Use of the template is optional, however all items listed must be included in the letter.
7. If you plane to apply to the  AVIN TalentEdge Internships and Fellowships for additional support please make sure to notify and submit a copy of all proposal files to the Office of Research contact below.

For inquiries related to application initiation, please contact:

Martin Lord
Senior Sector Manager, Automotive and Mobility
Tel: (416) 861 1092 x9-3236
Email: martin.lord@oce-ontario.org

For eligibility, contracting and funding disbursement inquiries, please contact:

Daniel Graham
Manager, Automotive and Mobility Portfolio
Tel: (416) 861 1092 x9-1107
Email: daniel.graham@oce-ontario.org

For general inquiries about the online application system and application form, please contact:

Application Support Team
Tel: (416) 861 1092 x9-2400
Email: application-support@oce.zendesk.com

The Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network Talent Development (TalentEdge) stream provides students and recent graduates from Ontario colleges and universities with real-world industry experience, by applying their expertise, leading-edge knowledge and tools to solve industry problems related to Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (C/AV) technologies.

Interns and fellows will work at Ontario-based companies or academic institutions and receive on-the-job training in areas such as software and hardware development, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.

Internships and fellowships are intended to provide interns or fellows with an experiential learning opportunity and hands-on industry experience. All internships and fellowships must be project-based with clearly defined activities, milestones and outcomes.

Objectives:

• Help students and recent graduates bridge the gap between Ontario’s publicly-funded post-secondary institutions and industry by providing hands-on experience with companies 
• Improve companies’ competitiveness by attracting top talent and tapping into world-class R&D to strengthen capacity to develop new products, services, and processes
• Facilitate the transfer of knowledge and emerging technologies from publicly-funded post-secondary institutions to the C/AV sector.
• Identify, attract and retain Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) with skills in Ontario

For additional information please review the Program Website.

• Each four-month internship unit is valued at $20,000
  • $10,000 from OCE and $10,000 from the company (at least $5,000 of the contribution from the company must be in cash)
  • Institution-based interns must receive a minimum compensation of $10,000 per four-month internship unit. Of the $20,000 value of the four-month internship unit, up to $10,000 may be used for direct costs of the project (this includes a part of the cash and all in-kind contribution to the internship).
• Each twelve-month fellowship is valued at $85,000
  • $35,000 from OCE and $50,000 from the company (at least $25,000 of the contribution from the company must be in cash)
  • Institution-based fellows must receive a minimum compensation of $52,500 per year. Of the $85,000 value of the 12-month fellowship unit, up to $32,500 may be used for direct costs of the project (this includes a part of the cash and all company in-kind contribution to the fellowship).

1. Notify the Office of Research of intention to apply.
2. Review in full the Program Website.
3. Follow the instructions found in Section “F. How to Apply” of the Program Website.
4. Submit Cover Sheet, and final copy of all application documents to the Office of Research for Signature.

No deadline – applications accepted at any time

The VIP program helps companies develop, implement and commercialize technical innovations by supporting partnerships between Ontario's industry and publicly funded post-secondary institutions. VIP projects are intended to generate economic benefit for companies in Ontario (including job creation/retention, new revenue generation, investment attraction, cost savings, value chain development), in the short-to-medium term (e.g. within three years of project completion).

The VIP program is supported by the Government of Ontario.

When applying to the VIP program, eligible applicants can also leverage funds from several federal Co-Funding Partners, through a streamlined, single application process. Current Co-Funding Partners include:

• Mitacs Accelerate
• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

• Between $20,000 and $150,000 over 6 to 24 months.
• Matching Requirement:
  • 1:1 cash frm the Industry Partner
    • Minimum 50 per cent of the 1:1 match must be spent at the post-secondary institution; remainder may be spent at the company
    • Cannot be leveraged with other federal or provincial grant programs unless otherwise stated in this program guideline

  • For the COVID-19 Call for Submissions, OCE will consider alternate matching requirements, for OCE funding between $20,000 and $100,000 up to Thursday, May 28, 2020.

1. Notify the Office of Research of intention to apply.
2. Review in full the Program Website.
3. Follow the instructions found in Section “F. How to Apply” of the Program Website.
4. Submit Cover Sheet, and final copy of all application documents to the Office of Research for Signature.

For further questions regarding program guidelines, eligibility, and submitting the online application, please contact your OCE Business Development Manager or:

For more information on the VIP program, please contact:Alexandra Ho
Program Manager
Tel: 416-861-1092 x5018
Email: Alexandra.Ho@oce-ontario.org]