Become a member in residence.

The new 90,000 sq ft Innovation Arena will provide members in residence with access to comprehensive research, deep experience in innovation and entrepreneurship, expertise in IP management and commercialization, and talent from the world's largest co-operative education program.

You can apply to become a member in residence at the Innovation Arena in a two-step process.

Application evaluation criteria

The Innovation Arena Advisory Committee will use the following criteria when reviewing applications during both steps of the application process:

  • Alignment with Innovation Arena vision and mission,
  • Synergy with Velocity,
  • Impact on advancing heath innovation, health care, health research,
  • Augmenting student co-curricular or curricular experiences,
  • Advancing Waterloo’s health innovation ambitions,
  • Financial viability (is it funded or realistically could be funded), and
  • Planned collaboration across region or with the Southern Ontario Health Innovation Partnership.
A conceptual rendering of the Innovation Arena

Step 1 (Express your interest)

Submit an expression of interest outlining your proposed activity or venture and how it supports the mission and vision of the Innovation Arena. Describe:

  • The activity or venture your organization would like to establish within the Innovation Arena, including your proposed vision, goals, resources/partners, and
  • How your proposed activity or venture supports the mission and vision of the Innovation Arena.

Simply answer these five questions in your expression of interest:

  • What will your organization/venture achieve through collaboration within the Innovation Arena?
  • What are your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)?
  • What milestones will you achieve over three years, if located in the Innovation Arena?
  • How will you support the creation of new business or engage with emerging new businesses?
  • How many people will you employ? How many jobs do you plan to create over a three-year period?

Step 2 (Invitation to submit proposal)

If selected to continue, you’ll receive an invitation to submit a detailed proposal. You’ll have the opportunity to submit questions or request clarification before submitting your final proposal. You will be asked to provide responses to the following five sections. These sections and questions may evolve or change over time as we learn more about our prospective members in residence.

Updates

Are there any updatesto share since the submission of your expression of interest?

Collaboration

What collaborations will you foster? Please provide a framework for how you will exchange and create value in these collaborations regarding the mission of the Innovation Arena.

  • With whom will you establish collaborations, and why are these collaborators appropriate to advance the mission of the Innovation Arena?
  • What are your current connections with these partners/individuals?
  • How will you embrace the learning continuum, including student experience?
  • How might you engage with the Innovation Arena’s anchor resident, Velocity, and its programs or participants?
  • Do you have any other facilities within the region and beyond?  If so, what do they consist of?

Financial Model
  • Please provide your financial model. Members in residence must be able to fund their own proposal and business model as well as the costs to fit-out their space and their proportionate share of the costs for maintenance, operations, utilities, and any property taxes that are levied as the result of their occupation.
  • How will you fund the development of proposed space and its operations?
  • If you are an applicant from the University of Waterloo, do you have approval and support from your Chair and Dean to seek a presence in the Innovation Arena?
  • What is the term of residency you are seeking?

Occupancy Needs
  • What physical resources are you hoping to access within the Innovation Arena?
  • How much space will you need?
  • Does that space have any particular requirements (location, accessibility, ventilation)?
  • What occupancy level do you anticipate, under regular conditions? Are there times when there would be a higher level of traffic or flow?
  • Describe your proposed activities and infrastructure you will require.

Innovation Arena Mission
  • How will you reach new stakeholders that will benefit the mission of the Innovation Arena, secure these relationships, and create reciprocal value in these relationships, or
  • As a member in residence, how will you benefit the mission of the Innovation Arena and what do you hope to achieve as an organization present in the Innovation Arena?
  • How will your organization benefit from its presence in the Innovation Arena?

The University of Waterloo reserves the right to invite prospects to submit expressions of interest and/or detailed proposals during any stage of the application process or to amend the deadline at any time.