Funding resources

This program aims to accelerate development of promising technologies and offers funding at different stages of technological maturation. There are four distinct funding options, characterized by the maturity of the technology or the involvement of an early stage investment entity or industrial partner: market assessment (to understand market potential); reduction-to-practice stage (Phase I); technology enhancement (Phase II: a. early stage investment partner, b. partnership with a Canadian company).

Eligibility

• Refining and implementing designs
• Verifying application
• Conducting field studies
• Preparing demonstrations
• Building prototypes
• Performing beta trials

TLO involvement

Discoveries must be disclosed by the investigators according to institution policy, and the IP must be managed by the SFU TLO. The TLO must work on each new proposal (Section 2 - Technology Transfer Plan).

Duration/amount

1. Market assessment: up to one year/up to $15,000 (TLO matching contribution required, up to $5,000)
   • Lab2Market: up to 12 months/up to $20,000 (new pilot program)
2. Phase I: up to one year/up to $125,000
   • Phase Ib supplement: up to six months/up to $60,000
3. Phase IIa: from six to 18 months/up to $125,000 (matching funds required, up to $62,500)
4. Phase IIb: up to two years/up to $350,000 (matching funds required, 50% of direct costs through in-kind and at least 40% cash)

Deadlines

Quarterly (January, April, June, September)

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Commercialization projects can be considered for funding as part of the Commercialization peer review committee of the Project Grant Competition, and they are designed to advance discoveries/inventions towards commercializable technologies, with a view to attract new investment, create new science-based businesses, organizations and initiatives, and ultimately improve health outcomes for Canadians.

Eligibility

• Open to applicants in all areas of health research
• Projects for which a product/process/service to be commercialized has been identified
• Research to determine the potential for commercial viability or other opportunities for use of IP, to enhance or strengthen the value of IP (or IP portfolio) and improve the business prospects or potential for downstream investment in the technology
• Promote academic health research and technology transfer activities that support and accelerate commercialization of the technology
• Applications focused solely on prototype construction will not be considered

IP Conditions

The IP may (or may not) have acquired interest from partners willing to invest in the new technology. An existing licence or option to license the technology does not disqualify the project from eligibility.

Reasonable expenses related to knowledge translation, networking, commercialization (including patent costs specific to the IP) and community-based research are eligible. The applicants must justify these and all other expenses in the context of their research proposals and the appropriateness of such requests is subject to peer review.

Duration/Amount

There is no specific investment allocated to commercialization projects; they fall within the broader Project funding envelope.

Deadlines

Biannual (February/March and August/September)

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This pilot program aims to fund a diverse set of innovation projects with a credible probability of success. The goal of the Pilot Innovation Fund is to advance innovations enabled by omics along the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) pathway. This pilot is focused on advancing research from the proof-of-concept research level (TRL 3) to the innovation phase (TRL 4-6), and/or from the innovation phase into the business development phase (TRL 7-9).

Eligibility

• Involve innovation in the area of omics or use omics as a means to innovate
• Proof-of-concept through to prototype development or/and
• From prototype development through to business development and commercialization

Process

• Expression of Interest (EOI) to outline the project and indicate how it fits the scope of the pilot
• Pitch to clarify the project
• Proposal to describe the project in more detail and provide a final research plan and budget

TLO Involvement

The involvement of the TLO in completing the application is not a requirement.

• Projects awarded through this pilot will have access to additional funding to support IP activities to advance their innovation. The scope of this support and eligible activities will be determined on a case-by-case basis with the awarded projects during the project term.
• One of the most unique components of the PIF is that each project team is assigned an industry mentor to support the team through hurdles to commercialization. These individuals bring experience and passion to their role and will add huge value to the teams through their journey.

Duration/Amount

• Up to 12 months/up to $250,000
• No co-funding is required

Deadlines

Annual (September)

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The Ignite program has been specifically designed to provide funding to advance research and commercialization activities for industry and academic collaborative projects, that are driven by industry needs and will have significant benefits to British Columbia. The program is strongly focused on commercialization outcomes. Funds from Ignite support the advancement of technologies that have a clearly articulated solution to an existing industry problem, are beyond proof of concept but pre-commercial, and demonstrate the capacity to move the proposed innovation to market within three years.

Eligibility

• Involve the areas of natural resources or applied sciences
• Projects must be a B.C.-based partnership made up of at least one academic partner (university researcher) and at least one industry partner (company or organization)
• Projects must plan to go to market within a three-year timeframe
• The innovation is at a TRL three to four or higher

TLO Involvement

The involvement of the TLO in completing the application is not a requirement.

Activities related to technology transfer and commercialization (e.g. sharing of patenting and licensing fees with university, consulting fees for IP strategy, etc.) are eligible costs.

Duration/Amount

• Up to 3 years/up to $300,000
• Matching funding required: projects must secure matching funds from industry or government sources at a ratio of 2:1 matching dollars to Ignite dollars
• Up to 10% of the Ignite funding can be used for indirect administrative costs (e.g., university overhead)

Deadlines

Annual (June)

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SFU's Volker IP Fund provides scientist entrepreneurs with funding to commercialize their science-based innovations, empowering our community to develop new products, processes and services that benefit our society and the economy by funding the legal costs of pursuing patents or intellectual property protection.

Eligibility

• Funding the legal costs of pursuing patents or intellectual property protection
• One member of applicant team must be SFU Member or recent Alumni

TLO Involvement

The involvement of the TLO in completing the application is not a requirement. The IP does not have to be managed by TLO.

Duration/Amount

• Up to $25,000 in repayable awards to reimburse legal IP costs
• A financial report for the IP and/or related venture to the Volker IP Fund Committee by December 1 for every calendar year until the convertible debenture has been repaid

Deadlines

Quarterly (January, April, June, September)

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NOTE: Program currently closed for re-evaluation

The program supports researchers to advance their discoveries or inventions towards practical application, resulting in products or technologies that improve health outcomes and enrich BC’s health innovation ecosystem

Eligibility

• The health-related innovation is at a TRL 3 to 6 for entry into Phase I

TLO Involvement

• IP Assessment Form to be completed by TLO or equivalent
• The IP does not have to be managed by TLO

Duration/Amount

• Phase I: up to two years/up to $150,000  per year
• Phase II: up to two years/up to $75,000 per year (matching funds required, 1:1 up to a maximum amount of $75,000/annum for two years)
• Successful I2C applicants have expedited access to Mitacs Accelerate funding

Deadlines

Annual (January)

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About the program

The Unlocking Innovation Potential NRC IRAP program with SFU is tailor-made for researchers in industry. It provides the opportunity for scientists and engineers at B.C. SMEs within the biomed, clean energy and other deep tech industry sectors to develop vital innovation skills, entrepreneurial mindset and a new product development strategy for their company. 

This program will experientially educate and provide custom mentoring to the SME research scientists in developing a commercialization strategy for new product development in their organization. B.C. SMEs selected for the program will benefit both in the development of a commercialization strategy for an innovation idea of strategic importance to the SME and in the innovation culture change facilitated within the SME. 

Integrated with SFU’s award-winning Invention to Innovation (i2I) program and SFU VentureLabs expert mentors, this NRC IRAP pilot program with SFU will help SMEs shape new product development in an emerging technology area strategically for their company. The program involves both an SME researcher and an SME corporate sponsor. Together, with guidance from the instructors of the i2I program and an SFU VentureLabs mentor, the SME team will build an effective new product development strategy to commercialize research of strategic importance to the SME.

How does the program work?

Each SME will nominate one researcher and one senior management sponsor to shape a new product development initiative of strategic importance to the company. The researcher will receive innovation skills training, mentoring, and feedback customized to the sector and specific innovation idea of the company. The senior management sponsor will help select the strategic new product development initiative, and will participate in monthly feedback sessions as the innovation idea is shaped and a commercialization strategy is developed.

Timing and Scheduling

Over an 11-month period, from mid-September to mid-August, participants will engage in both asynchronous and synchronous courses topics facilitated by expert faculty members from across the country to engage in online discussions and sector specific learning groups with their peers from across Canada and receive synchronous mentorship from successful scientist innovators. Participants will build their community and connections throughout the program through three national synchronous sessions, as well as regular check-ins with instructors and mentors.

Each Participant will be committing to approximately 5 hours per week for this program; and each senior management sponsor will be committing to approximately 5 hours per month through the duration of the program.

i2I courses for the SME researcher

Lab to Market

You will be introduced to innovation management frameworks and how to apply them to articulate value propositions, assess viability, protect intellectual property (IP), manage uncertainty and guide strategy in the commercialization of science by your SME. You will identify product attributes, IP strategy and initial market prioritization for your new product development proposal.

Opportunity Identification and Assessment

You will learn the process for opportunity identification and assessment. Areas covered will include: frameworks for identifying customers; prioritizing target markets; customer segmentation; technology adoption; product development; defining value propositions; and product/service pricing. You will conduct interviews to establish and test the value proposition for your new product development proposal.

Business Models

This course is an introduction to creating and validating a comprehensive business model, i.e., the architecture that specifies how a firm, startup or unique science or technology creates and captures value. You will develop a business model to enhance the chances of success for your new product.

Financial Literacy for Entrepreneurs

Find out more about early-stage company finance, including financial accounting and analysis, as well as financial models and business valuation techniques relevant to seed and growth stage technology ventures. In this course you will create financial projections for your new product development strategy.

Leadership and Managing Teams 

Developing and balancing critical management competencies at the individual, interpersonal, team and organizational levels. Focus is on effective organization, motivation and leadership.

Financing the New Venture

In this course you will learn about sources of capital available for taking an invention to market, including angel investors, venture capital, non-dilutive financing and public markets. You will create financial statements for your new product development strategy. 

Business Plan I & II

You will work one-on-one with a faculty advisor, SFU VentureLabs mentor and your company sponsor in drawing together: opportunity identification; value proposition; value creation; industry attractiveness; competitor analysis; and commercialization strategy. These two courses will be the first iteration and the further refinement of the new product development strategy for your SME.

Application deadline and resources

Application Deadlines: September 06, 2024 Deadline: Apply now

For general enquires and information, please contact:

Program manager, i2I program: Ramatoulaye Kassé, i2i@sfu.ca

Project manager, commercialization, SFU Innovates: Isabelle Ciobanu