Idea to Innovation Grants
Highlights
This program is a great opportunity for your business to accelerate the development of promising technology and bring it to market. You can receive funding for up to three years, covering various stages from market assessment to technology enhancement. This support can help you refine designs, build prototypes, and conduct field studies, ensuring your technology is market-ready.
What You Get
- Full funding for Phase I: Up to $125,000 for 12 months
- Shared funding for Phase II: Up to $350,000 for two years, with a private-sector partner
Key Benefits
- Comprehensive support: Covers direct research costs, project management, and technology transfer activities
- Market assessment: Gain impartial market opportunity information to validate business elements
- Technology transfer: Assistance with IP protection, market promotion, and business contacts
The program is designed to be accessible, with clear guidelines and support from NSERC staff to help you through the application process. By participating, you can significantly enhance your technology's commercial potential and secure valuable partnerships.
Financing Details
Type of Financing: Grant
Repayment Terms and Interest Rates:
- No repayment is required. This is a non-repayable grant.
Eligible Expenses:
- Refining and implementing designs
- Verifying application
- Conducting field studies
- Preparing demonstrations
- Building prototypes
- Performing beta trials
- Project management expenses (up to 10% of total direct costs in Phase IIb)
Ineligible Expenses:
- Staff activities
- Previously incurred technology transfer expenses
Fees:
- No fees associated with the program
Qualifications
- Must be a Canadian company.
- Must involve a university or college researcher (or research group).
- For Phase II projects, must have an eligible partner (early stage investment entity or company).
- Must have a licensing (or similar) agreement on the right to exploit the invention or discovery.
- Must have an identified Industry Liaison Office (ILO) or its equivalent involved in the application.
- Must have a technology that is sufficiently mature, at least technology readiness level (TRL) 4.
- Must have a clearly identified and well-described potential market.
- Must include a technology transfer plan.
- Must have a strategy to protect the commercial value of the technology.
- Must have a plan to establish a partnership with a Canadian company that has the capacity to commercialize the research results.
- For Phase IIb, must have a receptor capacity to manufacture, distribute, license, etc.
Must have adequate budgets to show that the product will be at the marketing/manufacturing stage at the end of the Phase IIb grant.
Disqualifications:
- Researchers involved in activities supported by the grant who are currently affiliated with, or in receipt of funding or in-kind support from, a named research organization (effective September 16, 2024).
- Projects that do not have strong scientific evidence or are at too early a stage.
- Projects without a well-defined potential market.
- Projects without meaningful letters of support from potential receptors, end-users/clients, and industrial value-chain players.
- Projects without a demonstrated interest from a business partner (for Phase I applications).
- Projects without a strong business plan (for Phase IIb applications).
- Projects where the company does not have the technical capability to undertake further development necessary to take the product or process to market.
Description
This program offers a great opportunity for your business to develop and commercialize new technologies. You can receive funding up to $125,000 for Phase I projects, which cover the direct costs of research. This phase helps you advance your technology to attract early-stage investment or build valuable intellectual property.
Phase II projects provide further support, with funding up to $350,000. This phase requires a partnership with a private-sector company, which shares the project costs. The goal is to establish the technical feasibility and market potential of your technology.
The grants can be used for various activities, including:
- Refining and implementing designs
- Conducting field studies
- Building prototypes
- Performing beta trials
Market assessment funding is also available, offering up to $15,000 to conduct a professional market study. This helps you understand the market potential and position your technology effectively.
The program covers up to 100% of the direct research costs in Phase I, and up to 50% in Phase II, making it a valuable resource to bring your innovative ideas to market.
Program Steps
Gather Required Documents: Prepare the necessary documentation to support your application. You will need:
- Form 100 – Personal data form
- Form 101 – Application for a grant
- Form 183A – Information required from organizations participating in research partnerships programs (for Phase II only)
- Market study details (if applicable)
- Technology transfer plan
- Letters of support from potential receptors, end-users, clients, and industrial value-chain players (if applicable)
- Budget details and justification
Log In to the Online System: Access the NSERC online system to create or access your application. Ensure you have an account and are familiar with the system's navigation.
Complete Application Forms: Fill out the required forms (Form 100, Form 101, and Form 183A if applicable) with accurate and detailed information about your project, team, and institution.
Develop a Technology Transfer Plan: Work with your institution's Industry Liaison Office (ILO) or its equivalent to create a comprehensive technology transfer plan. This plan should outline how the technology will move through the validation process to market entry.
Consult with ILO: Collaborate with your ILO to evaluate and protect the new technology, develop proposals, and prepare a technology transfer approach. The ILO will also assist in making business contacts and negotiating licensing or other arrangements with potential partners.
Submit the Application: Once all forms and documents are completed and reviewed, submit your application through the NSERC online system by the specified deadline.
Review and Respond to Feedback: After submission, be prepared to provide additional information or clarification if requested by NSERC staff or the selection committee. This may include addressing any feedback or questions about your application.
Await Decision: NSERC will review your application and notify you of their decision. If approved, you will receive instructions on the next steps for funding disbursement and project initiation.
