OVIN — C/AV and Smart Mobility — Stream 1
Highlights
This program is designed for businesses like yours, focusing on connected and autonomous vehicle (C/AV) and smart mobility technologies. By participating, you can receive up to $100,000 in co-investment to develop, test, and demonstrate your innovative projects. This funding can help you bring your Ontario-made technologies to market, showcasing them to potential customers and partners.
What You Get:
- Up to $100,000 in funding
- Opportunities for commercialization and demonstration
- Collaboration with researchers to extend your R&D
- Public/private partnerships and collaboration
Why Apply:
- Boost your innovation with financial support
- Enhance road safety and improve transportation systems
- Reduce environmental impact with advanced technologies
- Easy qualification for eligible businesses
This program offers a unique chance to advance your projects with significant financial backing and collaborative opportunities, making it easier to achieve scalable and marketable outcomes.
Financing Details
Type of Financing: Co-Investment
Repayment Terms and Interest Rates:
- No repayment terms or interest rates. This is a non-repayable co-investment.
Eligible Expenses:
- Development and demonstration of connected and autonomous vehicle (C/AV) technologies.
- Testing, validation, and piloting of smart mobility technologies.
- Technology proof-of-concept development.
- Product/service validation.
Ineligible Expenses:
- Basic technology research.
- Feasibility studies.
Fees:
- No fees associated with the program.
Qualifications
- Must be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) with fewer than 500 global, full-time employees.
- Must have operations in Ontario and carry out the project in Ontario.
- Must have at least one partner, which can be:
- Small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
- National and multinational enterprises (NEs and MNEs)
- Academic institutions (as clients only)
- Municipalities
- Indigenous communities
- Not-for-profit organizations representing industry
- Crown Corporations
- Transit Authorities
- Projects must have a total budget of up to $300,000 over 12 months.
- Projects must be at Technology Readiness Level 3-9.
- Projects should include activities such as technology proof-of-concept development, demonstration, product/service validation, testing, and piloting.
Applicant and partners should demonstrate close collaboration and scalable outcomes with high potential for commercialization, strong commercial pull, competitive advantage, and alignment with intended program benefits.
Disqualifications:
- Projects intended to prove feasibility or for basic technology research.
Description
You can receive up to $100,000 in funding for your project. This money can be used for developing, testing, validating, and demonstrating connected and autonomous vehicle (C/AV) and smart mobility technologies.
Eligible projects include:
- Mass light vehicles like cars, trucks, and vans
- Heavy-duty vehicles such as commercial trucks, buses, and RVs
- Transportation infrastructure
- Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
- Transit-supportive systems and vehicles
The funding must be matched by a minimum 2:1 contribution from you or your private sector partners. This means if you receive $100,000, you need to contribute at least $200,000 from your own resources or partners.
This program helps you commercialize Ontario-made technologies and demonstrate them to potential customers. It also fosters relationships with researchers to extend your R&D capabilities and provides marketable solutions to current challenges. This is a great opportunity to advance your business while contributing to increased road safety, better road condition monitoring, and reduced environmental impact.
Program Steps
Complete the Client Intake Form: Start by filling out the client intake form available on the program's website. This will initiate the application process.
Consult with an OCI Business Development Manager (BD): After submitting the intake form, an OCI BD will contact you. They will discuss the opportunity and assist you throughout the application process.
Prepare Required Documentation: Gather the necessary documents to support your application. These include:
- Program Guidelines
- OCI Funding Agreement
- Eligible Expenditures Guide
- Full Proposal Questionnaire
- Letter of Support Template
- Data and Information Sharing Protocol (DISP) documents
Develop a Full Proposal: Work on creating a comprehensive proposal that outlines your project. Ensure it includes details on technology proof-of-concept development, demonstration, product/service validation, testing, and piloting.
Submit the Full Proposal: Once your proposal is ready, submit it through the appropriate channels as directed by your OCI BD.
Review and Feedback: Your proposal will be reviewed by the program administrators. Be prepared to provide additional information or make revisions if requested.
Approval and Funding: If your proposal is approved, you will receive up to $100,000 in co-investment funding. Ensure you have a minimum 2:1 contribution from your business or private sector partners.
Project Execution: Begin your project as outlined in your proposal. Maintain close collaboration with your partners and ensure all activities align with the program’s objectives.
Regular Reporting: Provide regular updates and reports to your OCI BD to demonstrate progress and ensure compliance with the program requirements.
Project Completion: Upon completion of your project, submit a final report detailing the outcomes and impacts. This will help demonstrate the success and potential for commercialization of your project.