Ontario's Programs and Funding

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By Deanna Natalizio

The funding programs implemented by the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) are proof of the Ministry’s steadfast commitment to advancing the province’s research and innovation activity. Ontario is home to some of the world’s best and brightest scientists, researchers and innovators. The following funding programs each with their own unique objectives - are united in their attempts to capitalize on these strengths, which will, in turn, increase the health and well-being of all Ontarians and enable the province to prosper in the global economy.

Next Generation of Job Funds

The Next Generation of Jobs Fund (NGOJF) is the cornerstone of the government’s economic development strategy to stimulate economic growth and create a sustainable and globally competitive workplace for the next generation of workers.

NGOJF is a five-year $1.15 billion program to support job creation/retention in strategic areas of great potential for Ontario. The NGOJF program will: create and sustain jobs for Ontarians, leverage private sector investment in Ontario, improve competitiveness of Ontario businesses, foster innovation, and support Ontario’s Go Green Plan.

NGOJF- Strategic Opportunities Program (SOP)

SOP is a five-year discretionary, non-entitlement grant program that supports strategic, industry-led programs and projects in targeted areas of strength for Ontario.

The SOP will focus on ‘strategic opportunities’ in the bio-economy and clean technologies, advanced health technologies, and the digital media and information and communications technologies sectors.

A ‘strategic opportunity’ is an opportunity where: a large scale global market opportunity exists, coupled with a unique strategy to deal with the competition; a niche global market exists where Ontario has significant capacity and little competition; and Ontario has a demonstrated competitive advantage, such as strong private sector strengths, including global market leadership and globally competitive research strength.

Successful projects will leverage existing and new industry-led consortia, and build beneficial collaborations across stakeholders - provincially, nationally and internationally.

NGOJF- Biopharmaceutical

Investment Program (BIP)
BIP is aimed at attracting new or enhanced biopharmaceutical investments in Ontario. $150 million will be available over the next five years. BIP is the first component of the Government of Ontario’s $1.15 billion Next Generation of Jobs Fund strategy and will fund up to 20% of total eligible project costs.

BIP objectives are as follows: to increase the level of new biopharmaceutical R&D and advanced manufacturing in Ontario; to expand local footprints, and create a generation of new high value jobs for Ontarians; to increase “deal flow” within Ontario’s growing biotech cluster, and build capacity through collaborations with public research institutions.

International Strategic Opportunities Program (ISOP)

The International Strategic Opportunities Program (ISOP) provides funding for strategic international collaborations between Ontario research institutions and the global research community. The goal of the program is to improve Ontario’s long-term economic potential by attracting and retaining the best and brightest research talent.

The program has been developed to: facilitate research of scientific importance, increase Ontario’s long-term economic potential, attract and retain top international research talent and enhance Ontario’s profile in the international research community.

The ISOP program is open to not-for-profit organizations where Ontario researchers are engaged in strategic international collaborations. These include: universities, affiliated research and teaching hospitals, colleges and non-profit research institutions. An applicant, institution, or a consortium of institutions may apply jointly with their private sector partner(s), with one institution as the lead applicant; however, the lead organization must be a not-for profit corporation.

Interested applicants should note that the total funding per research collaboration initiative will normally not exceed $150,000 over three years. The program will generally fund up to 50% of the eligible costs on a one-time basis, with the balance coming from non-Ontario government sources. During the evaluation process, priority will be given to collaborations with researchers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, China and India.

Jobs & Investment Program (JIP)

The purpose of the Jobs and Investment Program (JIP) is to support research, development and commercialization in innovative industries and attract new investments and jobs in areas of great potential for Ontario including: green auto research, parts production and assembly; clean fuels research, development and commercialization; environmental technologies, clean industries and the bioeconomy; creative industries such as digital media, and information and communications technology; financial services that involve global or North American mandates and the establishment of new, discrete operating units; anchor investments to support cluster development, including in the services sector; and opportunity based or unique investments.

Ontario Research Fund (ORF)

The Ontario Research Fund (ORF) is a key part of the government’s plan to support cutting edge research that can be developed into innovative goods and services that will boost Ontario’s economy. Through this fund, Ontario is providing $625 million over the next four years to support the operational costs of research through its Research Excellence program and the capital costs of research through its Research Infrastructure program.

The ORF is aimed at helping Ontarians manage emerging economic, social and public policy issues ranging from environmental sustainability to health care and stable energy sources, and, in so doing, find new opportunities for enhancing economic growth and improving our quality of life. Funding is open, on a competitive basis, to Ontario publicly assisted universities and colleges and affiliated research hospital and institutes.

Early Researcher Award

The Early Researcher Award program (ERA) aims to help promising, recently-appointed Ontario researchers build their research teams of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research associates. The goal of the program is to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent in high-priority economic areas.

The ERA program is open on a competitive basis to researchers who are full-time faculty or principal investigators who, at the application deadline, are based at an eligible institution; actively involved in conducting research that has been supported by peer-reviewed funding, and no more than five years from having started their independent academic research career at the application deadline.

Each ERA provides a maximum of $100,000 to a leading researcher and must be matched by an additional $50,000 from the researcher’s institution and/or a private sector partner.

Innovation Demonstration Fund

The Innovation Demonstration Fund (IDF) is a discretionary, non-entitlement funding program that focuses on the commercialization and initial demonstration of globally competitive, innovative technologies, processes and/or products. The objective of the IDF is to help companies in their efforts to commercialize innovative technologies in Ontario.

Subject to funding limits and the discretionary nature of the program, IDF will consider support to proponents developing and commercializing innovative new and emerging technologies that are shown to be among the most competitive and advanced in North America. Preference will be given to bio-based, environmental and alternative energy technologies. The funding is to be used for technology demonstration activities at the pilot stage.

IDF will provide financial support covering up to 50% of eligible costs for approved eligible projects that have as their goal commercialization. The funding potentially available under IDF ranges from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $4,000,000 per project.

Ontario Fuel Cell Innovation Program

The Ontario Fuel Cell Innovation Program (OFCIP) is a discretionary funding program that focuses on the commercialization of fuel cells and fuel cell-related technologies with an emphasis on moving products to the manufacturing stage. The objectives of the program are to: nurture the development of small and medium firms involved with fuel cells and fuel cell compatible technologies in Ontario, leading to cutting-edge jobs and investment; increase the performance, reliability, durability, and economical viability of fuel cell and fuel cell-compatible technologies; and increase public, consumer, and investor awareness and acceptance of fuel cell technologies.

The total maximum support potentially available under OFCIP is $500,000 per project and represents a one-time funding agreement by the province. Individual corporations, or a group or consortium of legal entities with project proposals that meet the objectives of OFCIP, may apply. Individual persons are not eligible.

Ontario Research Commercialization Program

The Ontario Research Commercialization Program (ORCP) is part of the Ontario government’s comprehensive strategy to help business innovators shape the ideas into market products or services.

ORCP helps Ontario’s world-class researchers and entrepreneurs combine their skills, expertise and resources to help commercialize their innovations, creating high-value jobs and a better quality of life for Ontarians.

A total of $31.4 million has been committed to public research institutions and not-for-profit organizations. This includes funding for medical discoveries and devices, and environmental and energy-related technologies.