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Colleges Applied Research & Development Fund (CARDF)

Ontario Centres of Excellence in partnership with Ontario

Enhancing industry/post-secondary collaborations through applied research 

Supported by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade and in partnership with Colleges Ontario, the $20-million program aims to drive increased industry/post-secondary collaborations while creating an efficient marketplace for industry to access innovation, productivity and commercialization services from colleges; provide experiential learning opportunities for college students; and better align colleges with the needs of companies and strategic sectors, which will enable the development of new products, services and processes, facilitate productivity improvements, and help generate new revenues and high-value jobs for Ontario.

More program information
Program Overview

The College Strategic Sector/Cluster/Technology Platform (CSSCTP) stream of the Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund (CARDF), has been developed to help colleges build capacity, help companies leverage outcomes of applied research and development (R&D), support the development of a world-class knowledge transfer system, and provide hands-on training for the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. Funding is provided to an Ontario college, in partnership with other Ontario colleges, industry associations, industry consortia and/or groups of companies, for a portfolio of industry-college projects within a sector, cluster or technology platform area. The portfolio will address sector or cross-sector-wide research and development challenges, align with college Strategic Mandates, and build capacity in colleges to enhance the ability of companies to become more productive and innovative by enabling them to readily access college expertise, technology and equipment. The desired outcome is a portfolio of applied/industrial R&D projects that will generate broad benefits across many companies, and drive economic growth and impact in Ontario.

This program is in partnership with Colleges Ontario and is managed by OCE on behalf of the Government of Ontario. 

Intake for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to the College Strategic Sector/Cluster/Technology Platform (CSSCTP) program opened on January 24, 2017. 

Please note that this program is no longer accepting applications.

Learn about the College Strategic Sector/Cluster/Technology Platform Program

Objectives

The objectives of the College Strategic Sector/Cluster/Technology Platform (CSSCTP) program are to:

  • Support capacity building within colleges and alignment with strategic mandates, to address sector or cross-sector applied R&D challenges, and positively impact multiple companies within a cluster, sector or technology area
  • Drive increased industry-college collaborations while creating an efficient marketplace for industry to access innovation, productivity and commercialization resources within Ontario colleges
  • Provide experiential learning opportunities for college students
  • Enable the development of new products, services and processes, facilitate productivity improvements and help generate new revenues and high-value jobs in Ontario
How Funding Works
  • OCE may provide between $250,000 and $1,000,000 to support eligible research and development costs , for a portfolio of industry-college collaborative applied R&D projects.
  • Each funded project within the portfolio must have at least 1:1 matching on the OCE contribution from the industry partner(s). The matching per project must consist of at least 25% cash and the remainder in-kind.
  • A minimum of 25% of the total required industry matching for the portfolio, and/or at least one industry partner, must be identified at the time of Full Application to demonstrate industry commitment and a pipeline of projects.

Learn more about the funding process

How to Apply

Application to the College Strategic Sector/Cluster/Technology Platform (CSSCTP) program is a two-stage process, consisting of:

Step 1: Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI)

Eligible Applicants must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) describing the specific sector/cluster/platform challenge, alignment with the college Strategic Mandate Agreement, college resources and team members, and proposed project portfolio, including a description of any preliminary projects if identified.

Applicants should engage with an OCE Business Development Manager to initiate and prepare the EOI.

EOIs must be submitted before noon on Thursday, April 13, 2017.

EOI Instructions are available.

Step 2: Invitation to a Full Application

Applicants whose EOI are selected by the EOI Review committee will be invited to submit a full application through OCE’s online system, AccessOCE.

Please note that this program is no longer accepting applications.

More details on the application process

More program information
Program Overview

The College Voucher for Technology Adoption (CVTA) stream of the Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund (CARDF) connects eligible companies with the expertise and resources available at Ontario colleges to identify and solve their business and innovation challenges. Through the CVTA program, student teams guided by college faculty will act as consultants to companies, and will apply their skills and training to solve industry challenges related to technology adoption. CVTA projects will typically run in association with existing college courses. Projects may include technology development and testing/validation activities to support innovation and technology adoption.  

This program is in partnership with Colleges Ontario and managed by OCE on behalf of the Government of Ontario. 

Intake for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to the College Voucher for Technology Adoption (CVTA) program opened on January 24, 2017.

Please note that applications to this program for colleges to become CVTA providers are currently closed. Industry partners seeking to work with a college on a CVTA project may contact a college provider. A list of colleges who are designated as CVTA providers will be available by August 2017. 

Learn more about the CVTA Program

Objectives

The objectives of the College Voucher for Technology Adoption (CVTA) program are to:

  • Assist Ontario companies in solving their business and innovation challenges related to technology adoption
  • Drive increased industry-college collaborations while creating an efficient marketplace for industry to access innovation, productivity and commercialization services from Ontario colleges
  • Provide experiential learning opportunities for college students
  • Better align colleges with the needs of industry and strategic sectors
  • Enable the development of new products, services and processes, facilitate productivity improvements and help generate new revenues and high-value jobs in Ontario

Read more

How Funding Works
  • Colleges apply to OCE to be providers of CVTA vouchers. OCE may provide up to $250,000 to an Applicant college, for a bundle of vouchers valued at $10,000 each.
  • Each $10,000 voucher supports eligible research and development costs at the college, for a project with an eligible industry partner.
  • A minimum of 1:1 matching on the OCE contribution is required from industry partners on individual projects. Contributions may be in cash and/or in-kind, provided that the total contribution is at least 1:1.

Read more

How To Apply

Application to the College Voucher for Technology Adoption program is a two-stage process, consisting of:

Step 1: Expression of Interest (EOI)

Eligible applicants must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) Form describing the proposed voucher projects, team and partners, student engagement, and alignment with the college Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA).

Applicants should engage with an OCE Business Development Manager to prepare the EOI. EOIs must be submitted before 12 noon on Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

Step 2: Full Application (invitation only)

Full Applications will be accepted by invitation only and through OCE’s online system, AccessOCE.

Applicants must engage with an OCE Business Development Manager to assist in preparation of the Full Application.

Please note that this program is no longer accepting applications.

More details on the application process

More program information
Program Overview

The College Voucher for Innovation and Productivity I program helps eligible Ontario companies develop, implement and commercialize technical innovations by supporting industry-college collaborations. Industry can leverage Ontario’s world-class colleges to solve business challenges, develop new products and processes, and increase productivity while advancing innovations that help to build and sustain Ontario's knowledge-based economy.

The program supports collaborations between industry and colleges up to 12 months in duration.

Applications to this program are accepted at any time.

Learn about the College Voucher for Innovation and Productivity I

How Funding Works
  • OCE will support up to 50% of the eligible research and development costs, to a maximum OCE investment of $20,000. The OCE funds will flow to the post-secondary institution.
  • The industry partner must support at least 50% of the eligible research and development costs, i.e. must provide at least 1:1 matching on the OCE contribution. The matching contribution may consist of cash and in-kind support, however a minimum of 25% must be in cash. For example, for a request from OCE for $20,000, the industry partner must provide $20,000 with at least $5,000 of this in the form of cash. The industry partner cash contribution will flow, via OCE, to the post-secondary institution.
  • Overhead is not an eligible expense for this OCE program.

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How to Apply

VIP I applications are accepted at any time and must be initiated by an OCE Business Development Manager. To apply, please contact your regional Business Development Manager who will assist you with developing your application. Your OCE BD will also maintain oversight responsibility for the OCE components of any approved project.

Applications are only accepted through OCE’s online AccessOCE system where full application and program partner requirements are listed.

More details on the application process

More program information
Program Overview

The College Voucher for Innovation and Productivity II program helps eligible Ontario companies develop, implement and commercialize technical innovations by supporting industry-college collaborations. Industry can leverage Ontario’s world-class colleges to solve business challenges, develop new products and processes, and increase productivity while advancing innovations that help to build and sustain Ontario's knowledge-based economy.

The VIP II program supports collaborations between industry and post-secondary institutions between 12 and 24 months in duration.

Applications to this program are accepted at any time.

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How Funding Works
  • OCE will support up to 50% of the eligible research and development costs, with a minimum annual OCE investment of $50,000 and a maximum annual OCE investment of $75,000. Projects must be between 12 and 24 months in duration. The maximum OCE investment is $150,000 over two years.
  • The industry partner must support at least 50% of the eligible research and development costs, i.e. must provide at least 1:1 matching on the OCE contribution. The matching contribution may consist of cash and in-kind support, however a minimum of 50% must be in cash. For example, for a request from OCE for $100,000, the industry partner must provide $100,000 with at least $50,000 of this in the form of cash.
  • The cash (and in-kind) contributions from the industry partner are provided by the partner to the post-secondary institution. Project participants are encouraged to negotiate additional agreement(s) to enable the transfer of these funds.

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How to Apply

Applications may be submitted at any time and are evaluated in bi-monthly rounds. Applications must be initiated by an OCE Business Development Manager, who will be available to assist with developing the application and will maintain responsibility for the oversight of approved projects.

Applications are only accepted through OCE’s online AccessOCE system where full application and program partner requirements are listed.

More details on the application process