What potential clients need to know first

CCR Clients – Eligibility Criteria

CCR is interested in working with clients who meet the following criteria:

Eligible sectors/technology type

Opportunities in the following sectors:

• Energy, environment and natural resources
• Health and medical technologies
• Information and communications technologies
• Convergent technologies in the above sectors.

Enterprises / Individuals who are eligible

• High potential entrepreneurs
• Emerging enterprises with breakthrough innovations
• The innovations should involve technologies developed by Canadian publicly funded research institutions, such as Universities, Colleges, Research Hospitals etc. The company may be a direct spin-off from the University or the technology could have been acquired under licence from the research institution or
• The company should have a formal relationship with such an institution, i.e. a research collaboration or
• The company intends to set up such a relationship as part of the commercialization plan, e.g. acquire a licence from a research institution or set up a research collaboration

Eligible activities

Activities should be related to commercialization and address market-directed business needs.

Examples are business intelligence, market research, marketing, governance, management, business planning, financing, product validation and intellectual property.

Eligible costs

Contributions to funding

Where funding is arranged, the company, or other partners, must be able to at least match the amount, in cash or in-kind. Examples of in-kind contribution include, the time of someone working on the project and the value of project essential infrastructure items.

Intellectual Property and Infrastructure ownership

The Intellectual Property and Infrastructure associated with the project remain entirely in the possession of the company and CCR does not claim any ownership or exploitation rights over them.

Relationship between funding provided and other sources of funding

It is desirable to have complementary sources of support and funding for the same item, e.g. embedded executive, professional services etc. The aim is to bring together partners with complementary resources to increase the probability of success.

More about CCR's Resources

Facilitated Access to Business Resources - Advice and direct assistance to access to a range of business services and resources including funding, market research, highly qualified people, professional services, industry networks, intellectual property management, training and other business needs.

Eligibility: Any entities, or individuals involved in the commercialization of research.

Commercialization Resources - Assistance and financial support to achieve a specific commercialization milestone enabling the company to advance their commercialization plan.

CCR may share the costs with the company of achieving a well articulated and meaningful commercialization milestone. Specific commercialization needs addressed must fit with the eligible commercialization costs.

Eligibility: An incorporated Canadian corporation with unique and proprietary offering which has defensible intellectual property (IP) and an addressable market. Must have a business plan. The company must be able to provide matching costs. CCR funding is repayable under a Memorandum of Understanding.

Embedded Executives - Assistance and financial support to acquire the services of an experienced entrepreneur or business executive to work inside the company for a limited time as an embedded executive.

The assignment will be designed to match the company's specific needs and resources. A typical assignment would place an embedded coach inside the company for 4-6 months. Compensation options for executives may include pro bono arrangements, honoraria, and future considerations such as equity or conditional deferred fees. The company and CCR will jointly select an executive from OCE's extensive network of management experts.

Eligibility: An Incorporated Canadian corporation with unique and proprietary offering which has defensible IP and an addressable market. Must have a preliminary business plan. The company must be able to provide matching compensation to the candidate. CCR funding is repayable under a Memorandum of Understanding.

Facilitated access to capital - Advice and assistance to determine the best financing options available to the company, and introductions to national and international investors through OCE's expanding network. CCR will broker the arrangements and the terms of its financial contribution which could include promissory notes and convertible debentures and in selected cases could include a management fee. Typical leverage is 5:1

Eligibility: An incorporated Canadian corporation with an offering unique and proprietary which has defensible IP and an addressable market. Must have a formal business plan.

New Entrepreneur Micro-Finance - Assistance and financial support to pre-incorporated and early stage start-ups by providing young entrepreneurs with just enough capital to get an idea off the ground. Each entrepreneur involved in the project receives up to $6,000 in financial support (to a maximum of $18,000 per project) with favourable repayment terms. Typically a loan at prime interest rate + 2% repayable if the company is cash flow positive within two years.

Above all, entrepreneurs at this stage benefit enormously from the expertise and time provided by CCR and its partners. They are also provided with introductions and connections to a vast array of networks, potential partners and customers.

Eligibility: New entrepreneurs able to work in Canada who have unique and proprietary offerings which will have a national or worldwide market. Recipients must be enrolled in or have just graduated from a Canadian college or university and be prepared to work on the project full time for a minimum of 3 months. If this is a pre-incorporated start-up and the project is successful, the recipients must agree to transfer the technology into a new or existing start-up incorporated in Canada.

Event Sponsorship - CCR will sponsor investment in commercialization focused events and initiatives in Canada based on individual merit and alignment with CCR's strategic objectives.

Funding levels - The maximum funding available to one company is $250,000. Any other requirements are reviewed on a case by case basis.

Engagement Process

1. Initial Engagement

Company submits basic information about themselves and their innovation to CCR.

A CCR representative sits down with a company representative to discuss whether CCR and the company would be a good fit.
If the company passes this initial screening, they move to the Assessment step (see below).

For further details about this step, click here.

2. Assessment

Company must be prepared to disclose the details of their business so an in-depth needs analysis can be undertaken. CCR and the company will jointly decide on a number of items including the following:

• Best strategy for the company
• Which partners and other organizations may offer the right assistance
• Whether other technologies would strengthen the company's IP position
• High level elements of a project plan
• How to integrate the company into the CCR network to capture other benefits

For further details about this step, click here.

3. Develop a Proposal for Funding

The company prepares the proposal and submit it for approval.

If approval is given, additional terms, milestones, deliverables and financial details are also stated.

For further details about this step, click here.

4. Project Execution

The company is issued with a contract.

Once the project begins, the CCR representative will monitor progress on an on-going basis and offer advice.

The company will be required to submit information for interim and final reviews. Reviews must take place at least every six months.

For further details about this step, click here.

5. The Continuing Relationship

Following the final review, the CCR representative will make recommendations for next steps for the company. The CCR representative will continue to offer assistance and look out for new opportunities for the company well beyond completion of the project.

For further details about each stage of the engagement process click here.

The maximum funding available to one company is $250,000. Any other requirements are reviewed on a case by case basis.

The Centre for Commercialization of Research is supported by the federal government through a Networks of Centres of Excellence program.