Ontario’s universities, colleges and research hospitals develop cutting edge solutions to common problems and industry needs. Ontario Centres of Excellence’s (OCE’s)  Market Readiness program helps researchers and companies commercialize a promising innovation developed in an Ontario publicly funded academic research institution, via a newly created company or significant licensing opportunity in Ontario. Market Readiness advances innovations (technical, business, social) to the next stages of commercialization into a marketable product or service.

The program enables the transfer by supporting key activities such as:

• technology/innovation assessment
• market assessment and strategy
• prototype design and development
• material characterization
• proof of concept demonstration
• business and other plan development
• pilot trials
• clinical evaluation/feasibility
• product validation
• new company start-up
• key position staffing

IP protection costs are the responsibility of the applicant; however, OCE may consider supporting a start-up which has the right to commercialize the IP, with up to $5,000 for patent filing costs.

Applicants can apply for different levels of funding (Phase I, Phase II, or
Phase III) through the Market Readiness program depending on the stage of their IP, market strategy, innovation development and business plan.

More details on the overall Market Readiness program