Innovate BC is a Crown Agency of the British Columbia government in Canada. This agency of the British Columbia government funds entrepreneurial support programs throughout the province. Innovate BC supports technology companies and entrepreneurs through programs, sponsorships, and competitions that aid in the commercialization of technology.
Who Are they Funding?
The Innovate BC Ignite program is accepting applications for up to $300,000 in funding to support B.C.-based innovation initiatives in the areas of natural resources, engineering, and applied science. The money is given to groups of academics and business people that work together to tackle a major problem that British Columbians are facing. Previous winners have come from a variety of fields, including cleantech, energy, mining, forestry, agriculture, and more. The Ignite program contributes to the province’s Stronger BC Economic Plan by providing funds to B.C. businesses to help them add value to their sectors, create new employment, and expand throughout the province’s economy. The Ignite programme was created with the goal of advancing research and commercialization efforts for business and academic joint projects that are driven by industry needs and will benefit British Columbia significantly. The programme places a high priority on commercialization outcomes. Ignite funds inventions that have a clearly articulated solution to an existing industry problem are beyond proof of concept but not yet commercial and show the ability to bring the proposed breakthrough to market within three years.
Award Amount and Duration
Awards are worth a maximum of $300,000 (CAD) for a maximum project length of three years. Projects must acquire matching funding from industry or government sources at a 2:1 ratio to Innovate BC’s Ignite dollars ($1 Ignite funds matched with 2 dollars from other sources by applicants).
Competition Deadlines
Ignite Round 12
Deadline to submit application: July 4th, 2022
Deadline for invited applicants to submit a full proposal: September 19th, 2022
Anticipated notice of decision: January 2023
Anticipated funding contracts finalized: March 2023
All applications are due to INNOVATE BC by 11:59 PM PST on the published deadline listed above.
Innovate BC maintains the right to change any deadlines that have been published if necessary. It’s possible that the academic partners’ institution has a deadline for submitting the application to their organization that is sooner than Innovate BC’s. This allows the academic institution to assess and approve the proposal prior to the deadline set by Innovate BC.
Requirements for Applicants
Applicants must be in a British Columbia-based partnership with two or more enterprises to be considered. As project heads, the project collaboration must comprise at least one academic partner from British Columbia and one industrial partner from British Columbia.
To successfully get their discoveries from the research and development phase to market, a partnership must have the appropriate academic, business planning, financial, and technological capabilities. The candidates’ ‘Go-to-Market Expertise’ is a critical element in the project’s evaluation. This should ideally involve individuals from the whole value chain of the project, from researchers to suppliers to end-users.
Although private firms are the most obvious partners for commercializing R&D outcomes, other types of organizations may also be effective partners. Any prospective partner, whether a university researcher, a well-established corporation, a startup, or an industry group, must have a credible plan for monetizing outcomes for the benefit of British Columbia, as well as the knowledge and resources to speed the commercialization of the idea.
How to Apply?
The application process for the Ignite program competition is composed of two mandatory stages:
1. Submission of application
2. Submission of a full proposal (by invitation only)
Application: Applications must be submitted to Innovate BC by the deadline. The application will be submitted through the Innovate BC Smart Simple application platform as follows:
1. See Smart Simple application instructions here.
2. The application cannot include appendices or attachments. Links to additional supporting information can be included for the reviewer’s consideration but should not replace information or answers explicitly
requested in the application.
3. The application must be signed and acknowledged by the primary academic partner and the primary
industry partner as listed on the application. Where required by the university, signatures from the
appropriate authority at the academic institution must also be obtained.
4. An email acknowledgment will be sent once the application is submitted. If you do not receive a
confirmation email, please contact Innovate BC to verify that your application has been received.
5. It is anticipated that approximately 30-40% of applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal.
Backup documentation is highly recommended, as Innovate BC is not responsible for any materials/documentation lost during the digital application process.
Full Proposal
Full proposals are only available to those who have been invited once an application has been evaluated. The deadline for submitting full proposals as indicated above. The total money allocated for the program, as well as the award amount for each successful award recipient, determines the number of Ignite awards available. Each year, Innovate BC expects to finance roughly seven initiatives.
Do you want to learn how to make your application stand out from the crowd? On May 12, join us for an information session. Now is the time to register.
Quotes
“We are supporting innovation across the economy through our StrongerBC Economic Plan to provide more possibilities for B.C. businesses to expand and create jobs for people,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. “Through Ignite and other Innovate BC programs, we are ensuring that British Columbia is recognized as a worldwide innovation leader by assisting in the development of new products and ideas that tackle real-world problems.”
Innovate BC’s Ignite initiative has so far given financing to 34 projects for a total of $8.5 million.
“We’re ecstatic to play a role in catalyzing game-changing innovation.” “Previous winners have taken on enormous challenges to improve the lives of all British Columbians,” says Raghwa Gopal, President + CEO of Innovate BC. “Seeing B.C. firms take on topics like climate change is so inspiring, and it reminds me why we do what we do at Innovate BC.”
Brenda Bailey, Parliamentary Secretary for Technology and Innovation, stated, “B.C. is full of innovators working on novel methods to tackle problems that will improve the lives of British Columbians.” “The Ignite initiative is a fantastic approach to assist these researchers in commercializing solutions that will directly benefit people across our province while also meeting the demands of local industry.”
“Innovation is the engine that drives the economy.” “It allows us to do more with less, maximize new social and environmental advantages, limit negative societal and environmental repercussions, and establish entirely new economic fields,” says Terramera’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Dr. Steve Slater.
Conclusion
Innovate BC promotes innovation in British Columbia so that all British Columbians may benefit from a strong, sustainable, and inclusive innovation economy. Innovate BC is a Crown agency of British Columbia that supports and implements initiatives that assist businesses to start and scale, train individuals to meet labour market demands, and stimulate technology creation, commercialization, and adoption.
Leave a Reply