Research Grants | Innovate BC

Eligibility

Focus Area: projects must involve the areas of natural resources or applied sciences and must outline the business or industry problem you are solving.
Teams: projects must be a B.C.-based partnership made up of at least one academic partner (university researcher) and at least one industry partner (company or organization).
Matching: projects must secure matching funds from industry or government sources at a ratio of 2:1 matching dollars to Ignite dollars
Timing: projects must plan to go to market within a 3-year timeframe.

What is the maximum amount I can request from Ignite?

You can request up to $300,000. Funding is paid in annual instalments of approximately equal amounts, following submission of annual reports.

What is required for 2:1 matching?

Applicants are required to secure $2 external matching dollars for every $1 requested from Ignite. External matching dollars can come from industry, government or a combination thereof. A maximum of 50% of the matched funds can be from government sources, including federal funding sources such as NSERC, IRAP & Mitacs. A maximum of 50% of the matching funds can be from in-kind sources. An example is given below to illustrate:

Sample Matching Funds Breakdown #1:

$300,000 Ignite Funding Request

$150,000 cash funding from industry or academic sources
$150,000 in-kind funding from industry
$300,000 cash funding from government

This sample budget works because there is a 2:1 match on the Ignite funding request ($300K Ignite, $600K matching), and government and in-kind matching are each not more than 50% of the total match.

Sample Matching Funds Breakdown #2:

$300,000 Ignite Funding Request

$150,000 cash funding from industry or academic sources
$150,000 in-kind funding from government
$300,000 cash funding from government

This sample budget would not be approved. Although it does include the required 2:1 match on the Ignite funding request, government funding from cash and in-kind sources is greater than 50% of the total match.

Do I need to secure matching funds before applying?

No, but applications with secured matching funds may be viewed more favorably by the review panel.

My company is a government contractor. Can I still get matching funds from the government?

Yes. However, the majority of your company’s revenue must come from sales — not government aid.

Can I claim retroactive expenses?

No, this funding does not cover retroactive expenses prior to the start date indicated in your application.

What can I spend the funding on?

Research and development expenditures. Eligible costs include but are not limited to:

Salaries/stipends
Materials, supplies and equipment (e.g. prototyping, scale-up, product refinement, validation studies, etc.)
Activities related to technology transfer and commercialization (e.g. sharing of patenting and licensing fees with university, consulting fees for IP strategy, etc.)
Travel and accommodation for collaborative purposes
Indirect administrative costs (e.g. university overhead)

How does my company access the funds?

The program does not fund companies directly. All members in the partnership must agree that the primary academic partner's institution will receive and administer the funding. A formalized partnership agreement is required for the proposal stage.

What do I need for an eligible partnership?

The partnership must have at least one academic partner and one industry partner. The majority of your partners must be based in B.C. and be able to exploit the research results in B.C.

What do you mean by “based in B.C.”?

Organizations must be registered in B.C. and have a significant presence in the province. Multinationals may be eligible if they have project-related commercial activities that take place in B.C.

Can I have a partner from outside of B.C. or Canada?

Partners from outside the province or country are welcome, provided:

the majority of the team is from B.C.,
that an eligible B.C. organization maintains a leading role throughout the project,
results will be exploited in B.C., and
the contributions of non-B.C. members are clearly demonstrated.

Can you match me with a partner?

Yes, thanks to our close collaboration with Mitacs. If interested, please reach out to Business Development Specialist, Marcelo Mora.

Who owns the IP?

IP and its ownership should be discussed with your partner(s) before submitting the application.

If my application is successful, when do I receive the funding?

The process involves two stages and takes approximately 6 months. Then, funds are paid in annual instalments of approximately equal amounts based submission of annual reports.

How likely am I to get the funding?

Ignite is a competitive process. Approximately 40% of applicants are invited to submit a full proposal and 30-40% of proposals are awarded funding. However, this varies on the number and quality of applications received.

My project has already started, can I still apply?

Yes, but Ignite funds cannot be used retroactively.

Can start-ups apply?

Yes, as long as you meet the application criteria. We also recommend you be able to demonstrate strong financial, managerial and strategic business capability to bring the innovation to market.

I’ve received this funding before. Can I apply again?

Yes, but you must apply with a different project.

Do I need a formal research agreement with my partner(s) to apply?

No, but it is viewed favourably. At a minimum, the roles, responsibilities and IP arrangements should be defined before applying. You should also ensure you are aware of relevant policies and procedures at your partner's institution.

What do you mean by "commercialization"?

Commercialization of a technology is considered to have occurred when a customer purchases a technology product. Successful commercialization occurs when an identified ‘problem’ is solved. These problems are identified by industry or the marketplace. Commercialization is the process or cycle of introducing a new product or production method into the market. The technology must get through the prototype phase and be reasonably scalable to be considered to have the potential to be commercial. Therefore, the development part of research and development requires time and money as systems are engineered that will make the product or method a valuable commercial proposition. Having a market that demands the product is critical. Companies that are commercializing need to access these markets to find early adopters who are demanding solutions or tolerant of trying innovative technologies with their inherent risks.

Hayden Francis

Hayden loves finding opportunities, connecting people with resources, and forging partnerships to enable the advancement of innovation. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Management and Commercial Law, focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. He has contributed to the success of a diverse portfolio of businesses, in information technology, building construction, and most recently in clean energy and sustainability in the built environment.

Finlay MacNab

Research Scientist, Materials Chemistry, Simon Fraser University

Mr. MacNab is an accomplished research scientist with a broad understanding of the BC innovation ecosystem. He has over a decade of experience as a research scientist building novel telecommunications, microelectronic, and photovoltaic devices. Finlay holds a Master’s degree from McGill University in materials chemistry and a graduate certificate in technology commercialization from SFU.

Alexa Young

Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, BC Council of Forest Industries

Alexa brings more than 15 years of leadership experience in public affairs, policy, and sustainability in the technology and resource sectors across Canada and internationally. She holds a MSc in Politics and Communications from the London School of Economics, a BAH in Political Science from Queen’s and a Professional Specialization in Public Policy and Governance from UVic.

Acuva Technologies

Acuva Technologies was created based on the research coming out of UBC, says President and CEO, Manoj Singh. Together, they have developed and commercialized high precision purifiers that require no maintenance and little power, making clean water accessible all over the world, even in developing nations. With the help of the Ignite program, Acuva Technologies is now the leader in this sector, their “Eco 1.5” being the first and only UV-LED drinking water purifier in the world to receive NSF/ANSI 55 Class B Certification.

Aspect biosystems

Dr. Konrad Walus of UBC and industry partner Aspect Biosystems, a leader in clinical 3D bio-printing and human tissue engineering, are developing a turn-key manufacturing platform that will allow for the scaling up of tissue production in a robust and highly repeatable manner. The 3D printed tissues will be used to radically advance the future of drug development, regenerative medicine, and cellular therapies where animals are no longer needed for the discovery of new therapeutics, where doctors know how a patient will react to a drug before prescribing it, and where lifesaving transplant organs are created, not harvested.

Standard Lithium

Dr. Jason Hein of UBC and industry partner Standard Lithium are developing a novel process, known as the SIFT technology, for recovering high purity lithium from waste brine using a unique crystallization process. The growing demand for high-grade lithium is being driven by the rapid adoption of both electric vehicles and solar, wind and tidal power systems to reduce environmental emissions. The SIFT technology will solve the significant supply, cost, and logistical problems facing the lithium mining and recovery industry globally.

Performance BioFilaments

Dr. Jack Saddler, UBC, is working with Performance Biofilaments to incorporate nanocellulose products derived from wood pulp into high-tech, lightweight, composite thermoplastics for the automotive manufacturing and sporting goods markets. The pursuit of these non-traditional applications of wood cellulose will establish new markets and push the development of exceptional, new nanocellulose materials at commercially viable prices, while reducing the amount of plastics used around the world.

Terramera

Dr. Juli Carillo, UBC, and Dr. Zamir Punja, SFU, are working with Terramera, a Vancouver-based plant intelligence company, to make a safer generation of plant-based pesticides derived from Neem and Karanja oils. Their breakthrough technology, known as the Molecular Delivery System (MDS), significantly amplifies their effectiveness, which will enable these environmentally friendly pesticides to outperform their synthetic chemical counterparts, creating a significant environmental impact in BC.

Research + Development Grants

Discover how you can commercialize research and accelerate go-to-market through our Ignite Program.

About the Program

Program Guidelines

Eligibility

Key Dates

Ready to Apply?

FAQ

Stages and Process

Funding

Partnership – Research Project Consortium

Application

Stage 1: Review Panel

Stage 2: Technical Review

Award Winning Stories

Past Ignite Award Winners

Acuva Technologies

Advanced BioCarbon 3D

ARTMS Inc.

Aspect biosystems

Axine Water Technologies

Delta-Q Technologies

Epic Ventures

Excelsense Technologies

Human in Motion Robotics Inc.

Ionomr Innovations Inc.

Jetti Resources

Llama Zoo

Nexe Innovations

Noram Engineering & Constructors Ltd.

MarineLabs

Standard Lithium

Performance BioFilaments

Polymer Research Technologies

Terramera

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