The Engagement Process in Detail

Initial Submission of Information
and Common Weaknesses & Errors

The basic information submitted for the initial screening should consist of the following:

For New Entrepreneur Micro-finance

Application to be 3-5 pages long and include the following information.

Click here for the Application Package.

• What is the Innovation and how is it novel
• Who is the customer?
• What need or gap does it address/solve?
• How do you make money?
• Who are the competitors?
• Who makes up the team?
• What is the project plan?
• What are the expected outcomes?

For other assistance

• Company must supply basic business information, using the CCR application form. Click here for the form.
• Name, address, primary contact, etc.
• Referred by whom (if applicable)?
• Incorporation info (incl. date)
• Link to Canadian publicly funded research institution
• Other sources of support - past/present
• Past links with OCE
• Scale (employees, revenues, etc.)
• Brief description of business, including technology description, category or sector, products, markets, etc.
• Stage of development , incl. financial status
• What you are looking for from OCE
• Business plan or equivalent (mandatory)

Submission timelines

Companies may submit their information to CCR at any time.

Submission of further information

When the company reaches the assessment stage and beyond, the information they will be required to submit will depend on their particular circumstances. The CCR representative will supply full details at that time.

Common weaknesses and errors in applications

• do not have business plan
• do not have a link with a pubic research institution
• do not have defensible intellectual property or high barrier to competition
• believe available funding is a grant

Assessment Criteria

Assessment criteria - What we look for

The information you supply will allow those assessing your company to answer the following questions:

• "How good is the intellectual property?"
• "Is there really a viable market for products based on the intellectual property?"
• "Is there a clear, compelling and competitive reason for the customer to purchase the product?"
• "Can the innovation provide the customer with an advantage in terms of the task completion?"
• "What is the best practice business model for this company?"
• "Can this company manage its way to success?"
• "Will there be new jobs created as a result of the commercialization program?"
• "In which way will the implementation of the commercialization program provide economic benefits?"

Below are the more detailed criteria used when making assessments.

Assessment Stage Criteria

• Sector fit
• Does the innovation fit into CCR priority areas: environment, energy, natural resources, information and communication technologies, health and medical
• Does the innovation match OCE areas of expertise
• Program fit
• Does the plan fit CCR's goals, programs and expertise
• Would another organization be a better fit
• Does the company appear to need what OCE and CCR can provide
• Is the company in a "gap" where other support is lacking
• Is the company willing to abide by CCR due diligence process, work toward business milestones, and provide deliverables including performance data
• Quality of the opportunity
• Are the technology values and market opportunity clear
• Is the intellectual property position strong
• Does the company have the nucleus of a strong team
• Is the company "coachable" - is it willing to accept advice and make necessary changes

Anatomy of a Strong Proposal,
Decision Timing and Peer Review

Anatomy of a Strong Proposal - Proposal Stage Criteria

• Strength of technology and its competitive advantage.
• Does the technology provide a sustainable competitive advantage or is the technology in question only incremental?
• Market opportunity and potential economic impact
• What is the market potential at which the company's product is targeted?
• To what extent will the product or service create economic value?
• Are the competitors known and the level of competition understood?
• Technology strategy and commercialization plan
• Do the proposed activities accurately address the company's needs?
• Is the means by which the company will exploit their technology reasonable?
• Is the marketing strategy appropriate?
• Strength of the team
• Does the team have both the technical and business experience to commercialize the technology?
• Value of the potential investment
• Does the investment promise acceptable leverage and ROI?
• Does the investment generate commercial value from Canadian university research?
• Is the level of risk-sharing appropriate?
• Other considerations
• Will the proposed activities, together with support from any other sources, make the company "investment-ready"?
• Can an appropriate financial arrangement be structured that is acceptable to the client, OCE and relevant partners?
• Will the company bring other future value to the OCE network (e.g., research investments, new partnerships)?

Decision time frames

Provided all the required information is submitted, applicants will be informed of the decision within 30 days.

While all eligible parties are entitled to apply for CCR resources, access to them is provided on merit. Even where an applicant has submitted a complete application and met all CCR program criteria, there is no guarantee the applicant will proceed to the next phase or be awarded funding, as resources are limited. In no case is CCR under obligation to approve funding.

Peer review

Amounts under $30,000 – Projects are reviewed by an internal committee. Decisions are reported to the Commercialization Investment Committee (CIC). Amounts over $30,000 - External review by experts in the field. The written reports by the external experts are are reviewed by the CIC as part of the assessment process. Amounts over $100,000 - External review by an Independent Investment Panel from the financial community. The outcome is reported to the CIC for adjudication.

Expert Reviewers are drawn from OCE’s network of experts and come from academia, industry and the financial community. They are carefully selected on a case by case basis for their knowledge regarding the individual technology or service involved.

Project Execution

Administration of any funding - Contract and release of funds

If the proposal is approved, the company will be issued with a contract. The contract will contain:

• Project definition
• Start/end date
• Specific details on use of funds
• Expected outcomes
• Financial terms

The company must agree to supply performance information during and beyond completion of the project.
Funds will be released to the company on receipt of the signed contract. Disbursement may be in instalments in the following cases:

• Funding amount is large
• Interim goals have been set. Release of subsequent instalments dependent on attainment of goals.

Evaluation of outcomes
Contracts include a commitment to supply performance information during and beyond completion of the project. The company and CCR prepare at least one interim review, and a final report, which document the status and progress against milestones and financial goals as set out in the Proposal. Reviews should take place within six months of each other. The final report includes a recommendation from the CCR for next steps.

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