OCE will issue ENCQOR 5G Academic Technology Development Program Challenge Statements on a rolling basis on the OCE website. Applicants can apply for funding to execute a project in response to an ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm-defined Challenge Statement by submitting an EOI.

All submitted EOIs will undergo an initial internal review by OCE for eligibility and application completeness. Subsequently, EOIs will be reviewed by the ENCQOR 5G anchor firm(s) for fit with the Challenge Statement. Anchor Firms will submit their recommendations to OCE. The OCE Internal Review Panel will make the final decision of applications to be invited to submit a full application.

Preference will be given to EOIs that:

• Address ENCQOR 5G anchor firms’ problem statement and needs;
• Demonstrate applicability and benefit to the specified 5G technology, leading to novel, newly-adapted or adopted processes, products, or services that will keep the iPaaS testbed cutting edge;
• Demonstrate innovation in the context of current technical and commercial developments;
• Demonstrate appropriate skills, resources and methodology to complete the project;
• Demonstrate a close ENCQOR 5G anchor firm-post-secondary institution collaboration;
• Demonstrate opportunity for HQP training, including graduate students;
• Are highly likely to be commercialized/implemented and generate economic benefit for Ontario; and
• Anticipate tangible deliverables in the form of new technologies, new processes, significant skills transfer, job creation, or other benefits to society

Selected EOI applicants will be invited to submit a full application. Full applications will undergo an internal review for completeness and eligible expenses. Following confirmation by OCE of application completeness, applications will undergo review by OCE’s Subject Matter Director.

For applications submitted by colleges, representatives of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) may be included in the external review process, as required, to assess the project’s degree of support of the college’s approved Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA).

Recommendations will be reviewed by OCE’s Internal Review Panel, which will have responsibility for the final funding OCE decision.

Full applications will be evaluated based on assessment criteria, which include, but are not limited to:

• Clarity of the significance of the opportunity, and expected economic benefit to the ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm company and Ontario (e.g. new revenues, job creation/retention, productivity improvements)
• Ability of the innovation to address the ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm challenge
• Expertise and experience of the team members, clarity of roles and responsibilities, and evidence of collaboration
• Clarity, feasibility and appropriateness of the project plan and budget
• Evidence of next steps, and clear strategy and capacity to bring the results to market and/or implement at the ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm company
• Overall quality and completeness of the application

Prior to execution of the final funding agreement with OCE/Innovation ENCQOR 5G, the Applicant institution must have an agreement with the ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm.  This agreement will define a detailed statement of work and formalize the terms of the collaboration between the Applicant Institution and Anchor Firm Partner.

As part of this process the Applicant Institution will be expected to undergo a procurement process with the ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm. This process will vary by ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm Partner and may vary by Challenge Statement.  Requirements may include: negotiations around intellectual property or other requirements as defined by the ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm. 

Applicant Institutions and ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firms are highly encouraged to start discussions around Anchor Firm procurement process expectations as soon as possible after the Applicant Institution has been invited to submit a full application.  Early discussions will ensure that both parties are aware of the expectations and requirements for this process and help to accelerate the contracting process after the project is approved.

Applicant Institutions and ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firms are also encouraged to develop the Anchor Firm Professional Services Agreement Statement of Work (SOW) in parallel with the full application to ensure that there is consistency between the full application content and SOW deliverables.

OCE is not a signatory on the agreement between the ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm and the Applicant Institution should not be included in the procurement process or partnership negotiations. 

When the agreement between the Applicant Institution and the ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm has been executed the Anchor Firm will provide documentation to OCE as confirmation. The Anchor Firm will provide a summary of the Statement of Work as well as a statement regarding the intellectual property agreement between the ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm and the Applicant Institution to be incorporated as a schedule of OCE/Innovation ENCQOR Funding Agreement.

If the ENCQOR 5G Anchor Firm and the Applicant Institution are unable to execute an agreement or if the Anchor Firm Agreement Process causes a significant delay in project activation OCE may consider not awarding the project.

When OCE receives confirmation that the Anchor Firm Professional Services Agreement has been executed the OCE and Innovation ENCQOR Funding Agreement will be generated. The OCE/Innovation ENCQOR Funding Agreement sets out the funding and reporting terms for the project.

A copy of the OCE/Innovation ENCQOR trilateral funding agreement is available for download.  Applicants are encouraged to review this document early in the application process.  OCE/Innovation ENCQOR will not negotiate or make changes to the funding agreements.

When all three parties execute the funding agreement the project will be activated and the project status will change in the AccessOCE system to ‘Active’.