Ontario Centre of Innovation

The Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) offers a range of funding programs designed to support innovation, commercialization, and collaboration across various sectors in Ontario.

Collaborate 2 Commercialize: This program fosters collaboration between academia and industry to address real-world industry challenges and accelerate the commercialization of intellectual property (IP).

Critical Industrial Technologies (CIT) Initiative: CIT supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ontario to develop new IP faster and at a greater scale. It is designed to drive critical technology adoption across Ontario industries with a focus on: Mining, Advanced Manufacturing (non-auto), Agri-Food, Construction. The CIT initiative is offered by the Government of Ontario, powered by OCI, and consists of five program streams.

Digitalization Competence Centre (DCC): Supported by the Ontario Government, the DCC aims to accelerate the digital transformation of SMEs across Ontario. It helps companies to transition and find made-in-Ontario digital solutions with expert guidance, training and targeted grants. DCC has three program streams listed below to support SMEs in the adoption and implementation of digital technology. Please note, applicants can apply to either DMAP or RMPG, but not both.

Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan (DMAP)
Technology Demonstration Program (TDP)
Retail Modernization Project Grant (RMPG)

Innovating Digital Health Solutions (IDHS) Program: IDHS aims to foster partnerships between Ontario Health Teams and local tech vendors to evaluate and adopt market-ready innovative digital health and/or virtual care solutions that align with provincial health system priorities, improve patient outcomes, and support scalable health innovation. IDHS is a program of the Government of Ontario’s Ministry of Health, administered by the OCI.

Life Sciences Innovation Fund (LSIF): LSIF is an early-stage co-investment fund supporting companies in Life Sciences and Healthcare Technologies in moving innovative and capital-intensive investments related to human health from a conceptual stage through to commercialization. Through the fund, OCI co-invests with angel and other investors to help reduce risk, assisting start-ups in becoming investor and customer ready and helping them to attract follow-on investment.

Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN): OVIN is designed to accelerate the commercialization and adoption of the next generation electric, connected and autonomous vehicle and mobility technologies that contribute to a lower environmental and carbon footprint. OVIN is a Government of Ontario initiative led by OCI. OVIN offers various program streams each of which supports the development and demonstration of automotive technologies and mobility solutions such as connected, autonomous, electric, and smart mobility technologies. Successful applicants can have up to one-third of their project’s funding covered by OVIN, and SMEs must work with an industry partner, or a client, to help bring their technology closer to commercialization.

Ready 4 Market Fund (R4M): R4M functions as a pre-seed investment fund. Through this fund, OCI co-invests alongside angel and other investors in early-stage, Ontario-based start-ups with strong IP, focused on commercializing transformative technologies to support their growth into scalable businesses. These investments reduce risk, strengthen the start-up’s readiness for customers and investors, and help attract private sector co-investment and follow-on funding.