inclusion | diversity | environment | acceleration

inclusion

diversity

environment

acceleration

Driving sustainable and circular economy growth in southern Ontario.

i.d.e.a. Fund is a program that fosters inclusion, diversity, environment and acceleration while driving sustainable and circular economy growth, and is delivered in partnership with the following Ontario Regional Innovation Centres (RICs): Boundless Accelerator™, Innovate Niagara, Innovation Factory, Launch Lab, TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario, and WEtech Alliance.

This program will provide specialized industry expertise to develop growth plans and related strategies in areas such as talent attraction, raising follow-on investment, product development and quantification of product benefits/market value propositions, commercialization of intellectual property, and market diversification. Each RIC will distribute up to a maximum of $20,000 in matching seed funding to select innovative businesses in various sectors.

The i.d.e.a. Fund will drive sustainable and circular economy growth by accepting high-potential businesses that commit to developing new green products, services, processes, and technologies and/or redesigning existing products, services, processes, and technologies to reduce their environmental impacts.

Applications for Cohort 3 of i.d.e.a. Fund closed on September 30, 2024. Successful applicants were notified in October and the full list of Cohort 3 recipients was announced publicly on December 13, 2024. Please note that previous i.d.e.a. Fund participants are not eligible to apply for future cohorts. Information regarding applications for Cohort 4 of i.d.e.a. Fund will be released in Summer 2025.

If you have specific questions, contact your Regional Innovation Centre or the i.d.e.a. Fund Program Manager.

Join us for a virtual information session to learn more about this exciting new program! There will be an opportunity for live Q&A with the i.d.e.a. Fund team throughout each session. Registration for Cohort 4 Information Sessions will open in Summer 2025.

Seed Funding & Support

You may receive

• Non-repayable seed funding of up to $20,000 with matching funds
• Up to 30 hours of fully funded, targeted support from business leaders

Expert Help

Our experts have the knowledge and experience to help you address challenges and move your business forward in all areas including:

• growth plans and strategies 
• talent attraction   
• raising follow-on investment   
• market diversification   
• product development 
• quantification of product benefits  
• market value propositions 
• commercialization of intellectual property 
• and more

Interested in applying?

We’re looking for 72 companies that meet the following eligibility criteria:

• One or two team members of the business’ leadership team are available to participate in the program
• The applicant must be an early-stage business or Small to Medium Enterprise (1-499 employees), and the business must be headquartered in Southern Ontario (regions are outlined in Appendix A)
• Business must be incorporated (Ontario or federal) and be a registered for-profit business (non-profits are not eligible to apply to i.d.e.a. Fund)
• Business owner/founder must be working in the business full-time
• Business must have a scalable product or service
• One or two team members are available to participate in an online certificate program with the University of Guelph

i.d.e.a. Fund Program Partners