The Canadian government through Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) has introduced the IP Assist program for innovative Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
IP Assist aims to provide SMEs with access to experts in IP that can help them increase their IP Awareness (Level 1 / L1), develop an IP Strategy (Level 2 / L2) and implement IP actions defined in their IP Strategies (Level 3 / L3).
As of recent official announcements, the amount of potential funding currently may include:
- L1 — up to $1k
- L2 — up to $20k
- L3 — up to $20k+
A percentage co-payment is required. The grant amounts require pre-approval by your local IRAP representative.
The L1 IP Awareness is a one-to-one IP awareness session with the SME during which they will provide industry-specific IP information and guidance to the SME. L1 engagement provides the IP professional with an opportunity to connect, support and guide innovative Canadian SME to help them achieve their business goals. Engagements with SMEs will take, on average, up to 3 hours and includes an IP awareness presentation followed by Q&As.
The L2 IP Strategy is relates to the IRAP SME’s specific technology space, aligns with the IRAP SMEs business objectives, and provides the IRAP SME with specific prioritized IP actions. The IP Strategy needs to be informed by key relevant information relating to the technology and competitor landscapes relevant to the IRAP SME.
The L3 IP Implementation relates to detailed IP asset assessments, such as IP audits, trademark clearance searches, prior art searches and analysis, advice on branding strategy, legal analysis of IP landscaping, patentability analysis, licensing strategy formulation, and other activities. Some patent and trademark preparation services and filing fees may not be covered.