Call for projects SOVAR

• Three projects will receive funding: two grants of $15,000 and one grant of $20,000.
• Each project may request between $15,000 and $20,000 in financial aid.
• A maximum total amount of $50,000 will be distributed among all selected projects each year.

• The applicant must be a researcher affiliated with CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, CRCHUL, or CIUSS Capitale-Nationale.
• The project must have an invention disclosure filed with one of the eligible institutions before the application deadline.
• The project must be in a valorization phase with Axelys and have either a full valorization service request or an a la carte service request to support funding.
• A letter of support from a relevant adopter or organization involved in the commercialization pathway must be included.
• The project must be conducted over a maximum period of 24 months.

Who is eligible?

• Researchers affiliated with CHU de Québec
• Researchers affiliated with Université Laval
• Researchers affiliated with Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Who is not eligible

• Companies that are not derived from public research affiliated with the CHU de Québec, Laval University, or the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi.
• Organizations whose projects have not been the subject of an invention disclosure to the aforementioned institutions.
• Companies that do not carry out technology commercialization work under the supervision of Axelys.

Eligible expenses

• Salaries for personnel assigned to the project.
• Purchase of consumables needed for project maturation.
• Fees for external consultants.
• Field experimentation costs.
• Other expenses supporting project valorization (excluding patent fees).
• Indirect research costs.

Eligible geographic areas

• CHU de Québec
• Université Laval
• Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

• Relevance and impact of the project (35 points): Assesses whether the innovation addresses a well-identified problem, its potential to advance the solution toward adoption by end-users, and its demonstrated social, environmental, and/or economic impact.
• Research team and deployment plan (25 points): Evaluates the credibility and capability of the research team, adequacy of the transfer and commercialization plan, and the robustness of intellectual property management aligned with deployment goals.
• Project quality (40 points): Considers the overall quality of the project approach, clarity and achievability of objectives, coherence between objectives and financial/timeline planning, and the clear demonstration of financial need for Sovar funding.

• The funding is classified as a private grant even though applicants may combine it with public funding.
• No in-kind or cash contribution is required from the project team.
• The evaluation results will be communicated in the week of October 7, 2024.
• A letter of support from a relevant partner or end-user organization is mandatory and must outline their interest and role in the commercialization process.