Invest Ottawa Ignition Program
Last Update: January 24, 2025
ON, Canada
Boot camp for technology startups in Ottawa
Invest Ottawa Ignition Program at a glance
Eligible Funding
- No Condition
Timeline
- Open Date : January 1, 2019
Financing Type
Expert Advice
Eligible Industries
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
Grant Providers
- Invest Ottawa
Program status
Open
Overview of the Invest Ottawa Ignition Program program
Participate in a 10-week boot camp designed to help you at the early stages of building a tech or tech-enabled startup. The program includes workshops, one-on-one mentorship, physical work space, and networking opportunities.
Eligible projects & activities
Projects or activities eligible for the IO Ignition Program:
- Entrepreneurs with tech or tech-enabled product ideas
- Early-stage startups looking to validate their startup idea
- Founders who have started talking to customers or have initial sales
- Individuals seeking to build their network with like-minded founders
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 17,000
Launching an online marketplace for local artisans
$ 25,000
Building a platform for freelance digital artists
$ 27,500
Creating a new mobile platform for booking sustainable travel experiences
$ 26,500
Creating an AI-driven personal assistant app for busy professionals
$ 21,000
Implementing a new health tracking app for seniors
Eligibility criteria of the Invest Ottawa Ignition Program program
IO Ignition is a 10-week bootcamp for entrepreneurs looking to validate a tech startup idea and establish a strong business foundation. To be eligible, applicants should be willing to test assumptions, be focused on tech or tech-enabled products, have engaged with customers or made initial sales, and seek to expand their network with other founders.
- Willing to test assumptions
- Focused on tech or tech-enabled products
- Engaged with customers or made initial sales
- Seeking to expand network with other founders
Who is eligible?
Eligible companies for the IO Ignition Program are early-stage startups looking to validate a tech startup idea and build a solid business foundation. They should be in the tech or tech-enabled product space and have started engaging with customers or making initial sales.
- Early-stage startups
- Tech or tech-enabled product companies
- Companies that have started talking to customers or have initial sales
Eligible expenses
There are eligible expenses for this grant. The program offers discounts on business essential software as a service (SaaS) tools that help accelerate growth. Some eligible expenses include:
- Legal services
- Finance and accounting tools
- Equity management software
- Insurance services
- Sales and marketing tools
- Project management software
- Website design services
Eligibility criteria of the Invest Ottawa Ignition Program program
IO Ignition Program evaluates and selects applicants based on specific criteria to ensure a suitable fit for the bootcamp.
- Relevance of the startup idea to the tech industry
- Previous engagement with customers or initial sales
- Desire to challenge assumptions and build a network
- Fit with the Venture Path trajectory
How to apply to the Invest Ottawa Ignition Program program
1
Visit the IO Ignition Program application page.
2
Fill out the application form with your information and details about your startup idea.
3
Submit your application for review.
Apply to this program
Tax CreditsOpen
Ontario, Canada
Refundable tax credit for R&D in Ontario
Open
Ontario, Canada
AI solutions for research security and open-source intelligence advancement
Grant and FundingClosed
Ontario, Canada
Funds to accelerate business growth in Northern Ontario
Grant and FundingClosed
Ontario, Canada
Cost-share funding for rural economic development
Grant and FundingClosed
Ontario, Canada
Funding for businesses in southern Ontario by FedDev Ontario.
Grant and FundingClosed
Ontario, Canada
Financial help to grow a business in Northern Ontario
Grant and FundingOpen
Ontario, Canada
Support for digital modernization for SMEs in Ontario
Wage Subsidies And InternsOpen
Ontario, Canada
Pool of underrepresented talent in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area
Grant and FundingOpen
Ontario, Canada
Enhance food safety systems, adopt new technologies, and drive sector growth
Grant and FundingClosed
Ontario, Canada
Funding for export expertise, training and planning