Life Sciences Scale-Up Fund (LSSUF)

Who is eligible?

• Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the life sciences sector.
• Companies within the human health sciences industry.
• Organizations based in Ontario or intending to relocate to Ontario by the project start date.

Who is not eligible

• Life science companies in the Food and Animal Sciences industries are not eligible.

Eligible expenses

• Construction and facility modifications or upgrades, with approval from Ontario.
• Site servicing and power service upgrades required to execute the project.
• New hardware and software necessary for the successful completion of the project, including setup costs and maintenance.
• Equipment associated with new technology or systems directly related to the project.
• Direct material costs necessary for configuring and testing production processes and systems.
• Software licensing costs are eligible only for the duration of the project up to the project completion date.
• Incremental specialized labour directly related to the project, eligible to a maximum of the project duration.
• Costs of specialized expertise required for the project, including third-party engineering services, software development, and project management.
• Costs involved in providing employees with training and development required for the project for their role(s).
• Costs incurred for permits, inspections, and other fees directly attributable to the project.
• Purchases related to the project from suppliers located outside Ontario.

Eligible geographic areas

• Companies based or planning to locate in a community within Ontario.

• The Life Sciences Scale-Up Fund (LSSUF) is a discretionary program, meaning there is no guarantee of funding even if an applicant fulfills all eligibility criteria and program objectives.
• Successful companies must commit to sustaining the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs during the project and for an additional 12 months post-project.
• There are specific obligations concerning job creation and retention outlined in the funding agreement, with potential clawbacks if commitments are unmet.
• Applicants will need to submit interim and final reports detailing project progress, expenses, and outcomes to receive fund disbursements.
• Costs incurred before the project start date or costs for which rebates, credits, or refunds can be received are ineligible.
• Approved projects receive funding disbursements only after the funding agreement is fully executed, and specific conditions such as proof of financing and insurance are met.
• Applications must include a Tax Compliance Verification number, and approved companies must subsequently provide an Ontario TCV certificate before fund release.
• LSSUF applications are processed through Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) platform.
• Public announcements of approved projects include a project description, investment commitments, government support amounts, and progress reports.
• Information submitted may be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
• Companies must maintain financial records for seven years from their creation for audit purposes.
• There is no allowance for stacking with other provincial programs for the same project, except for specific situations like tax credits.
• A company’s employment footprint in Ontario must be maintained as per the funding agreement, with deviations considered an event of default.
• The program allows funding stacking with federal sources up to 67% of eligible project costs.
• Mergers and acquisitions, shareholder payments, and costs not directly associated with meeting funding agreement deliverables are ineligible.