OVIN — C/AV and Smart Mobility — Stream 1

• Signed Letter of Support from contributing Partner organizations

Who is eligible?

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 500 global full-time employees

Eligible expenses

• Actual costs directly attributable to and necessary for the completion of the project
• One-time costs directly attributable to project implementation, documented through invoices, receipts, or records
• Travel expenses that are explicitly project-related and represent the most economical option; travel outside Ontario requires OCI pre-approval
• Incremental salary and benefits for company employees working exclusively on eligible project activities, claimed in proportion to time spent
• Approved subcontractor and consultant fees, plus project-related R&D costs, hardware and software, direct materials, equipment use, training, professional services, and premises costs

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Institutional overhead
• Costs outside Ontario unless otherwise approved by OCI
• Proposal development costs, meals and incidentals, commuting costs, passport and immigration fees, and expenses of a personal nature
• Ongoing production costs, working capital, taxes, interest and financing charges, bonuses, dividends, cash incentives, merger and acquisition costs, parking, meals and entertainment, gifts, alcoholic beverages, and lobbying or government relations activities
• Infrastructure costs except IT related, and tangible capital costs such as land, buildings, and vehicles

Eligible geographic areas

• Ontario

• Clarity of the challenges, market opportunity, expected economic benefit to the companies and Ontario, and potential benefit to Ontario’s transportation ecosystem
• Technical merit, novelty, and ability of the innovation to address challenges and market opportunities
• Expertise and experience of the team members, clarity of roles and responsibilities, and evidence of collaboration
• Potential impact and outcomes to the automotive and smart mobility sector, including social and environmental benefits
• Clarity, feasibility, and appropriateness of the project plan and budget, overall quality and completeness of the application, and the strategy and capacity to bring results to market or implement solutions

• Complete the client intake form to begin the EOI submission process.
• An OCI Business Development Manager will contact you to discuss the opportunity and assist with developing your Full Application.
• Your Business Development Manager must endorse your application for eligibility and suitability before submission.
• Submit your Full Application using OCI’s AccessOCI web portal.
• Include a signed Letter of Support from contributing Partner organizations with the application.

• Full Applications are reviewed for eligibility, completeness, and financial compliance.
• Eligible applications are reviewed by independent external reviewers with domain and sector expertise.
• ERP makes funding recommendations to OCI’s Internal Review Panel, which makes the final decision.
• Successful applicants are notified by OCI and receive the conditions and information needed to activate the project.
• The Applicant, Primary Partner, and Secondary Partners must execute the OCI Funding Agreement within 30 days of the award announcement; unsuccessful applicants are notified by OCI and may receive feedback from their BDM.

• Applicants should start negotiations with their project Partner(s) regarding intellectual property, preferably before submission of the application.
• All public communications about the project, OVIN, or Ontario funding require OCI review and approval before release.