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Source verified July 31, 2026
Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF)
Ontario co-investment for automotive technology commercialization
Funding available
$ 1,000,000
Deadline
August 11, 2026
Opened July 8, 2026
Location
Ontario, Canada
Who can apply
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 500 global full-time employees.
See full eligibility
Overview
The Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF) provides Ontario SMEs with co-investment of up to $100,000 in Stream 1 or $1,000,000 in Stream 2 to advance automotive and mobility technologies. Eligible projects include development, validation, testing, and demonstration of connected and autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and advanced charging technologies.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Develop a new product or service
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $
- Up to 33% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Ontario
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- 499 employees maximum
Audience
- All groups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Development, testing, validation, demonstration, commercialization, and deployment of automotive and mobility technologies.
- Projects related to Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV), Electric Vehicles (EV), Advanced Charging and Vehicle-to-Grid (A/C & V2G), and Semiconductors and Hardware (S&H).
- Eligible projects must include demonstration of actual products or services that can be showcased in Ontario at events, on the road, to OCI and its partners, and/or at customer sites.
Documents Needed
- Signed Letter of Support from contributing Partner organizations
- Client intake form
Official resources
Program guide
Application form
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 500 global full-time employees.
- Applicants with operations in Ontario.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Research to prove feasibility or basic technology research
Eligible geographic areas
- Ontario
Selection criteria
- Applications are assessed on their merit against program objectives and evaluation criteria.
- OCI will fund qualified projects with potential for the greatest economic benefits and contribution to transportation advancements to Ontario.
- Stream 2 applicants who meet a minimum scoring threshold will be invited to present their proposals in person or by video conference to the ERP.
- Evaluation considers clarity of the challenge and market opportunity, expected economic benefit, technical merit, expertise and collaboration, impact, feasibility of the project plan and budget, strategy to bring results to market, and overall quality and completeness of the application.
How to apply
- Complete a client intake form to begin the process.
- For Stream 2, submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through OCI’s AccessOCI web portal.
- If selected for Stream 2, submit a Full Application through OCI’s AccessOCI web portal.
- For Stream 1, submit the Full Application through OCI’s AccessOCI web portal.
- For Stream 2, applicants whose EOI are selected will be invited to submit a Full Application to OCI.
- For Stream 2, applicants who meet a minimum scoring threshold will be invited to present their proposals in person or by video conference to the ERP.
Processing and Agreement
- The Applicant, Primary Partner, and Secondary Partners must execute the OCI Funding Agreement within 30 days of the announcement of award.
- Reimbursements are triggered by the submission and approval of claims and reports.
- Applicants and contributing Partners must submit the Final Report within 30 days of project completion to be reimbursed for eligible expenses and maintain good financial standing with OCI.
- If a project crosses an OCI fiscal year end (March 31), the Applicant must complete an annual metrics survey each April.
- At one, two and three years after project completion, the Applicant will be sent a retrospective survey to collect data on commercial outcomes from the project.
Additional information
- The program has two streams: Stream 1 and Stream 2.
Other components of this program
Explore related funding streams and grants that belong to the same program.
- C/AV and Smart Mobility — Stream 1Supports development of connected vehicle and smart mobility technologies
- C/AV and Smart Mobility — Stream 2Co-investment for smart mobility development and demonstration
- OVIN — C/AV and Smart Mobility — Stream 1Co-investment for mobility technology development
- OVIN — R&D Partnership Fund – Advanced Charging and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) StreamCo-investment for connected vehicle innovation
Frequently Asked Questions about the Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF) Program
What is the Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF)?
The Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF) provides Ontario SMEs with co-investment of up to $100,000 in Stream 1 or $1,000,000 in Stream 2 to advance automotive and mobility technologies. Eligible projects include development, validation, testing, and demonstration of connected and autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and advanced charging technologies.
How much funding can be received?
Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF) Funds up to 33% of admissible expenses, capped at $1,000,000 per project.
What is the deadline to apply?
The application deadline for this grant program is August 11, 2026. Applicants must submit their complete application before this date to be considered for funding.
Who is eligible for the Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF) program?
To be eligible for the Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF) program, you must:
The applicant must be an SME with fewer than 500 global full-time employees.
The applicant must have operations in Ontario and carry out the project in Ontario.
The project must include one applicant and at least one partner.
What expenses are eligible under Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF)?
Development, testing, validation, demonstration, commercialization, and deployment of automotive and mobility technologies.
Projects related to Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV), Electric Vehicles (EV), Advanced Charging and Vehicle-to-Grid (A/C & V2G), and Semiconductors and Hardware (S&H).
Eligible projects must include demonstration of actual products or services that can be showcased in Ontario at events, on the road, to OCI and its partners, and/or at customer sites.
Who can I contact for more information about the Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF)?
You can contact Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN).
Where is the Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF) available?
The Research & Development Partnership Fund (R&D PF) program is available the province of Ontario.