Innovation Factory Canadian Medtech Alliance (CAMEDA) Program
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
CAMEDA gives Ontario-based medical device firms up to $100,000 in non-dilutive FedDev Ontario funding to run a manufacturing project with one of the program's contract development and manufacturing partners — Cortex Design, Engineering CPR, Inertia Product Development, Linamar, McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute, Megalab or Microart. The device must be at TRL-7 or above and the firm must provide a 1.6x cash match, so a maximum award supports roughly a $270,000 project.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a Canadian incorporated company with operations primarily based in Ontario.
- Must be a medical device firm — the program's eligibility is written for medical device firms specifically, not life science firms generally.
- Must be developing a medical device at the TRL-7 level or above.
- Must provide a 1.6x cash matching contribution against the FedDev Ontario amount.
- Must identify a scope of work with a CAMEDA partner where the proposed project will take place. Listed partners are Avania CRO, Cortex Design, Engineering CPR, Inertia Product Development, Linamar, McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute, MegaLab Group and Microart Services.
- Applications are accepted and reviewed on a continuous, rolling basis; there is no cost to apply.
- Funding is released in tranches on a reimbursement basis, so the firm must be able to carry project costs before being repaid.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $100,000 in non-dilutive FedDev Ontario funding, requiring a 1.6x cash match from the applicant
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 37% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Rolling — applications reviewed continuously until all funding is allocated; program funding runs September 2024 to March 2027
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win CAMEDA
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 8-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipThe match is cash, not in-kind — that is the difference between CAMEDA and its sibling SOPHIE, and it is what disqualifies most applicants. A full $100,000 award means finding $160,000 in real cash, and the funding is released in tranches on a reimbursement basis, so you carry it first. On the plus side the CAMEDA partner contributes 4% of project cost in-kind (minimum $2,500), and applying is free. Do not arrive without a partner conversation started: the eligibility criteria require an identified scope of work with a named CAMEDA partner, so pick from the eight listed CDMOs based on what your device actually needs — regulatory testing (Megalab), electronics assembly (Microart), full product development (Inertia, Cortex), or volume manufacturing (Linamar).
Evaluation Criteria
Innovation Factory reviews the application and holds an introduction meeting to explore project suitability, alignment with CAMEDA program goals and which partner fits. Projects succeed if they deliver on three program outcomes: demonstrate a commitment to establishing manufacturing capacity in Canada to support commercialization of new medical device products; define how the project will lead to job creation and maintenance in Ontario; and articulate a strong product value proposition that will attract new or add-on investment and generate revenue and/or global exports. A strong application also states the life sciences problem being solved, why the approach is unique and commercially viable against competitors, the team's professional and educational background, why the project is instrumental to company growth, and the feasibility of the project outcomes.
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 7
- Contract development and manufacturing services delivered by a listed CAMEDA partner
- Design for manufacture and assembly work
- Prototyping, verification and validation testing
- Regulatory, safety and EMC certification testing
- Initial batch manufacturing and pilot production
- Quality management system development and ISO 13485 compliance work
- Supply chain and manufacturing strategy development
Ineligible Expenses 4
- Costs incurred outside the contracted scope of work and budget
- Costs incurred before the CAMEDA Project contract is signed
- Work with a manufacturing partner not on the CAMEDA partner list
- Any cost not approved in the contract's project budget and milestone schedule
Intake Periods
Rolling and continuous — submissions accepted year-round with no intake windows, reviewed until all funding has been fully allocated. Program funding is available from September 2024 to March 2027.
Deadline Notes
There is no application deadline. CAMEDA accepts submissions continuously and reviews them on a rolling basis until all funding has been fully allocated. Funding for the program is available from September 2024 to March 2027, and Innovation Factory warns that the review process for project grants may take longer than usual.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Companies not incorporated in Canada
- Companies whose operations are not primarily based in Ontario
- Firms outside the medical device sector
- Firms whose device is below TRL-7
- Applicants not working with a listed CAMEDA partner
- Sole proprietorships and unincorporated businesses
Applying for CAMEDA? Our Grant Proposal Template ($19) mirrors the section structure Canadian reviewers actually score on. Or get all 4 templates in the Founder Pack ($59 · saves $27) →
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Stacking partner data not yet available.
Clawback Risk
Low RiskNo clawback provisions are published. Because funding is released in tranches on a reimbursement basis against contracted milestones, the practical exposure is that costs outside the approved scope or budget are simply not reimbursed, and the firm's 1.6x cash match is spent regardless of project outcome.
How CAMEDA Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovation Factory Canadian Medtech A... | Up to $100,000 | Moderate | Milestone-Based | Rolling — applications... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about CAMEDA