Grant
Federal
Active
Innovation Factory SOPHIE Commercialization Program
Innovation Factory / Synapse Consortium / FedDev Ontario
Maximum Funding
Up to $100,000
Rolling — applications reviewed continuously; program funding runs April 2024...
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Milestone-Based
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
44%
Innovation Factory SOPHIE Commercialization Program provides Up to $100,000 in non-dilutive FedDev Ontario funding, requiring a 1.25x applicant match in cash and in-kind. SOPHIE gives Ontario-based life science firms up to $100,000 in non-dilutive FedDev Ontario funding for a commercialization project run with a Hamilton-area academic or clinical partner — McMaster University, Mohawk College, Hamilton Health Sciences or St. The program covers up to 44% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
SOPHIE gives Ontario-based life science firms up to $100,000 in non-dilutive FedDev Ontario funding for a commercialization project run with a Hamilton-area academic or clinical partner — McMaster University, Mohawk College, Hamilton Health Sciences or St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. The firm must match 1.25x the FedDev contribution in cash and in-kind, and identify a principal investigator or clinical champion at the partner institution. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a Canadian incorporated company with operations primarily based in Ontario.
- Must be a life science firm.
- Must be developing an innovative technology at the TRL-6 level or above.
- Must provide a 1.25x match as cash and in-kind contributions against the FedDev Ontario amount.
- Must identify a principal investigator or clinical champion at the academic or clinical partner institution where the proposed project will take place.
- The project must be a collaborative commercialization project with a Hamilton-area academic or clinical institution such as McMaster University, Mohawk College, Hamilton Health Sciences or St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.
- Applications are accepted and reviewed on a continuous, rolling basis; there is no cost to apply.
- Funding is disbursed in stages on a reimbursement basis, so the firm must be able to carry project costs before being repaid.
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $100,000 in non-dilutive FedDev Ontario funding, requiring a 1.25x applicant match in cash and in-kind
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 44% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Rolling — applications reviewed continuously; program funding runs April 2024 to March 2028
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
3/5
Moderate — standard application process
Competition
3/5
Moderate competition — prepare a strong application
Difficulty
3/5
Moderate — standard requirements
Processing Time
Budget Trend
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipTwo things trip people up.
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Evaluation Criteria
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The pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win Innovation Factory SOPHIE Commercializatio...
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 9-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 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
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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6 steps
9 docs
Application Steps
1
Check eligibility Confirm you are a Canadian incorporated company with operations primarily based in Ontario, developing a life science technology at TRL-6 or above, and able to provide a 1.25x cash and in-kind match.
Required Documents 9
✓ SOPHIE application form (company information, team qualifications, company profile and technology overview, proposed project, estimated project performance metrics, marketing information)
✓ Organization full legal name and proof of incorporation, including whether the organization is a subsidiary
Eligible Expenses 5
Ineligible Expenses 4
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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Stacking partner data not yet available.
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Low Risk
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How Innovation Factory SOPHIE Commercializatio... Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovation Factory SOPHIE Commerciali... | Up to $100,000 | Moderate | Milestone-Based | Rolling — applications... |
| PrairiesCan (Prairies Economic Develo... | Varies | Hard | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| InBC Investment Fund | $3M–$10M | Hard | Equity | Ongoing |
| Life Sciences Scale-up Fund (LSSUF) | Up to 33% of costs, to a max of... | Hard | Varies | 2026 intake open June 22... |
| Life Sciences Innovation Fund (LSIF) | Up to $500,000 | Moderate | Equity | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Innovation Factory SOPHIE Commercializatio...
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Do I have to put up matching funds?
Yes. SOPHIE requires a 1.25x match in cash and in-kind contributions against the FedDev Ontario amount, so a full $100,000 award means finding roughly $125,000 of your own contribution.
Do I need a hospital or university partner before I apply?
No. Apply first — the SOPHIE team reviews within 1-2 weeks and then holds an introductory meeting specifically to identify a suitable principal investigator or clinical champion for your project.
When does the money arrive?
In stages, on a reimbursement basis, against milestones set out in the SOPHIE Commercialization Project contract. You incur eligible costs first and are repaid after.
Does my company have to be in Ontario?
Yes. You must be a Canadian incorporated company with operations primarily based in Ontario, and the project must run with a Hamilton-area academic or clinical institution.
Is there an application deadline?
No. Submissions are accepted continuously and reviewed on a rolling basis. Program funding runs April 2024 to March 2028, and Innovation Factory notes reviews may take longer than usual.
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Full Playbook: Innovation Factory SOPHIE Commercializatio...
6 steps · 9 docs · reviewer insights