R&D Partnership Fund – Electric Vehicle (EV) Stream 1

Qualification Criteria: - Lead Applicant: Must be a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) with fewer than 500 global full-time employees. - Operations: The applicant must have registered operations in Ontario and the project must be carried out within the province. - Partnership: Requires a collaboration between the lead applicant and at least one partner (e.g., another SME, a multinational enterprise, a municipality, an Indigenous community, or a transit authority). - Technology Readiness: Projects must be at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3 to 9. This means the program focuses on pre-commercialization activities rather than basic research. Qualifying Projects: The fund prioritizes projects in the following categories: - Vehicle Types: Mass light vehicles (cars, trucks, vans) and heavy-duty vehicles (buses, commercial trucks). - Battery Tech: Battery management systems, battery chemistry, materials, and manufacturing processes. - EV Components: Electrified powertrains, electric motors, and transmission systems. - Infrastructure & Fleet: Charging systems, EV fleet management, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). - Alternative Power: Hydrogen fuel cells and alternative fuel cell EVs. Ineligible Expenses: - Basic Research: Projects at TRL 1-2 (proving initial feasibility or fundamental scientific research) are not eligible. - Routine Operations: General day-to-day business expenses not directly tied to project deliverables. - Capital Infrastructure: Standard, non-project-specific infrastructure costs. - Sales & Marketing: General marketing or sales activities that are not part of the technology demonstration. Additional Details: - Funding Amount: Up to $100,000 CAD in grant funding. - Cost-Sharing: A minimum 2:1 match is required. For every $1 requested from OVIN, the applicant and partners must contribute $2 (either cash or in-kind, though a significant cash component is typically expected). - Duration: Projects must be completed within a maximum of 12 months. - 2026 Timeline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. For the 2025/2026 cycle, Round 3 notifications are expected by March 25, 2026.