Call for consortia innovation projects in artificial intelligence: collaborative industrial research

PARTENAR-IA – Company

Objectives

The call for consortia innovation projects in artificial intelligence: collaborative industrial research (PARTENAR-IA Entreprise) launched as part of the IMPACT program aims to support the setting up and funding of collaborative research projects, and the development and validation of healthcare technologies. It is aimed at consortia of companies with collaborative research projects in artificial intelligence (AI) involving SMEs or start-ups working with a public research center.

• Improve business competitiveness through the adoption of AI, particularly in sectors where it is not yet widely used, such as the primary and secondary sectors of the economy.
• Encourage collaboration between companies (of all sizes, including startups), as well as with the research and innovation communities, to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence technologies into the business world and, by extension, into society.
• Support structuring projects aimed at the mass adoption of AI in one or more sectors of the economy.
• Ensure the development and consolidation of innovation efforts in the field of AI.
• Contribute to positioning Quebec as a leader in AI development.

Customers

As a Quebec SME, companies must have the following characteristics:

• They must be legally incorporated under federal or Quebec law, and registered with the Quebec Enterprise Registrar.
• They have their head office in Québec, and their employees or subcontractors work mainly in Québec.
• They have 250 or fewer employees in Québec.
• Their assets, including those of associated companies, calculated on a worldwide basis, for the taxation year ending in the calendar year preceding the calendar year in question are less than $50 million.

The following clienteles are not eligible (either individually or as part of a business combination):

• Companies controlled directly or indirectly by a government (provincial or federal) or municipal entity;
• Companies majority-owned by a Crown corporation;
• Companies under the protection of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act or the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act;
• Companies registered with the Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics (RENA). This situation also applies to subcontractors registered with RENA and expected to carry out work on the project;
• Companies that, during the two years preceding the year of the application for financial assistance, have failed to meet their obligations after having been duly put on formal notice in connection with the awarding of previous financial assistance from the Ministère or Investissement Québec under the Economic Development Fund or Investissement Québec’s own funds;
•  Companies whose ethical conduct is likely to tarnish, even by association, the Québec government’s image of integrity and probity;
• Companies that may be ineligible under the Ministère’s responsible financing policy;
• Holding companies.

Eligibility criteria

• Minimum partnership: Two companies (including at least one Quebec SME) with the collaboration of a research center.
• Research center expenses must represent at least 20% of eligible project expenses;
• The group of companies must share the costs, benefits and intellectual property of the innovation project;
• Each partner company must plan to hire one trainee per year (or the equivalent spread over the duration of the project).
•  Maximum duration: 24 months (2 years)

Project funding details

• Maximum financial assistance is $350,000 per partner company, up to a maximum of $1,500,000 per project;
• Financial assistance covers a maximum of: 50% of eligible project expenses.
• Industrial contributions must correspond to a minimum of 25% of eligible expenses.
• Additional funding from other programs where applicable (e.g. NSERC, MITACS).

Note: Please note that this call may be subject to other conditions imposed by the funder after the project has been submitted.

Application and approval process

The MEDTEQ+ team supports* project teams throughout the process of putting together research proposals. Following initial contact, MEDTEQ+ will provide you with the documentation you need to complete your application.

All applications must be submitted in French, and must include :

• A francization certificate issued by the Office québécois de la langue française, where applicable, for companies employing 50 people or more;
• Supporting documentation attesting to the implementation of an equal access program in compliance with the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (RLRQ, chapter C-12), if applicable, for companies or for-profit organizations with more than 100 employees applying for a grant of $100,000 or more;
• Detailed service offer from suppliers or specialists (other than universities, college technology transfer centers or public research centers) containing the elements described in Appendix A;
• The curriculum vitae of the resource people involved in carrying out the project;
• A budget breakdown including estimated direct labor costs (hourly rate * number of hours), equipment costs and project-related expenses;
• Any other documents required for project analysis.

* For this call, MEDTEQ+ acts as the sponsoring organization for the group of SMEs submitting the project. To access MEDTEQ+ support, a 5% program management fee will be applied, which is part of the eligible expenses covered at 50% by the Ministry’s support. All project participants must be members of the consortium in good standing from the time of project set-up and for the entire duration of the project.

Project approval process

• Sectoral and technical-scientific evaluation by the MEDTEQ+ Scientific Committee;
• Approval by the Board of Directors;
• Submission for financial and economic analysis by Investissement Québec;
• Approval by other programs may be required when applicable;
• Financing agreement with Investissement Québec;
• Sponsor’s contract between MEDTEQ+ and project partners;

Evaluation criteria

Projects submitted will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Project objectives, quality and relevance;
• Innovative nature of the project;
• Commercialization potential;
• Level of commitment from financial partners or stakeholder community;
• The ability of the team and the company or organization to bring the project to fruition;
• Number and suitability of implementing partners;
• Contribution to the development of the next generation;
• Intellectual property protection strategy;
• Benefits for Quebec (economic and social spin-offs, knowledge consolidation, etc.).
• The project’s contribution to wider adoption of AI by the user company.

Download the complete guide below. Please note that it is mandatory to contact MEDTEQ+ in preparation of your application at projet@medteq.ca.

Appel de projets d’innovation des consortiums en intelligence artificielle : recherche industrielle collaborative | Gouvernement du Québec (quebec.ca)

Academic PARTENAR-IA

Objectives

Through Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Quebec government aims to propel Quebec companies towards the adoption of new, more efficient, more up-to-date and more competitive production methods.  This program aims to explore the potential of emerging AI-related technologies, with a view to generating new application ideas and/or validating technological elements within the framework of applied research projects proposed and supervised by industry and led by researchers.

Eligibility criteria

• Existence of a potential value-added application in medical technology linked to AI.
• Minimum partnership: 1 academic partner and 1 industrial partner (including at least 1 SME or start-up), in Quebec.

For the modalities of this call, you can refer to the modalities of the regular calls.