Solutions Innovatrices Canada — Volet Mise à l'essai ### 📋 Eligible Entities - Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - Private sector companies with innovative products or services - Businesses operating in any industry sector - Companies seeking to validate market demand before full commercialization - Entities with a viable prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) ready for testing ### 💰 Funding Details - Grant Structure: Non-repayable contribution (contingent on market validation results) - Funding Amount: Variable based on project scope and testing requirements - Matching Requirements: Applicants typically required to contribute a portion of testing costs - Conditional Funding: Additional financing available only if innovation demonstrates significant market interest during testing phase - Payment Terms: Funding released upon project approval; additional tranches subject to milestone achievement ### 🛠️ Approved Expenses - User testing and market validation activities - Customer feedback collection and analysis - Beta testing program costs - Focus group sessions and consumer interviews - Prototype refinement based on test results - Third-party testing and evaluation services - Documentation and reporting of test findings - Salaries for personnel directly involved in testing activities - Technology platforms or tools for gathering user feedback ### ⚠️ Conditions & Milestones - Project Timeline: Defined testing period with clear start and end dates - Deliverables: Comprehensive testing report with documented customer feedback and market validation results - Reporting Requirements: Regular progress updates and final evaluation of market interest and viability - Commercialization Intent: Demonstrated commitment to bringing product/service to market following successful validation - Intellectual Property: Applicants must maintain ownership of innovation developments - Performance Milestones: Release of conditional funding contingent on achieving predetermined testing objectives - Eligibility Verification: Confirmation that innovation meets novelty and market-readiness criteria prior to approval