The ElevateIP program is a federally funded, nationwide initiative designed to empower Canadian start-ups with the critical resources needed to understand, develop, and protect intellectual property (IP) assets. Intellectual property extends beyond patents to include trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs, and trade secrets—vital assets that can define and differentiate your business.
ElevateIP offers financial support of up to $100,000 to help you develop and implement a robust IP strategy, ensuring your innovations are well-protected without the high costs. Take the proactive step today to safeguard your intellectual property.
In collaboration with Communitech and ISED, ElevateIP delivers its support through a comprehensive 3-tiered process:
Unlock three levels of IP support
IP Education & Awareness:
Gain knowledge through consultations, workshops, and online resources to better understand the importance of IP in your business.
IP Strategy Development:
Work on crafting a tailored IP strategy, including patent mining, prior art searches, trademark strategy, and agreement reviews.
IP Strategy Implementation:
Move from strategy to action by creating and securing IP assets, such as drafting and filing patents or trademarks, developing licensing agreements, and conducting open-source audits.
With ElevateIP, you can ensure your start-up is equipped with the tools and knowledge to protect and leverage its intellectual property. Secure your business’s future by investing in a solid IP strategy today!
Questions?
For program questions and
support please contact:
Nermin Sa’d
Director, SUV & ElevateIP
ip@northforge.ca
1-204-262-6400
Are you a law firm or IP professional interested in getting involved?
Please complete our expression of interest form and service provider quote form or contact ip@northforge.ca.
IP-aware SMEs were 2x more likely to see high growth within a three year period.*
59% of SMEs have a basic understanding of patents, yet only 2% possess one.* Securing your assets will provide your business the competitive edge when pitching for investment.
*Source: IP Canada Report 2019
“ElevateIP program has been a game-changer for my start-up, POPP3R Cybersecurity, providing us with the education, resources, and support to develop a comprehensive IP strategy. The team at North Forge made the entire process seamless, offering unwavering support and guidance every step of the way. Through the program’s three-tiered approach and the exceptional assistance from TDS Law, a renowned firm specializing in intellectual property, we gained a deep understanding of IP and identified the key assets that set our business apart from competitors. Thanks to ElevateIP and the expertise of TDS Law, we now have a well-defined IP strategy in place, and our company’s assets are protected, giving us a competitive edge in the market.”
“The support from North Forge’s ElevateIP program has been a fantastic resource for entrepreneurs like us. It simplifies the journey, offering essential tools and guidance. ElevateIP has enabled our business to truly adopt and implement a robust IP strategy. Through the program, we’ve been able to level up our NDA and employee contracts while navigating trademarks, copyrights, and patent searches. The program has turned a costly business function into something more accessible for start-ups like ours.”
Why is IP protection important?
“For most start-ups, IP is a key investment in and component of growth and increasing competitive edge in the market. Failing to develop an IP strategy that properly protects the business’s IP rights at the early stages may result in challenges and obstacles later on that could prevent the business from further development and expansion. ”
“It would have been cost-prohibitive for us to obtain IP protection on two of our products at this stage of our journey. Through the ElevateIP program, we were able to secure the necessary patents (pending in the US and Canada) without the extreme cost. The program made IP protection easy and accessible for us.
“Communicating Whistle’s startup innovation without IP Protection was restrictive as we reached out to investors and the wider industry. Very grateful for the ElevateIP program and North Forge for empowering us to stride ahead by ensuring IP Protection and Trademark strategy through an experienced Law firm.”
“Thanks to the ElevateIP Program, we were able to hire an IP consultant who helped us identify our IP assets, assess our IP risks, and prioritize our IP actions. We also received funding to file patent applications for some of our key inventions, which will help us secure our market position and attract investors. The ElevateIP Program has been a game-changer for us.”
“This collaboration with North Forge, ElevateIP, and Bereskin & Parr LLP has not only elevated our IP strategy but also positioned us to make a significant impact in the field of reproductive health. Their combined expertise and support have enabled us to focus on our core mission of helping couples conceive naturally, while ensuring that our intellectual property is protected and leveraged effectively.”
“The devices we have in the pipeline are now being reviewed and assessed by federal law enforcement agencies as well as military defence and research entities. We have also been approached by other foreign representatives based on what they have heard about our progress. The ElevateIP funding support has allowed us to maintain and keep our patent pool updated and fresh. ”
“To be competitive, intellectual property is crucial for any business to create a protective moat around their operations, allowing them to compete effectively in the market. For us, protecting our IP was equally important. However, when we saw the costs associated with legal fees, we were stunned about how we would afford it. That’s why Elevate IP was a natural choice to support us.”
FAQ's
Please find our expression of interest form here:
If you have any questions feel free to contact the ElevateIP Program Director, Nermin Sa’d. Contact: ip@northforge.ca 1-204-262-6400
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Your startup must be incorporated or registered in Manitoba or Saskatchewan.
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It must be less than fifteen years old.
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You must have fewer than 500 full-time employees.
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And have under $10 million in annual revenue.
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Elevate IP is a federally funded, national program to help business accelerators and incubators (BAIs) provide the tools Canadian startups need to understand, strategically manage and leverage their intellectual property.
Tier 1: IP Education – Receive free online resources that will help in identifying intellectual property strategy gaps.
Tier 2: IP Strategy Development – Gain access to experts for IP assessments and strategy development.
Tier 3: IP Strategy Implementation – Be provided subsidized services when implementing your IP strategy.The ElevateIP program launched November 23, 2023 and applications are still open.
Funding is based on annual availability, so do not delay and apply today!Absolutely. The ElevateIP program is designed so that you can use a lawyer of your choice.
No. The program is designed to pay the legal fees for the completed work.
ElevateIP provides funds up to $100,000 per start-up.
The maximum allotment for Tier 2 (IP strategy development) is $25,000.
Tier 3 (IP implementation) is approved based on a sliding scale. We can cover between 70-90% of the fees (the startup needs to be able to pay the rest), with Indigenous or women-owned startups eligible to receive the full 90%.
ElevateIP Team
Nermin Sa'd