TargetGHG Collaborative R&D Program
Expression of Interest (EOI) Instructions
INITIATING THE EOI APPLICATION

The full guidelines of the TargetGHG Collaborative R&D Program can be found on the OCE
website.

All EOIs must be submitted via the OCE online application system (AccessOCE) by 2 p.m. on
Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

EOI applications must be initiated by an OCE Business Development Manager. If you do not
have an existing AccessOCE account, please contact your Business Development Manager or
email [email protected] to initiate an application.
COMPLETING THE ONLINE EOI

Upon receiving access to the EOI application, ensure that the application status is listed as
“Application in Development.”

Click on each tab, beginning with “Application Information,” and complete all of the
mandatory fields in each section. Appendix 1 provides a detailed description of the
requirements for each section.

While completing your EOI application, click on the “Save & Finish Later” button if you wish to
submit the application at a later time.
o You may log back into AccessOCE with your username and password to continue your
application.
o To ensure that all mandatory fields are saved, click on the “Validate & Save” button.
o To preview your entire application, click on the “Preview Application” button on the
right side of the screen.

When ready to submit the EOI application, click on the “Validate & Submit” button.
o Any mandatory fields which are incomplete will be listed. If applicable, complete these
fields and click on “Validate & Submit” again.
o Once you have submitted your EOI application, check that the status of your
application has moved to the next stage, “BD Endorsement.” The status is visible at
the top of your screen below the application title (the current status will be highlighted
in green) OR on the homepage of your AccessOCE account.
REVIEWING AND ASSESSING EOIs

EOIs are internally reviewed for completeness, eligibility and use of funds prior to external
evaluation.

Upon internal review of your EOI, OCE may request additional information, clarifications or
completion of missing items. Access OCE will notify you by email of any deficiencies. Correct
all deficiencies and re-submit the EOI within the requested timeframe.

Once the EOI has been deemed complete, it will be reviewed by external reviewers with
business and domain expertise who will make a recommendation to OCE. OCE will make the
final decision to proceed to the NSERC CRD/ARD full proposal.
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PROGRAM CONTACTS
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
For project-related inquiries, including assistance with application development and partnerships,
contact your Business Development Manager.

For inquiries related to eligibility, contracting and funding disbursements, contact Holly
Gardner at [email protected] or 416-861-1092 x1086

For general inquiries about the online application system and application form, contact OCE
Application Support at 416-861-1092 ext. 2400 or [email protected].
Deadline Date: August 20, 2015
APPENDIX 1: DETAILED EOI INSTRUCTIONS
APPLICATION INFORMATION TAB
1. Application Title
 Provide a descriptive title outlining the focus of the project.
2. Postsecondary Institution
 Select the applicant institution from the drop-down list. For this program, the applicant
institution must be an Ontario postsecondary institution (university or college).
3. Summary of Proposal for Public Release
 Provide a short (250-word maximum), plain-language description of the project,
which you approve for public release and for posting on OCE’s website if the
application is funded by OCE. Do not include any contact information.
4. Project Category
 Select the classifications that most accurately reflect the project. All fields (main and
sub-categories) must be selected.
A. Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Code: Select the primary code and then the
secondary code below (select Other Research if none are applicable).
B. CFI Discipline: Select the primary discipline and then the secondary discipline below.
C. Application Stage Gate: Select the most appropriate description based on the stage of
your project
 Discovery (stage 0) - The first part of any product development. During this basic
stage, the development team is simply deciding what projects the company wants
and can pursue.
 Scoping (stage 1) - The product and its corresponding market are evaluated. The
researchers must recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the product and what it
will offer the potential consumer.
 Building the Business Case and Plan (stage 2) - The last stage of concept
development where it is crucial for companies to perform a solid analysis before they
begin developing the product.
 Development (stage 3) - Plans from previous steps are actually executed. The
product’s design and development is carried out, including some early, simple tests
of the product and perhaps some early customer testing. The product's marketing
and production plans are also developed during this stage.
 Testing and Validation (stage 4) - Validation is provided for the entire project.
The areas that will be evaluated include the product itself, the production process,
customer acceptance, and the project’s financial merit.
 Product Launch (stage 5) - The culmination of the product having met the proper
requirements of the previous stage-gates. Development teams must come up with a
marketing strategy to generate customer demand for the product. The company
must also anticipate the size of the market for a new product and determine the size
of their starting volume production. In addition, part of the launch stage involves
training sales personnel and support personnel who are very familiar with the
product and can assist in market sales.
D. Ontario Innovation Agenda: Select one of the following sectors that best reflects your
project:
 Bio-economy and clean technologies
 Advanced health technologies
 Pharmaceutical research and manufacturing
 Digital media and information & communication technologies
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Deadline Date: August 20, 2015

Advanced manufacturing
5. Keywords
 Add keywords that describe the technical elements of the EOI. This will assist OCE in
identifying suitable expert reviewers.
6. Program Partners
 A list of all additional program (funding) partners is shown. For this program, NSERC should
appear for all projects.
TEAM INFORMATION TAB
1. Applicant Information
 The applicant is typically the recipient of the OCE funding.
 For all project contacts, provide the full first name (no short versions or nicknames), full legal
company/institution name and email address.
 For this program, the primary applicant must be a principal investigator at an Ontario
university or applied research officer at an Ontario college.
 Select the number of co-applicants to add the appropriate number of contact sections.
2. Project Contributors
 Project Contributors are companies/institutions providing cash and/or in-kind contributions to
the project.
 Select the total number of Project Contributors associated with the project to add the
appropriate number of contact sections.
 For all project contacts, provide the full first name (no short versions or nicknames), full legal
company/institution name and email address. The company/institution name will be included in
the OCE Funding Agreement. Do not include multiple names for the same company/institution
in this section.
 Each Project Contributor must complete a Company Profile survey (mandatory for the Ontario
Project Contributor). The applicant must click on the button “Click here for Survey URL,” copy
the link provided and send it to the contact person at the Project Contributor organization. The
contact must complete and submit the survey before the EOI may be submitted. Completed
surveys are visible in the Company Profile-Response Summary section.
3. Project Team Members
 Click on the button “Click here to Enter/Edit Team Member Table” to open the Team Table.
 List all postsecondary and/or industry team members that will be involved in the project,
including the applicant(s), Project Contributor(s) and other team members who are
participating in the project to develop their technical capability. Include all participants
who will contribute to the advancement of this project, including students or other HQP. If
a team member is yet to be identified (e.g. student), list their name as “TBD” and include
a description of the required expertise.
PROPOSAL TAB
1. Milestone Table
 Click on the button “Add/Edit Milestone” to enter project milestones.
 Add one line for each project milestone (limit the description to 100 words). Enter the
associated team member(s), expected outcomes and time frame. Indicate where each
activity is to be performed.
 For the time frame, enter the estimated start and end month of the activity (e.g. From
Month 1 to Month 3).
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Deadline Date: August 20, 2015

Milestones should be specific enough for a reviewer to assess the major activities and
decision points within the project. They will also be used in reports by OCE to assess project
progress and outcomes.
2. EOI Template
 Click on the button “Download EOI Template” to open a fillable word document containing
the EOI questions.
 Complete all questions in the template, in partnership with the co-applicant(s) and project
contributor(s).
 Save the completed file as a PDF document.
 Click on the button “Upload/Edit EOI” to upload the PDF file to the EOI application.
USE OF FUNDS TAB
1. Sources of Funds
 Review the list of Funding Contributors to ensure that all sources of cash and/or in-kind
contributions are included in the budget. If you are missing a Project Contributor in the list,
add the additional names under the "Team Information" Tab in the "Project Contributors"
section. For this program, OCE, NSERC and all industry partners should be listed.
2. Budget
 Click on the button “Add/Update Budget Item” to enter the project budget.
 Click on the + button to enter new budget line items (enter only one line per funder for
each major expense category). Ensure that expenses are separated by source of funds
(OCE, NSERC, industry partners) and payee location (Ontario institutions).
 Enter a brief description of the activities related to the budget line.
 Enter who is going to receive the funds (Payee) and where the funds will be spent
(Location).
 Select one of the available expenditure types (Category) from the drop-down list.
 Select the appropriate Project Contributor (Source of Funds) from the drop-down list.
 Select the Type of Funds (cash or in-kind) from the drop-down list.
 Enter the Quantity, Unit and Rate (see the example calculation below).
Description
Dr. A working 65 hours
on Milestone 1 for one
month. To be paid
$3,500 for this task.

Budget Category
Salary & Benefits
Quantity
0.43

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Rate
$8,139.50
Total
$3,500
Calculation
@150hrs work month (37.5 per week, official
work week in Canada), 65 hrs = 65/150 = 0.43
months; Rate = Total/Quantity: 3500/0.43 =
8,139.5
Please ensure that the totals in the budget table reflect at a minimum the required matching
contributions for the program. For the maximum funding request from OCE, the matching
requirements are as follows:
OCE
Company Cash
Company In-Kind
NSERC
Total

Unit
Month
Contributions ($)
800,000
400,000
400,000
800,000
2,400,000
Institutional overhead is not an eligible project expense and should not be included in the
budget. Overhead on the OCE and NSERC contributions will be calculated and paid
separately to the postsecondary institutions.
NSERC CRD or ARD will match the industry cash contribution to the direct costs of research
(excluding institutional overhead, i.e. the Net Contribution) up to twice the net industry
cash if the in-kind contribution is at least the same as the net industry cash. See the
Deadline Date: August 20, 2015
example table below. NSERC CRD/ARD contributions must be included as line items within
the project budget. Do not use the Other Contributors section. Please refer to NSERC CRD
and ARD contribution and eligibility requirements online:
o CRD: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RPP-PP/CRDRDC_eng.asp
o


ARD: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RPP-PP/ARDRDA_eng.asp
Net Contribution
($)
NSERC CRD
Contribution ($)
Industry Cash
400,000
400,000
Industry In-kind
500,000
400,000
Total Industry
900,000
800,000
Enter any Other Contributions if applicable. “Other Contributions” are cash or in-kind
support received from other funding sources currently held by the applicant that are
conceptually or financially related to the current EOI application to OCE. These funding
sources will not be covered by the OCE funding agreement.
Once all items are completed, click the “Save Budget” button and close the budget.
3. Budget Justification
 Referring to the Budget Table, provide additional information to justify how OCE, Project
Contributors and Other Contributors (as applicable) will support the successful completion of
the project. Outline how the project plan, activities and outcomes are related to the
proposed budget.
 The number of hours and hourly rate used to determine the value of the in-kind should be
clearly detailed.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TAB
Attach the following documents in the associated upload section:
1. Resume, Curriculum Vitae, NSERC Form 100CV or NSERC Form 103CV and/or LinkedIn profile(s) of
the applicant, co-applicant(s), and key team members associated with the EOI application.
2. NSERC Form 183A for each industry partner contributing to the project.
3. Industry Letter of Support from each Project Contributor.
 Provide a signed letter from the industry partner (on company letterhead) addressing the
following points:
Mandatory:
o Support for the EOI application
o Contribution to the direct costs of the research (cash and in-kind)
The following additional points are recommended, as they are required in the letter to be
provided at the NSERC CRD or ARD application stage. If all information is included at this stage
and no revisions are required, the same support letter may be used for the EOI and CRD or
ARD stages:
o Reasons for being involved in the collaboration
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Deadline Date: August 20, 2015
o
o
o
o
o
Anticipated benefits from the project outcomes
Effort required to exploit the results in Ontario
Benefits to both the Ontario economy and industry and the relevant time frame
Anticipated interaction of industry personnel with the university/college researchers
Company profile (recommended in the case of a small company)
4. Any additional supporting documents that are relevant to your EOI application (that are not
included in the mandatory attachments).
5. Schedule D–Intellectual Property Term Sheet must be loaded to the application after project
approval. This Schedule D will be incorporated into the OCE funding agreement and should be
agreed upon by all parties (applicant, institution and industry partner[s]), as applicable. It is not
mandatory for submission of an EOI, but it is recommended to begin discussions with the project
partners regarding Intellectual Property terms.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS TAB
All terms and conditions must be read and selected prior to submission.
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Deadline Date: August 20, 2015