Regional Quantum Initiative in B.C. - Who can apply

2. Who can apply

Incorporated businesses

Incorporated businesses can apply for repayable funding from the Regional Quantum Initiative if they:

• are a for-profit company that is incorporated to conduct business in Canada
• operate staffed facilities in B.C.

Incorporated businesses include:

• start-ups
• early revenue firms that are commercializing or adopting quantum technologies or quantum-based solutions

Preference may be given to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with less than 500 full-time employees.

Not-for-profit organizations

The following organizations can apply for funding:

• Not-for-profits that are legal entities capable of entering into legally binding agreements
• Organizations that support quantum businesses, innovators and entrepreneurs for start-up, growth, productivity, technology, commercialization, technology adoption, export and investment attraction including:
  • post-secondary educational institutions
  • business accelerators and incubators
  • angel networks
  • Indigenous organizations, including Indigenous-owned businesses and Indigenous-led not-for-profit organizations 
  • groups of eligible recipients such as industry associations or consortiums

Projects

To qualify for funding, your project must focus on one or more of the following:

• Productivity improvement
  • acquiring, adapting and adopting new technologies and processes
  • re-engineering processes
  • improving manufacturing capacity
• Business scale-up
  • developing or expanding markets
  • adopting best management practices, processes and systems
  • developing business opportunities
• Technology commercialization
  • growing and diversifying markets through late-stage product development
  • showcasing and demonstrating technology (Technology Readiness Levels 7-9)
• Ecosystem capacity building
  • developing strategic business alliances within a specific sector or cluster
  • identifying barriers to scale-up and productivity enhancement within the sector or cluster through research and analysis
  • developing a strategy to address these barriers
• Business acceleration and incubation
  • helping entrepreneurs create and grow their start-up companies by providing advice on how to:
    • create a business plan
    • determine a marketing strategy
    • hire employees, experts or mentors
    • advance technology to Technology Readiness Level 7-9
    • deploy specialized equipment