The provincial and federal governments offers a variety of programs to assist  

• Commercialization Investment Funds Program - Ontario (OCIF)
  Description: Grants to leverage seed capital for spin-off technology companies created by faculty, staff or students of research institutes.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Grants up to $225,000. Application deadline was January 1, 2007.
• MaRS - Business Mentorship and Entrepreneurship Program (BMEP)
  Description: A major Ontario Government commercialization initiative to meet the needs of high performance technology entrepreneurs. Services and resources are delivered through member organizations of the Ontario Commercialization Network (OCN).
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Skills training, management support, mentorship and networking.
• Ontario Centres of Excellence - Investment Accelerator Fund Program
  Description: A major Ontario Government commercialization initiative to provide eligible technology-based start-ups with seed capital up to $500,000 to support technology development, market potential analysis, prototype development, early customer trials, promotion and patenting costs.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Investments are generally made in the form of a convertible debenture (loan) in return for a nominal equity position.
• Advanced Manufacturing Investment Strategy Program - Ministry of Economic Development and Trade
  Description: Interest free loan to transform manufacturing processes and adopt leading edge technologies.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: $10 million interest free loan up to five years.
• Canada Foundation for Innovation Funds
  Description: Funds R & D infrastructure costs in partnership with universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Up to 40% of project costs.
• Going Global Innovation - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
  Description: Pays eligible expenses for Canadian researchers to meet with key R & D players in foreign countries pursuing collaborative opportunities.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Pays a minimum of $5,000 of eligible expenses for travel, accommodations, meals, incidentals and other non-research expenses.
•  Industrial R & D Fellowships - Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
  Description: Financial assistance for companies to hire recent doctoral graduates in science and engineering to conduct research and development in industries.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Contributes $30,000 per year for two years towards the PhD research fellow's salary.
•  Industrial Research Assistance Program - National Research Council Canada
  Description: Technical advisory services, networking and financial assistance to SMEs.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Invests on a cost-shared basis.
•  Innovation Tax Credit (OITC) - Ontario
  Description: Refundable provincial tax credit on Scientific Research & Experimental Developmental (SR&ED) expenditure claims in Ontario.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 10% refundable tax credit, maximum claim up to $300,000.
•  Institutes of Health Research - Innovation and Industry Programs - Canada
  Description: Major federal health research funding agency for universities, hospitals and research institutes has research programs matching industry partner's financial contributions.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Co-funding on a project basis.
•  Internship Program with Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises - National Research Council Canada
  Description: Financial assistance to innovative Canadian SMEs to hire post-secondary graduates.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Internships assistance between six to twelve months and up to $30,000.
•  MITACS ACCELERATE
  Description: MITACS ACCELERATE is a unique cost-shared R&D internship program which connects companies with Canadian universities' research expertise, in all disciplines.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: During 4, 8, or 12-month research projects, interns (graduate students or post-doctoral fellows) bring a new perspective and the latest knowledge to a research challenge faced by the partner, in a wide range of areas including manufacturing, technical innovation, business processes, IT, social sciences, design and many more.
•  New Technology Tax Incentive (ONTTI) - Ontario
  Description: A 100% immediate write-off of the eligible cost of qualifying intellectual properties acquired in the course of an intellectual property transfer.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 100% write-off of the eligible cost for taxation years ending before January 1, 2009.
• Ontario Business Research Institute Tax Credit (OBRITC)
  Description: A refundable tax credit for qualifying corporations incurring qualified expenses in respect of SR & ED under an eligible contract with an Eligible Research Institute (ERI).
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Provides a corporation or an associated group of corporations a tax credit of up to $4 million per year.
• Ontario Centres of Excellence Inc.
  Description: 6 sector-based centres and various programs to strengthen research linkages between academia and industry.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Knowledge transfer, commercialization, training.
• Ontario Innovation Demonstration Fund
  Description: Non-interest bearing repayable or forgivable loans; royalty agreements and equity participation to help commercialize innovative technologies.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Contributions up to $4 million.
• Ontario Research & Development Tax Credit (ORDTC)
  Description: Tax credit for Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) expenses.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 4.5 % non-refundable tax credit for SR&ED carried on in Ontario.
• Ontario Research Fund - Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation Description: Supports the operational costs (direct and indirect) and the capital costs of research of Ontario's research community. Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Matching funds towards projects granted by Canada Foundation for Innovation or the private sector.
• Ontario Retail Sales Tax Exemption on R & D and Manufacturing Equipment - Ontario Ministry of Revenue
  Description: Exemption from the Ontario Retail Sales Tax Act for equipment used primarily in manufacturing exclusively for R & D, or in non-profit medical research facilities for medical research and investigation. Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Exempt from RST (8%).
• Ontario Tax Exemption for Commercialization (OTEC) Description: Tax exemption for new corporations that commercialize intellectual property.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 10-year tax exemption from Corporate Income tax and Corporate Minimum Tax.
• Scientific Research and Experimental Development Expenditures (SR & ED) - Ontario
  Description: A deduction in respect of Ontario research and development expenses.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: An incentive for corporations undertaking SR & ED in Ontario for tax years ending before January 1, 2009.
• Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program - Canada Revenue Agency
  Description: The largest single source of federal support for industrial R & D. Investment tax credits for expenditures such as wages, materials, machinery, equipment, some overhead, and SR & ED contracts.
  Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Up to 35% tax credit for first $2 million of eligible expenditures of Canadian-controlled private corporations.