Manufacturer located in Southern Ontario
Between 15 and 1,000 FTE's at the applying facility
Established manufacturer with two
years of operating history and
financial stability
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENTS
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
The application intake for the SMART Advanced Technology for Global Growth program is now closed. Any project submitted at this time will be declined.
We continue to accept applications for the SMART Operational Assessments program for Northern Ontario.
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Applying for Assessment funding
Program Guidelines: Assessments
SMART Advanced Technology Assessments
Assessments will be undertaken by qualified professionals who will examine current manufacturing performance of a company requesting an assessment and recommend how advanced technologies could be implemented to significantly improve the company's efficiencies and capabilities. Advanced technology assessments are eligible for funding of 50% of eligible costs to a maximum non-repayable contribution of $15,000.
Companies must complete an online application and submit a proposal from a SMART-qualified service provider (QSP) that outlines the assessment process.
Notes:
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An approval for an assessment does not guarantee that a project will then qualify for funding. A project funding application must be submitted separately and will be evaluated based upon its overall merits.
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It is not a requirement for companies to complete an assessment first. If you have a project ready to start, you may submit an application for the project funding program only.
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Only one assessment will be funded per corporation or business entity.
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Check the eligible and non-eligible costs section of this page.
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The assessment must be undertaken by an approved CME Qualified Service Provider (QSP). Work done by an internal staff member, whether full time or part time will not be considered.
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A copy of the assessment proposal (from the QSP) must be submitted by the company for pre-approval prior to starting the assessment.
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This must be for future work and not for any assessments that have been previously done by the applicant.
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A final copy of the report must be submitted to SMART for approval and any final payment.
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Assessments must be started within 2 months of notification of SMART approval and must be completed within 90 days of start date.
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All agreements for the assessment are between the applicant company and the QSP.
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The applicant company is responsible for making payments to the QSP. SMART will not make direct payments to the QSP.
The final decision on satisfaction with the quality of the assessment rests with the applicant company. If unsatisfied with the report, this must be rectified before submitting to SMART for payment. A received report and final claim constitutes a satisfactory and complete assessment.
Note: Effective January 25, 2016, any discussion and communication pertaining to an application will be carried out directly and only with the applicant. Applications will not be discussed with third parties (i.e. consultants). Letters of consent /authorization from applicants are no longer accepted.
Southern Ontario Service Area
Southern Ontario includes the following Statistic Canada Census divisions:
1 Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry;
2 Prescott and Russell;
6 Ottawa;
7 Leeds and Grenville;
9 Lanark;
10 Frontenac;
11 Lennox and Addington;
12 Hastings;
13 Prince Edward;
14 Northumberland;
15 Peterborough;
16 Kawartha Lakes;
18 Durham;
19 York;
20 Toronto;
21 Peel;
22 Dufferin;
23 Wellington;
24 Halton;
25 Hamilton;
26 Niagara;
28 Haldimand-Norfolk;
29 Brant;
30 Waterloo;
31 Perth;
32 Oxford;
34 Elgin;
36 Chatham-Kent;
37 Essex;
38 Lambton;
39 Middlesex;
40 Huron;
41 Bruce;
42 Grey;
43 Simcoe;
46 Haliburton;
47 Renfrew.
Click on map to expand
Eligibility
Eligible Companies
In order to be considered for SMART ATGG funding, your company must meet the following criteria:
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Must be a manufacturer based in Southern Ontario per the census map (see above for census divisions).
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Must be an incorporated business (federally or provincially) for 2 years or more.
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Must have 15 (minimum per facility) and 1,000 FTE employees maximum in southern Ontario. Minimum of 15 FTE employees is required from date of submission.
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Demonstrate they are engaged in international markets (i.e. companies that export, are going to export, or are selling in a value chain leading to export.)
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Propose an assessment that focuses on adapting or adopting advanced technologies.
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Previously approved applicants are eligible to apply for this new program.
Eligible Activities
Eligible assessments must focus on identifying opportunities for operational improvements through adapting or adopting advanced technologies, including:
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Design, Engineering and Virtual Manufacturing Technologies
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Processing, Fabrication and Assembly
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Inspection
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Communications, Logistics and Supply Chains
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Automated Material Handling
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Integration and Control
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Development and Implementation of Advanced Technologies or Product Development
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Manufacturing and control management
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Quality management.
For a description of the above advanced technologies, refer to the definitions section below.
Maximum Contribution
A combined maximum non-repayable contribution per SME under the SMART ATGG Assessment and Project funding programs is limited to $100,000.
Selection Criteria and Review Process
Assessment Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated on their ability to meet the following criteria:
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The study or analysis must focus on identifying operational opportunities where the adaptation or adoption of advanced technologies could lead to:
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the creation of long-term employment and high-value jobs;
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improvements and modernization of the manufacturing process, leading to increased productivity, competitiveness and economic growth in southern Ontario;
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direct or indirect export opportunities (increase of exports, global market expansions through direct sales or supply chain); and
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projected economic and environmental benefits to Ontario, including the scale of reasonableness of the benefits expected from the project and interactions with other segments of the Ontario economy (e.g. through strengthening of economic clusters across the province).
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Applicant’s ability to follow through on the assessment results, as demonstrated by the competence and capabilities of the applicant’s management team and it’s commitment to the assessment.
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Expectation of success for the assessment, as demonstrated by the feasibility, clarity and specificity of the consultant's proposal.
A Fair and Impartial Process Using Industry Experts
Each application will be given a fair evaluation based upon the information that is provided in the applications and with any additional supporting documentation provided by the applicant. Applications are reviewed by SMART staff for eligibility. With the anticipated volume of applications to be received, only the highest ranked applications will be approved. Should additional funding be received, or if all funding is not committed before the end of the program, it is possible that the next best applications could be revisited for funding.
Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest
All CME staff and contractors involved in the application review and selection process are covered by a strict confidentiality and conflict of interest agreement, as are all the industry experts involved in the review of your proposal. In addition, based on information you provide in your application, we will screen our experts for any conflicts of interest so that your proposal receives an impartial and unbiased review. Click here to download a copy of the CME SMART Program Code of Conduct.
Financial statements are reviewed to ensure the viability of a company. This information is held in strict confidence with the program. Only the SMART staff assigned to the application as well as the industry experts who have provided a "no conflict" status with the applicant will have access to view the file. The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) will have access upon request of the documents.
Expenses & Eligible Costs
Expenses
A proposed budget must be submitted with each application.
For assessment applications, the proposal budget should provide a detailed breakdown of costs, including time, travel, reporting, etc. All service provider invoices must clearly outline the services provided. One cost such as "services rendered" will not be accepted.
Eligible and non-eligible costs for assessments:
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Consulting fees (including travel) are eligible.
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Entertainment and meals are not eligible costs.
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All receipts for travel must be submitted with final claim. Any receipts that are not included will be removed from eligible costs.
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CME reserves the right to remove any unreasonable costs.
Approval and Reimbursement Process
Approval
A Program Advisor will contact successful applicants and provide a copy of the Contribution Agreement (contract). The applicant must then notify their qualified service provider and set a date to start the assessment. Assessments must be started within 2 months of approval notification, and must be completed within 90 days of start date. If an extension is required, contact your SMART Program officer and provide a written of the reason for the delay, along with the new timeline for the assessment.
Expenses
Once the assessment is complete, and all of the assessement expenses have been paid in full, you are ready to report these expenses to CME for reimbursement. Contact the SMART Team to initiate your reimbursement request.
You will be provided with an Expense Claim Form on which you will need to identify the budgeted expenses you submitted as part of your original application, and you will need to explain any significant variations (up or down) in actual expenses.
Expense Reimbursement
Ensure that you review all eligible and non-eligible costs in the Expenses section above. Any expense claims with non-eligible costs will be denied and will delay your expense claim. If your approved expenses end up being less than originally proposed, the award amount will be adjusted accordingly.
Required Documents
Copies of all invoices, supporting documents, final report from the QSP outlining the recommendations, proof of payment to the QSP, and expense claim must be provided to the assigned SMART Program advisor.
Once all documentation has been received, it will be reviewed for final eligibility. Approved expenses will be reimbursed within 30 business days of the expense claim review approval date.
Working with a SMART-Qualified Service Provider (QSP)
Role of the Qualified Service Provider
Companies applying for funding assistance for an Assessment must complete an online application and submit a proposal from a qualified service provider (QSP) that outlines the assessment process. The QSP is required to provide a study proposal to the applicant that will include the type of assessment to be conducted, process of the assessment, context, the time frame, a breakdown of the costs and expected outcomes of the completed assessment.
This proposal must be submitted by the applicant along with their application for an on-site assessment. It is important that the proposal provides enough detail of the assessment to allow CME to base a decision of approval.
Upon completion of the assessment, a final report must be submitted to the applicant by the QSP. This report shall include the report of findings during the assessment and recommendations for further improvements. The findings from this assessment may assist companies to implement a project under the SMART ATGG project funding component.
>> Click here to find a SMART-approved Qualified Service Provider
Definitions
Exporter
To trade or sell goods or commodities into another country. Shipments from Canada to USA and abroad are considered exported goods.
Full-time Employee
A full time employee is a person who works directly for the applicant company, works a minimum of 35 hours per standard week, is paid through company payroll and is issued a T4 slip for income tax purposes. Part time employees can have combined hours to create a FTE employee. For example, 2 part time employees who work a total of 17.5 hours each per week can be combined to equal 1 FTE employee. The number of FTE employees must be sustained throughout the lifecycle of the project. A company must have a minimum of 15 FTE employees and maximum of 1,000 employees located in southern Ontario.
Incurred Expense
An expense is considered to have been incurred if the relevant services or products have been provided or delivered or payment or deposit has been made. Also, as of the submission date, if the relevant services or products have been ordered (but have not been provided or delivered), then the portion of the monies prepaid in respect of such services or products shall be considered costs or expenses incurred.
Manufacturing
Any natural or legal person who makes a physical good with tools and/or machines by effecting chemical, mechanical, or physical transformation of materials, substances, or components, or by simulating natural processes, usually repeatedly and on a large scale with a division of labor. Manufactured items often are, or are made out to be, different from other similar goods in one or more aspects, and are sold commonly under a particular brand name.
Small - Medium Size Enterprise (SME)
For the purpose of the SMART ATGG Program, a SME is a manufacturing company with 15 to 1,000 FTE employees located in southern Ontario.
Advanced Technologies Definitions
The following definitions are based on a Statistics Canada survey completed in 2007 and are meant to provide a framework for determining advanced technology investment. Advanced technologies continue to develop at a rapid pace.
Advanced technology refers to a new technology that performs a new function or improves some function significantly better than commonly used technologies. Advanced technology includes information and communications technology (ICT) such as computer and network hardware, and software.
Technology is broadly defined to include the technical means and know-how required to produce a product or service. It takes the form of equipment, materials, processes, methods, blueprints and knowledge.
Project Focus
Productivity assessments and projects that focus on adopting advanced technology, materials and processes, defined as follows:
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Design, Engineering and Virtual Manufacturing Technologies – primarily including software or equipment technologies such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), modelling and simulation technologies, technologies for systems engineering, and rapid prototyping (3D printing).
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Processing, Fabrication and Assembly – primarily including equipment and technologies that support advanced fabrication. Examples include Flexible Manufacturing Cells (FMC), Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS), Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMs), reconfigurable systems lasers, e-beams, plasma Cutters and Sputters, robots, high speed machining technologies, injection molding, precision die casting, metal spraying.
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Inspection – primarily including equipment and technologies that support inspection and testing. Examples include automated vision-based or sensor-based systems.
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Communications, Logistics and Supply Chains – includes software and equipment technologies to support communications expansion within plants, buildings, enterprises or supply chains. Examples include LANs, internets, extranets (to manage suppliers, sub-contractors or customers), customer relationship management systems (CRMs), warehouse management system (WMS), Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS), and Transportation Management.
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Automated Material Handling – includes software and equipment technologies to support parts identification and tracking, automated storage and retrieval.
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Integration and Control – includes software and equipment technologies to support manufacturing integration and control within plants and/or operations. Examples include multi-axis machines, adaptive machine control (haptic or forced), process control software, supervisory control and data acquisition software and computer integrated manufacturing.
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Development and Implementation of Advanced Technologies or Product Development - the development and implementation of new technology (software or equipment) to support operational productivity or new product development.
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Manufacturing and Control Management – primarily includes software or advanced practices to support improved manufacturing management. Examples include electronic work management, distribution resource planning (DRP), lean manufacturing, just-in-time manufacturing, manufacturing resource planning (MRPII) and enterprise resource planning (ERP).
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Quality Management - primarily includes software, practices, and certifications to support advanced management. May be tied to equipment required to support certification. Examples include business certification (i.e. ISO), Statistical Process Control (SPC), Total Quality Management (TQM), six sigma and kaizen.
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Others – other advanced technologies, including equipment, software and practices, that support advanced manufacturing. Examples include competitive technology intelligence (CIT), benchmarking, sustainable development strategy (incorporating advanced technologies), product data management (PDM) and product life cycle management (PLM), geometrics and geospatial technologies, remote sensing, the use of biotechnologies or nanotechnologies.
Support
Online Portal Technical Requirements and Support
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Supported browsers: Internet Explorer from 8 to 11, and Chrome 8+. Mozilla Firefox is not supported and may cause errors.
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JavaScript must be enabled on all browsers
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Maximum file size for an uploaded document is 500 MB
If you are experiencing technical issues, please email: support@cme-smart.ca. All issues will be responded to within 2 business days.
For password retrieval, please click on the "forgot your password?" link on the portal login page. You will need to enter your user ID to retrieve your password.
SMART Program Advisors
Questions about the application process or the program? Call us at 1-877-913-4263 and ask to speak to a Program Advisor.
Application Process
Who Should Complete the Application?
Because the application contains important information about your company (for example your corporate registration number) and about your proposed assessment or project (including details of costs and timing), different people in your organization may have to contribute different information to complete your application. However, only one person should be accountable for the application, so it might be best if the application is actually made by a senior person at the company. Third party submissions will not be considered.
What You Will Need
In order to prepare your application, we recommend that you download a hard-copy (Microsoft Word version) of the application to use as a guide; you can then copy and paste your responses into the online application. However, please note that the online version has character count limits for certain fields.
In addition to completing the online application, you will need to upload a copy of your QSP's proposal, and a copy of your reviewed or audited financial statements for the last two years.
How to Submit an Application
The SMART online application system is now open. As of May 15th, 2015, only applications submitted via the online portal will be accepted.
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Select a consultant from the list of approved qualified service providers for Southern Ontario.
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Ensure you have contacted and met with the consultant prior to applying. The consultant must prepare a proposal and quote on the assessment to be conducted. The proposal must include a detailed outline of the time, costs, and travel requirements.
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Log on to the Online submission portal and create a User ID.
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Create a new application by selecting 'FedDev Assessment'.
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Complete the application in full.
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Upload a copy of the consultant's proposal and your company's last two years of reviewed or audited financial statements.
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Submit.
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An automated email will confirm receipt of your application.
Once it is submitted, your application will be locked for editing. To verify the status of your application, log on to the online portal, select the "My Funding Application" menu, then select the FedDev Assessment application. If you need to edit your application, contact the SMART team and request your file to be re-opened for amendment, make necessary changes, and re-submit. Please reference your case number in all correspondence.
A CME SMART representative will contact the applicant if additional details are required. Applicants will be notified of a final decision within 45 business days.