Programs and Initiatives
Funding Programs
The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre offers several programs designed to support businesses in securing funding for their ventures.
Through these programs, the Centre aims to foster growth and innovation across the region by making funding more accessible and manageable for emerging businesses.
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Northern Technology Accelerator Program
The Northern Tech Accelerator Program (NTAP) is a non-repayable grant program administered by Blue Sky Net (BSN) in partnership with the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre.
Next Level
This program is designed to help businesses with late-stage product development and to access new markets.
Get There
Our Get There program may be a great fit to help your team attend out-of-town tradeshows and conferences so you acquire new customers and connect with current customers.
Kenora and Rainy River District Business Accelerator Fund
Empowering Businesses in Kenora and the Rainy River District to grow and scale.
Rural Innovation Fund
This program supports rural and Indigenous communities in Northwestern Ontario with a population of less than 3000 people to adopt innovative approaches to identified gaps within their communities.
Costarter
Do you have an early-stage product you have been wanting to launch? If so, then our three month, intensive accelerator program is designed to help you take the leap.
SNAPP
Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity Program This program supports Northern Ontario agriculture and food producers, businesses, collaborations, and communities to create new products, enhance productivity, and adopt clean technologies.
Business Support Programs
The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre offers comprehensive business support to entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
From assessing product viability to assisting with business plan development, our team works closely with individuals to refine their ideas and create solid foundations for success.
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Trailblazer + ProtoZone
Looking for individuals/companies with an innovative idea that is scalable or looking to manufacture a product in the region. Must be coachable, willing to engage with customers, and fully committed to moving their idea forward. The full course is 4 sessions in total and each week builds on the previous week.
Protozone
Taking that napkin sketch and using it to create a prototype may seem like a logical choice for many but there’s more to it than that! The ProtoZone program will give you a crash course in product and business development, a crucial new product assessment, and assistance towards the design and development of your prototype.
Trailblazer
Trailblazer is a program for early-stage startups. The program is designed to take you through the necessary steps to identify your market, validate your idea and gain an understanding of what it takes to receive funding.
Change Management Practitioner Accreditation
With the fast pace of change today, organizations need to build capacity for managing how to adapt to change and how to help impacted individuals overcome their anxiety and resistance to the change.
Youth Programs
We offer a range of youth programming designed to inspire creativity, foster innovation, and build entrepreneurial skills.
Through initiatives like Youth Effect, BizKids Camps, and Tech Kids Camps, NOIC supports young people in developing the tools and confidence to succeed in an ever-changing world.
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Youth Effect
Funding for businesses in Northwestern Ontario to hire a full-time youth (18-29) for 15 weeks to work on an innovative project over the summer. Participants gain real-world experience, innovation training, and mentorship, while businesses benefit from fresh talent and support to drive growth.
Biz Kids
BizKids provides youth the opportunity to learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur! The budding entrepreneurs will generate business ideas and plans, develop marketing and financial materials, and gain other important business skills as they discover what it takes to be a real entrepreneur!
Tech Kids
Tech Kids is an engaging program designed to inspire and educate students in Grades 3–5 and Grades 6–8 about technology and innovation. Through hands-on activities and interactive lessons, participants explore exciting subjects like robotics, coding, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).