Ontario Expands IPON Funding with $8 Million Boost for Postsecondary Innovation

The Ontario government has unveiled a new investment of up to $8 million through Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) to strengthen intellectual property (IP) protection and commercialization efforts at the province’s postsecondary institutions. This latest funding brings IPON’s total investment in colleges, universities, and research institutions to more than $17.5 million.

Premier Doug Ford announced the expanded support at IPx 2026, IPON’s annual summit, emphasizing the importance of accelerating the development and market entry of Ontario-made technologies. “Developing made-in-Ontario technologies and bringing them to market quickly has never been more important,” Ford stated. “With this new investment, we're making sure that Ontario's innovators have the support they need to realize their potential and build the technologies of the future, as we continue delivering on our plan to protect Ontario.”

The new funding builds on a successful pilot program that previously supported the protection of more than 770 Ontario-made IP assets at postsecondary institutions. The expansion is designed to provide researchers, students, and entrepreneurs with greater access to IP funding, training, and expertise, thereby helping more innovators commercialize their ideas, strengthen local communities, and drive economic growth.

Key features of the expanded initiative include co-investments in research-driven IP at postsecondary and research institutions, with IPON covering up to 80 percent of eligible costs. The agency is also launching an Innovation Fellowship pilot program, which will provide three months of financial support to Ontario-based student entrepreneurs working on commercially viable innovations. The fellowship will be paired with entrepreneurship training and IP education.

These new measures are intended to augment Ontario’s existing technology transfer and commercialization resources and capabilities. IPON’s research-driven IP funding is now available to all publicly assisted colleges, universities, and research institutions in Ontario, and eligible institutions are invited to register for participation.

In addition, IPON has selected ten institutions to administer the first year of its new Innovation Fellowship program. The names of these institutions were not specified in the announcement.

Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, highlighted the significance of the investment. “Now more than ever, it is imperative that Ontario continues to protect our homegrown innovation, transforming ideas into solutions that strengthen our economy,” Quinn said. “Through this investment into IPON, our government is safeguarding our epicentres of discovery, our postsecondary institutions, to ensure Ontario continues to benefit first and foremost from research developed in our own backyard.”

IPON currently supports more than 1,400 Ontario-based businesses with IP funding, education, and services. Since its launch in 2022, the agency has helped protect over 3,000 homegrown IP assets and has provided IP education to more than 1,000 innovators.

Institutions interested in accessing IPON’s IP support are encouraged to visit the agency’s website for further information on postsecondary support programs.

Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) is a provincial agency that serves as Ontario’s leading resource for IP expertise, providing education, funding, and services to help innovative researchers and companies maximize the value of their IP, strengthen their capacity to grow and compete globally, and advance the province’s economic growth.