The Government of Canada’s intellectual property funding initiative, ElevateIP, is set to resume in August 2026 following its extension in Budget 2025. The federal government has proposed investing $84.4 million over four years, beginning in the 2026–27 fiscal year, to extend the program.
For startups headquartered in Ontario, Manitoba or Saskatchewan, ElevateIP is delivered by Communitech in partnership with Invest Ottawa and North Forge. Communitech is expected to begin accepting applications for its new intake on August 4, 2026.
What is ElevateIP?
ElevateIP is a federally funded initiative administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). Originally launched in 2021, the program helps innovative Canadian startups understand, develop, protect, manage, and commercialize their intellectual property.
The program offers three principal forms of support:
- IP education and awareness;
- IP strategy development; and
- assistance implementing an IP strategy, including support for certain IP protection and commercialization costs.
Successful applicants may receive access to up to $100,000 CAD in grant funding over the lifetime of their participation in the program to develop or implement an IP strategy. Funding is not guaranteed and is allocated at the discretion of ElevateIP.
Is Your Startup Eligible?
To qualify for ElevateIP through Communitech and its regional delivery partners, a startup must generally:
- be a Canadian-controlled private corporation;
- have fewer than 500 employees;
- be headquartered in Ontario, Manitoba or Saskatchewan; and
- own, or intend to own, the relevant intellectual property in the company’s name rather than in the name of an individual.
Communitech may also consider factors such as the company’s technology, revenue model, age, team size, growth potential and proposed use of the funding when evaluating applications.
How Oziel Law Can Help
Our intellectual property and technology law team can help eligible startups take advantage of ElevateIP funding for services such as:
- Patent strategy and patent applications;
- Trademark and copyright searches and registrations;
- Trademark prosecution;
- IP portfolio development;
- IP ownership and licensing agreements;
- Commercialization planning; and
- Preparing technology-related contracts such as SaaS, MSAs, NDAs, and licensing agreements
Whether your company is applying to ElevateIP for the first time or returning for the new intake, we can help identify priority projects, develop an effective IP strategy and maximize the value of the available funding.
Next Steps: Prepare Before Applications Open
With Communitech applications scheduled to reopen on August 4, 2026, now is an opportune time to review your intellectual property portfolio and identify projects that may qualify for support.
Companies considering patent protection, trademark registration, intellectual property agreements or the development of a broader IP strategy should begin defining their objectives and gathering the information required for their application.
Contact Oziel Law at info@oziellaw.ca to discuss your eligibility and how ElevateIP may support your company’s intellectual property and commercialization goals.