Southern Ontario Pharmaceutical and Health Innovation Ecosystem
A program designed to accelerate your innovation to market
Through the SOPHIE program, you can leverage up to $100,000 in matching funds to work directly with an academic or hospital partner in the Hamilton, Ontario ecosystem. Your business will also receive advisory services and testing capabilities from experts in the healthcare field to acquire clinical and research expertise, evidence, or data to develop and commercialize your life science products and solutions.
The SOPHIE program was established as a partnership between the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Innovation Factory and the Synapse Life Science Consortium.
Who is eligible to apply to SOPHIE?
To be eligible to access funding, life science firms must:
- Be a Canadian incorporated company, with operations primarily based in Ontario
- Be developing an innovative technology at the TRL-6 level or above
- Provide a 1.25x match as cash and in-kind contributions
- Identify a principal investigator / clinical champion at the academic or clinical partner institution where the proposed project will take place
How does the application process work?
- Complete the SOPHIE application form. There is no cost to apply to participate in the SOPHIE program.
- A member of the SOPHIE program team will review your application within 1-2 weeks before scheduling an introduction meeting to explore project suitability, alignment with SOPHIE program goals, and steps required to identify a suitable principal investigator / clinical champion.
- Work with the interested principal investigator / clinical champion, and their institution, to define the desired scope of Commercialization Project activities.
- Sign the SOPHIE Commercialization Project contract with Innovation Factory and the institutional partner. The contract will outline the project scope, budget, critical activities, project milestones, and the expected business impact of the Commercialization Project.
- Start the Commercialization Project.
- Funding will be released in tranches on a reimbursement basis
If you have any questions during your application process, please feel free to reach out to the SOPHIE program team by emailing alek.tirpan@innovationfactory.ca.
What funding is available?
Firms can access up to a maximum of $100,000 in non-dilutive FedDev Ontario funding across all SOPHIE program activities. Firms must provide a 1.25x match, which together with the FedDev Ontario amount will be used to complete Commercialization Project activities.
By leveraging the maximum matched contribution of $100,000 from FedDev Ontario, an applying life science firm could have $260,000 available to spend on Commercialization Project activities.
What are the selection factors for the SOPHIE Program?
Project will be successful if they deliver on the following SOPHIE program outcomes:
- Demonstrate high potential for commercialization and generation of new intellectual property
- Define how the success of the project will lead to job creation and maintenance
- Articulate a strong product value proposition that will attract new or add-on investment and generate revenue and/or global exports
What does a successful application look like?
- Articulate a strong value proposition centered around the innovative technology
- Clearly state what problem within the life science sector you hope to solve and demonstrate how you plan to solve the problem (e.g., how your approach is unique, innovative, and commercially viable, how it compares to competitors in the life science landscape, etc)
- Present the magnitude of the target market for the technology being developed
- Explain how the proposed project team will be successful based on their professional experience and educational background
- Demonstrate how the proposed project is instrumental to catalyzing the company’s growth
- Outline the feasibility of the project outcomes
What does the program timeline look like?
Funding for the SOPHIE program is available from April 2021 – March 2024.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Apply Now
Confirm that you meet all eligibility requirements, then begin the application process. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Project grants for the SOPHIE program will continue to be accepted until the fall of 2023.
Resources & FAQ
Want more information about SOPHIE? We answered some of your most common questions below. If you have a question that has not been addressed, please send it to us through the Contact form or get in touch with our team.
Our Partners
The SOPHIE Program is an unparalleled collaboration between multiple public and private partners in Ontario, possessing the combined experience and expertise to ensure effective and seamless program delivery.
McMaster University
One of only four Canadian Universities consistently ranked in the world’s top 100, McMaster has a proud tradition of academic and research excellence. McMaster University collaborates across disciplines to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges, working together to improve people’s lives and contributing to their global knowledge base.
- Named Canada’s most research-intensive university for fourth straight year in 2020
- Ranked in the world’s top 70 by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2021
- Home to over 70 research centres and institutes
- Named one of Hamilton-Niagara’s top employers for five consecutive years
Hamilton Health Sciences
Hamilton Health Sciences a community of 15,000 staff, physicians, researchers, and volunteers that proudly serves southwestern Ontario. It is the most comprehensive hospital network in Ontario, and the only hospital in the province that cares for all ages, from pre-birth to end-of-life. As the largest employer in Hamilton, Hamilton Health Sciences plays a vital role in training the next generation of health professionals.
- Ranked as the number four research hospital in Canada in 2020
- Largest employer in the city of Hamilton
- $5.7 million Canadian Institute of Health Research Grant awarded for
- Sepsis research
- Named to Forbes Canada’s best employers 2021
CREATE (CentRE for dAta science and digiTal hEalth) was founded to support research and innovation at Hamilton Health Sciences. The multidisciplinary team is made up of specialists in health systems, data engineering, data science, software engineering and interoperability. CREATE’s mission is to partner with scientists and innovators to invent the future of health care.
The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is committed to making a difference in people’s lives and creating a lasting future for the community through integrated health services and internationally recognized programs. Their threefold mission is to provide dynamic research, revolutionary methods in health sciences education, and the highest standard of clinical care in a spirit of compassion, innovation, and commitment.
- Named one of the Hamilton-Niagara’s top employers
- 99% of patients would recommend to family and friends
Mohawk College
Mohawk College ranks among the top 20 colleges in Canada for applied research, with a focus on electronic and mobile health solutions, additive manufacturing, and energy distribution. Recognized as a leader in health and technology education, Mohawk College is also one of the largest trainers of apprentices in Ontario.
- Named one of Canada’s greenest employers for eight consecutive years
- Named one of Hamilton-Niagara’s top employers for eight consecutive years 86% of graduates are working within six months of graduating
- Ranked as the number four research college in Canada in 2020
Innovation Factory
Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator, serving as the catalyst for technology innovation in the greater Hamilton area since 2011. From ideation to commercialization and scale-up; Innovation Factory provides business services, training, mentorship, and strategic connections to drive market adoption, leverage intellectual property, and increase revenues, investment, and jobs. Innovators can also access sector-specific resources including exclusive smart transportation test environments and data; and a formal life science and health innovation ecosystem.
- Met with over 2,200 unique companies and clients since inception
- Ventures have received $425+ million in funding across all industrial sectors
Synapse Consortium
Synapse is the formal regional cluster organization for the life sciences ecosystem in the greater Hamilton region. An initiative of Innovation Factory and its community partners, Synapse supports efforts and projects that magnify the impact of collective action across the cluster ecosystem and accelerate the commercialization of life science innovation. Synapse strives to support all organizations that make up the Hamilton life science cluster, celebrating the strengths and successes of industry leaders and new start-ups, as well as promoting the region as an attractive place to live, work and invest.
Founded in 2016, the Consortium brings together leaders from across the region, including private- and public-sector organizations who saw opportunity for greater collaboration and coordination across the cluster. Synapse Consortium partners represent the bulk of life science research and economic activity in Hamilton.
Stats & Figures
SOPHIE by the numbers
SOPHIE Success Stories
Discover the innovators who are bringing their ideas to commercial-reality with the SOPHIE program.
SOPHIE Portfolio
SOPHIE grant recipients are developing a wide range of innovations within the life sciences sector. Learn more about the companies and technologies being supported by the SOPHIE Program.
Are you ready?
Apply Now
Confirm that you meet all eligibility requirements, then begin the application process. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Project grants for the SOPHIE program will continue to be accepted until the fall of 2023.
Need more information?
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding SOPHIE, please get in touch with us through our Contact form.