What is the Innovation Skills Development Initiative?
The Innovation and Skills Development Initiative (ISDI) helps
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) acquire or enhance
innovation management and technical skills in order to
make them more productive and globally competitive.
ISDI is a component of the Atlantic Investment Partnership
(AIP) and is delivered through the Business Development
Program (BDP).
How does ISDI work?
ISDI addresses critical needs in the areas of:
- Training and skills development for SMEs’ current staff;
- Recruitment of experienced experts and managers; and
- Recruitment of recent graduates of recognized post-secondary
institutions who have the leading-edge skills required for
R&D; and other technology-related activities.
What does this mean for your business?
Any technology-oriented small and medium-sized enterprise
in Atlantic Canada that demonstrates a commitment to, and
plans for, enhancing their innovation and skills capabilities
could qualify for contributions of up to 75 per cent of
approved costs of a project.
ZEligible project costs may include a variety of training/skills
development options, the hiring of expertise, recruitment costs
and an individual’s salary. The assistance will be in the form
of a non-repayable contribution and will be less than $100,000.
Assistance is available through the Initiative’s three major
components: Innovation Management Skills; SME Technology
Advancement; and Technical Graduate Leadership.
Innovation Management Skills
This component focuses on building and strengthening the
capabilities and skills of a company’s existing management
and senior technical staff in order to develop, commercialize
or adopt new technologies. It does so by improving
people’s access to advanced training resources.
To be eligible for support from Innovation Management
Skills, a company must:
- be technology-based, or an adopter of technology;
- have a business plan that indicates an export and growth
objective; and
- have a technology skills development plan that identifies
the firm’s current skills gaps and demonstrates how the
proposed project will meet the skills requirements for growth.
SME Technology Advancement
This component focuses on strengthening and enhancing a
company’s technology management skills and/or specialized
technical skills requirements. It does so by supporting the
recruitment of technological managers, including chief
technology officers and other skilled specialists with
extensive knowledge and experience of technology
solutions and applications for business.
To be eligible for support from SME Technology Advancement, a company must:
- be technology-based, or adopters of technology;
- have a business plan that indicates an export and growth objective; and
- have a technology skills development plan that identifies
the firm’s current skills gaps and documents how the
technology manager/senior technical expert required will
contribute to, or enhance, key innovation capabilities of
the firm; and
- have a proposal outlining the qualifications, role and
performance targets for the skilled professional proposed.
Technical Graduate Leadership
This component enables companies to strengthen their innovation capabilities by supporting their hiring of recent, qualified graduates of recognized post-secondary institutions - graduates who possess the leading-edge skills required for commercial research and developmentand other technology-related activities.
To be eligible for support from Technical Graduate Leadership, a company must:
- be technology-based, or adopters of technology;
- have a business plan that indicates an export and growth objective;
- employ a recent graduate from a recognized post-secondary institution; and
- provide a detailed work plan describing the role and responsibilities of the graduate and expected performance targets and measures.
Environmental Assessment
As part of its project assessment process, ACOA requires that all projects conform with the environmental guidelines set out in the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.
Let's talk
Understanding how innovation and technology skills development can broaden your business opportunities is as easy as getting in touch with us.
Contact your local ACOA office:
New Brunswick: 1-800-561-4030
Prince Edward Island: 1-800-871-2596
Newfoundland and Labrador: 1-800-668-1010
Nova Scotia: 1-800-565-1228
Cape Breton (Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation): 1-800-705-3926
