20 hours | Canada’s best innovators | Solving your challenge
Interactive Visits provide eligible companies with 20 hours of collaboration with a TAC to solve an innovation challenge, such as:
- Evaluating technical/economic feasibility of new products, processes, or services.
- Short-term R&D assistance and prototype development.
- Providing access to cutting edge technology a company doesn’t have in-house.
- Providing objective scientific, technical and business advice.
WHAT IS AN INTERACTIVE VISIT?
WHAT IS A TAC?
A Technology Access Centre (TAC) is a nationally recognized innovation centre connected to a public college or cégep. There are 60 TACs across Canada supporting all sectors and regions.
- TACs provide you with access to their specialized facilities, equipment, and multi-disciplinary expertise to solve your business innovation challenges.
- TACs help you get your innovation to market or help you adopt new technologies to become more innovative and productive.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
The Interactive Visit program is open only to incorporated Canadian for-profit firms with under 500 employees and the potential to grow through innovation, that meet the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) eligibility criteria.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Participating companies pay an upfront fee of $250 to the TAC or Tech-Access Canada to access the 20 hours of the Interactive Visit.
We strongly encourage and welcome the participation of companies owned by members of traditionally underrepresented groups (women, Indigenous persons, members of visible minorities, and persons with disabilities).
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
- Requests are assessed immediately and the TAC will develop a work plan within a week.
- Once authorized, most Visits are completed within one month and last no more than three months.
WHERE DOES IT TAKE PLACE?
- Interactive Visits can take place at your facilities, or at the TAC, or a combination of the two.
- We can connect you to the unique expertise of a TAC in any part of the country to solve your challenge.
WHICH TAC CAN HELP ME?
- Visit TACJumpBall.ca and explain the help you’re looking for.
- We’ll find and connect the TACs that are ready, willing and able to assist you!
POTENTIAL BENEFITS/OUTCOMES
- Incease sales
- Hire new employees
- Obtain further funding for expansion
- Launch a new or extended product line
Sound good? Ready to go? Start your innovation journey at InteractiveVisits.ca !
The TACs’ industry-friendly Intellectual Property policies put the IP in the hands of industry to commercially exploit, no strings attached, allowing companies to stay nimble.
TACs focus their service o erings on the mid-to-late stage TRLs, helping companies over the “valley of death” of commercialization.
- Retail product label and packaging review
- Product styling and photography
- Scale-up manufacturing process design
- Product/process optimization
- Non-destructive inspection
- Product/process testing
- Product re-design and development
- Performance monitoring and management
- Field trials and simulations
- Rapid prototyping / 3D printing
- Cost Avoidance
- Technical feasibility of process, product
- Reverse Engineering
- Consumer focus groups
- Regulatory guidance
- Validation of processeses
- Technology evaluation / validation
- Proof of concept
INTERACTIVE VISIT PROCESS
COMPANY ELIGIBILITY:
- Incorporated, operating in Canada and with a CRA number
- <500 employees
- Demonstrated intent to grow and generate profits through innovation
- Meets NRC IRAP eligibility criteria
TO GET STARTED:
- NRC IRAP clients: contact your Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA) or Client Engagement Advisor (CEA) to discuss your innovation challenge
- If you are not a current NRC IRAP client, contact the TAC you want to work with
- If you don’t know which TAC you want to work with, visit TACJumpball.ca to describe your challenge.
- We’ll connect you with one or more TACs willing and able to assist.
NEXT STEPS:
Once your eligibility is confirmed, go to InteractiveVisits.ca and fill out the online form to request a Visit! We’ll ask about your company, your innovation challenge, your timelines, and the correct point of contact.
- We’ll assign the Interactive Visit request to a TAC
- They’ll be in touch to discuss a project plan
- You pay $250 to access 20 hours of innovation support service
Based in Ottawa since 2016, Tech-Access Canada is a member-driven not-for-profit organization.
We are the voice of Canada’s TACs and we administer the Interactive Visits and JumpBall programs.
We also facilitate sharing best practices between members, harmonization of service standards, and promote college applied research to external audiences.
You can learn more about us and our member TACs at MeetTheTACs.ca
We gratefully acknowledge the support from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program.
