Global Incubator Programme: Canada - Ocean Scaleup Accelerator

To apply for this programme you must:

• Be a UK based company
• Be a business with fewer than 250 employees
• Have a focus on the ocean sector

The three stages of the programme are as follows:

Prepare

A two-day preparation workshop delivered to the entire cohort in the UK. You will be allocated an Innovate UK innovation and growth specialist to work with in the UK who will work with you on your strategic action plan for the programme. You will receive an overview of the innovation and sector landscape of the country’s market, a full briefing on the programme and working with the incubator, and support to better present your business and the value proposition.

Pursue

This 4-6 months stage of the programme is about working with the incubator.  A typical programme will see a visit to the market at the beginning, providing the opportunity to consider technology and market fit, preliminary customer validation and an introduction to ecosystem players.  This will be followed by regular (weekly or fortnightly) virtual sessions with the incubator team, mentors, and experts, to do a deep dive into understanding what it takes to be successful in accessing the market.  The final part is a second visit to the market, including a demo day to showcase the achievements of the cohort, continuing to raise the profile and make connections for the businesses involved.

Exploit

Work with your innovation & growth specialist to continue to exploit the programme, building on all the connections, knowledge, and expertise gained.  You should now be in a much better position with the necessary understanding and networks to accelerate your global growth and scaling journey.

• Access and introductions: Connections to customers and partners across Canada and North America. Assistance with finding and recruiting skilled workers from Canada.
• Scaling in Canada and Securing Opportunities: Mentoring and expert sessions focused on; go-to-market strategy, human resource management guidance, customer acquisition, local partnerships, sales and market intelligence.
• Goal setting: Masterclasses, interactive workshops, on-line resources, and one-on-one coaching.
• Legal information: Session(s) on process maps, business registration, and IP treatment in Canada.
• Innovation community: Participate in COVE’s vibrant community of ocean entrepreneurs and industry professionals and have access to onshore and offshore technical infrastructure such as COVE’s Stella Maris.
• Advisory support: Guidance from sector experts, mentors, and experienced entrepreneurs in Canada. Support from an Innovate UK Innovation and Growth Specialist to help you exploit the opportunities.
• Market visits: Two funded market visits to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada are planned as part of this programme. First market visit: 1st – 8th February 2025. Second market visit: 4th – 13th June 2025 including participation at the H20 Conference and a demonstration at the COVE Demo Day.

Canada has become a world leader in engineering products and services suited to extreme harsh ocean environments, marine remote sensing technologies, and ocean observing systems.

Atlantic Canada contributes more than half of Canada’s $36bn ocean economy and is home to a strong cluster of ocean industries and to ground breaking ocean research. This region is quickly becoming a globally recognised hub of oceans expertise with the potential to be a significant contributor to a number of Global Value Chains associated with the oceans sector.

COVE brings together people, ideas, industry, and research to enable their community to work in new ways. It fosters the development of an engaged workforce for ocean industries to meet todays and future needs and takes advantage of both on and offshore shared infrastructure to enable new ocean products and services. COVE is a catalyst in creating the world’s next practical, commercial, and revolutionary ocean technology advances.

To learn more about this opportunity, watch the recorded briefing from the 3rd of October here.

• Closing date for applications: 10 November 2024
• Shortlist Interviews: 20 – 22 November 2024
• Cohort confirmed: 29 November 2024
• Programme commences: 02 January 2025