Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have the potential to transform businesses and make them more competitive internationally. As countries around the world join the race to develop and use AI, Canada is already a leader in this field.
For this reason, the Government of Canada is making strategic investments to provide businesses across the country with the tools they need to adopt AI and to develop new technologies and processes that integrate AI.
New Media Manitoba’s (NMM’s) Business Support Program for the Adoption or Commercialization of AI Technologies (AI Interactive) has been made possible through federal funding received via Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).
Expressions of Interest will be accepted on a continuous basis until November 30, 2027, or until funding has been fully committed. All projects must be completed by December 31, 2027.
- Support growth of the Interactive Digital Media sector through AI adoption and commercialization.
- Increase business productivity, global competitiveness, and talent attraction within the Interactive Digital Media (IDM) sector, and businesses led by underrepresented groups within the sector, through AI adoption and commercialization.
Eligible Manitoba-based IDM companies may receive financial assistance for up to 50% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of $10,000, through one or a combination of the project streams listed below. Activities in any of the project steams must be directly tied to AI commercialization or adoption by the IDM company applying for assistance.
- Custom Teams Training
- Talent Recruitment Assistance (HR Services)
- Legal Services (Intellectual Property/Regulatory)
- Data Compute Support
- AI Expert(s) on Call (Consulting Services Support)
- Conference/Trade Shows
- Marketing Specialist Fees
- Business Development/Market Access Travel
- Demonstration costs
- Marketing and Promotional Costs
An eligible project may involve a range of activities to commercialize and/or adopt AI technologies:
- Technology commercialization, which includes:
- Showcasing and commercializing Canadian-made AI technologies and solutions. This includes market diagnostics, development, customization of AI technology for broader (off-the-shelf) use, production expansion, supply chain integration and other activities aimed at bringing new AI technologies and solutions to market in the near term.
- Building and growing high-performance teams within start-ups and scale-ups developing AI technologies and AI-driven solutions. This includes adopting best management practices, developing team capacity and talent, and fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Technology adoption, which includes:
- Strategically adopting/integrating AI technologies and solutions to drive innovation, growth, and productivity. For example, leveraging AI for complex tasks such as autonomous driving, supply chain optimization, predictive maintenance, process optimization, customer retention and expansion, fraud or threat detection.
- Re-engineering processes and developing capacity for AI adoption such as initiatives to enhance data collection, quality and analysis (e.g., data informed decision making), improve product and service outcomes through AI (e.g., better user/customer experience), strengthen data governance and security measures (e.g., improved business operations and risk management).
For-profit businesses must meet all the following criteria to be eligible for this program.
- You’re a for-profit business incorporated to conduct business in Canada
- You employ at least one full-time equivalent (FTE)
- You’ve been in operation for a minimum of two years
- You have staffed operating facilities in Manitoba
- You are commercializing AI technologies (at or above technology readiness level 7 (as defined by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) or adopting AI based solutions (preference may be given to Canadian AI solutions).
- You are a legal entity capable of entering into legally binding agreements
- The project proposed must be taking place (be located in) Manitoba
- Companies must engage in regular business activities that fall within the interactive digital media realm – specifically:
- Video Games
- Virtual, Augmented, Mixed and Extended Reality
- Interactive Website and App development
- Interactive Educational Content, and
- Any computer-delivered electronic system that allows the user to control, combine, and manipulate different types of media, such as text, sound, video, computer graphics, and animation.
- You have the financial capacity and/or confirmed funding from other non-government sources to cover all project costs (reimbursement occurs following project completion).
- Companies must contribute a minimum of 50% of the cash costs for their project.
- NMM can reimburse a company up to a maximum of $10,000 in funding under this program for AI projects where the company will incur up to $20,000 in eligible costs. Companies may apply for AI projects that exceed $20,000 in eligible costs. Having AI projects supported through this program does not exclude companies from participating in other AI programming paid for and delivered by NMM.
- Companies must sign a contribution agreement with NMM
- Companies must sign-off on a commitment to comply with AI Regulations
- Companies must report outcomes as set out in the agreement, including but not limited to total staff hours spent on project, total projected and actual-to-date revenue earned from project, total projected and actual cost savings due to the project, etc.
- Funds provided must be directly applied to costs of the project and may not be disbursed as financial assistance to other companies
- Consent must be provided for NMM to post your company name, location, amount of funding, and date of approval on the NMM website
- Consent must be provided to being contacted by PrairiesCan in relation to success stories, announcements, ceremonies and other communication activities
- Consent must be provided to NMM to provide a copy of the contribution agreement, your company name, amount contributed, and location of the project to PrairiesCan.
Preference may be given to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with less than 500 full-time employees.
Only the projects with the strongest alignment with program objectives and expected results will be selected to progress from the Expression of Interest (EOI) process to the full application process. To prepare a strong EOI and application it is important that you:
- Ensure the eligibility of your company, and the activities of the proposed project by reviewing the information detailed under the Eligibility Checklist section. If you are still unsure, contact NMM to discuss your eligibility.
- Read the program materials as described in this overview to obtain an understanding of what will be expected from you in terms of EOI and application requirements and processes.
- Identify someone from your company to be a project lead or primary contact that NMM will engage with as the project is assessed.
- Gather all the mandatory documentation that NMM is requesting for the EOI. This will ensure that NMM will have the information necessary to review your EOI. Should your project advance, further documentation will be required for the full application.
EOI reviews will take place in the first week of each month, and the status of your submission will be communicated within 45 days of receipt. If your EOI progresses through to the full application, the application will be due within 30 days of notice.
Should you have any questions regarding or during the EOI or full application process, please contact the NMM office (ai@newmediamanitoba.com).
Intake Open
Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis until November 30, 2027, or until funding has been fully committed or otherwise announced. All projects must be completed by December 31, 2027.
NMM uses a 2-stage intake approach to which you may apply at any time:
- Expression of interest (EOI): This form lets you describe the proposed project purpose, rationale, eligibility, activities and budget. We use it to determine if a project should advance to a full application.
- Full application: If your project is selected to advance to the second stage, we will invite you to provide more details about your project.
We encourage you to contact NMM’s Manger, AI Initiatives and Services prior to submitting an EOI.
How to Submit an Expression of Interest
Review the full EOI Guide before beginning your submission using the Microsoft Forms link provided.
After Submitting an Expression of Interest
EOIs with the strongest merit and alignment with program objectives, priority areas and significant economic benefits, will be invited to complete a full application and undergo detailed assessment. Within 45 days of the EOI submission, NMM will notify you of the status of the submission.
How Expressions of Interest are Assessed
The intake is a competitive process. Expressions of Interest that demonstrate the highest merit and strongest alignment with the program objectives are invited to complete a full application.
All applications will be evaluated on their ability to achieve program objectives, their economic impact, the viability of the project, and their relative strengths in the following areas:
- market potential
- management capability
- financial capacity to undertake the project
- economic benefits
- company readiness to pursue the project
- the percentage of industry cash being contributed to the project
- technology readiness (technology commercialization projects only)
- degree of alignment to the requirement that Companies must engage in regular business activities that fall within the interactive digital media realm
While undergoing a detailed assessment, NMM may request:
- detailed breakdown of project costs
- other detailed information on the project or your company.
Applicants are advised to submit a complete and thorough EOI. Not all applicants will be advanced to the full application process.
Expected Outcomes
Recipients must quantify, substantiate and later report on the following types of expected results:
- number of highly qualified personnel (HQP) jobs created at their company, where AI tools are a required skill (Canada’s Highly Qualified personnel (HQP) are defined as individuals with university degrees at the bachelor’s level and above.)
- number of non-HQP jobs created at their company, where AI tools are a required skill
- revenue growth ($) related to AI initiatives
- export sales growth ($) related to products that incorporate AI
- incremental private sector investment attracted ($) for AI projects
- number of technologies (incorporating AI) to market, where applicable
- business sales growth ($) resulting from commercialization or adoption of AI, where applicable
- value of business expenditures in AI research and development ($), where applicable
- number of HQP trained, when applicable
Examples of additional information that recipients may be required to supply include but would not be limited to:
- total staff hours spent on project
- total projected and actual to date revenue earned from project
- total projected and actual cost savings due to the project, etc.
Invitation to Submit a Full Application
Within 45 days of submission of the EOI, companies advancing to the full application process will be notified. The application will be due within 30 days of notice. Feedback will be provided to those companies that do not advance, and they will have the option to resubmit their EOI.
A standard full application scoring rubric will be used to evaluate submitted full applications, and score thresholds will be set (e.g. Under # decline, between #-# revisions required, above # approved). Though a project may be approved, the panel may need to defer it pending available financial resources in the current year.
Unsuccessful companies will receive feedback outlining why the full application was unsuccessful and encouraged to revise/reconsider and resubmit.
Elements of a Strong Application
Strong applications will be complete and sufficiently detailed to allow NMM to thoroughly review and validate the information and can include the following:
- Detailed description of the applicant company and proposed AI project
- Clear alignment to program objectives
- Measurable economic benefits
- Strong, evidence-based rationale for the project
- Confirmation of financial capacity to execute the project and the ability to pay
- Expected outcomes supported by reasonable assumptions and rationale
- Clear explanation as to how the productivity or efficiency savings will enable the company/company to grow and expand (if applicable)
- Well-defined IP strategy (if applicable)
- Confirmed understanding of the current and anticipated AI regulations in Canada (e.g., Bill C-27 to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act) and other countries (e.g., the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, the U.S. Voluntary AI Risk Management Framework), and potential requirements to ensure the security of data and the responsible use of AI.
We will assess your application
We may contact you for details on your submissions or additional information, where deemed necessary for assessment. Although NMM may engage companies directly on outstanding questions or issues, applicants are advised to submit a complete and thorough application.
We will issue a contribution agreement
If your full application is approved, you will be given the option to enter into a contribution agreement with NMM. This agreement outlines the conditions of the payment for the project. You will be expected to sign the Contribution Agreement within 30 days of being notified and have confirmed all sources of funding prior to this date. The Agreement outlines the obligations of the funding recipient.
The contribution agreement will outline how project costs will be paid
Companies will normally pay the project costs and NMM will provide reimbursements based on a claim form and receipt/invoices copies submitted when the approved project is complete. The reimbursements will be released to you for the approved portion of eligible projects costs that have been incurred and paid. All project activities must be completed by December 31, 2027, to be eligible for reimbursement. Note: some projects may lend themselves to an alternate payment arrangement; this will be determined on a project-by-project basis.
The contribution agreement will outline reporting requirements
All contribution agreements jointly signed between NMM and a successful applicant include a reporting requirement to demonstrate progress and results. You will be expected to track and report on key project activities and deliverables up to the final reporting date.
Confidentiality
All proprietary data, commercially sensitive information, and potentially valuable results or ideas will be protected from unauthorized, inadvertent or untimely disclosure. These laws govern, protect and limit the collection, use and disclosure of personal and confidential information by federal government departments and agencies. Beyond the parties already mentioned above, confidential commercial information will not be shared without the applicant’s consent.
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