Wavefront Presents WaveGuide™ Business Seminar:
How to Access Government Funding and Support

 

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday, April 15, 2010
Time: 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM (PST)
Location: Discovery Parks, 887 Great Northern Way, Vancouver, BC  [MAP]
Cost: Free. Pre-registration is required, as seating is limited.

 

SUMMARY

Register to attend this seminar and learn how to leverage money and support from the Canadian Government to accelerate the development of your mobile applications, content and games and wireless technologies.  Wavefront is fostering Canadian economic development by bringing together speakers from National Research Council - Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT), Telefilm Canada (just launched new $350M Canada Media Fund) and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), to provide an overview of their programs and show how you can engage with them and leverage their services and funding opportunities.

 

REGISTRATION FOR THIS SEMINAR IN-PERSON HAS REACHED CAPACITY. PLEASE REGISTER FOR WEBINAR. 
Wavefront is providing remote viewing access of this seminar via Mingleverse.  Please be patient with any technical difficulties as we try out this beta technology.  Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

AGENDA

• 08:30 AM – 08:50 AM     Registration and Continental Breakfast
• 08:50 AM – 09:00 AM     Welcome
  
• 09:00 AM – 09:35 AM     National Research Council - Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)
  
• NRC-IRAP Overview / Focus
• Business model
• Advisory services
• Financial Contributions
• Key factors for support
  
• Wavefront Accelerated Program with NRC-IRAP
• How to do business with NRC-IRAP
  
• Questions & Answers
  
• 09:35 AM – 10:05 AM     Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program
• SR&ED Program Overview
• What Work Qualifies
• What Expenditures Qualify
• How to Make a Claim
• Services SR&ED Provides
• Questions & Answers
  
• 10:05 AM – 10:15 AM     Coffee Break
  
• 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM     Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) & Trade Commissioner Service (TCS)
• Introduction to DFAIT and the TCS
• Services for start-ups
• Key Posts (Embassies, Consulates etc.) for the ICT Sector
• Major activities and programs
• How to work with DFAIT and TCS
• Questions & Answers
  
• 10:45 AM – 11:15 AM     Telefilm Canada and Canada Media Fund (CMF)
  
• Telefilm Overview
• CMF Guidelines
• How to Apply for CMF
  
• Questions & Answers

• 11:15 AM – 11:30 AM     Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
• Overview of NSERC
• NSERC-Pacific's role
• Funding you can access
• What makes a company eligible?
• Accessing highly trained people
• Questions & Answers
  

 

 

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS

National Research Council - Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) supports innovative Canadian small and medium sized businesses to grow stronger, faster and bigger through Technology. The suite of funding programs includes contributions to Canadian firms interested in developing innovative ideas to bring to market.  In addition NRC-IRAP provides advice and referrals to specialized expertise to help them increase their innovation capacity and turn innovative technology into commercial advantage.

 

The Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program is a federal tax incentive program, administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), that encourages Canadian businesses of all sizes, and in all sectors to conduct research and development (R&D) in Canada.  It is the largest single source of federal government support for industrial R&D.  The SR&ED program gives claimants cash refunds and/or tax credits for their expenditures on eligible R&D work done in Canada.

 

The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) is Canada’s most comprehensive network of international business professionals. The TCS can help your company succeed globally and lower your costs of doing business through four key services: Preparation for international markets, Market potential assessment, Qualified contacts, Problem solving.

Whether you’re looking to export, invest abroad, attract investment, or develop innovation and R&D partnerships, trade commissioners are available when and where you need them. Located in more than 150 cities worldwide and in regional offices across Canada, the TCS is ready to help you achieve international business success. Work with the TCS and realize your company’s full international market potential. Find out more at: tradecommissioner.gc.ca.  You can also stay informed about changing markets, with Virtual Trade Commissioner.

 

Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry. Telefilm provides financial support to the private sector to create distinctively Canadian products that appeal to domestic and international audiences. The Corporation also administers the funding programs of the Canada Feature Film Fund, the Canadian Television Fund and the Canada New Media Fund. Visit www.telefilm.gc.ca.

 

NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) is Canada's premier funding organization with an annual budget approaching $1Billion. Companies can mitigate their R&D risk by partnering with NSERC and an academic researcher. Through its portfolio of funding programs that support early stage discovery research through to pre-commercialization activities, NSERC helps Canadian companies achieve competitiveness through innovation.

 

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Hafeez Shaikh is an Industrial Technology Advisor for the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), with a focus on the BC wireless and embedded sector.

With about 10 years experience in the Canadian and international telecommunications and wireless industry, he has managed a broad range of successful projects related to developing, delivering and automating quality assurance with Research In Motion and QUALCOMM Inc and other wireless technology companies.

Hafeez has a sound understanding of what is required to drive the most innovative and cost effective strategies for launching new products and services to help his clients become successful competitors in today's dynamic markets.

 

Helene Spacek is a Research & Technology Advisor with the Canada Revenue Agency's R&D Tax Credit program, the Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) program.  Her role includes providing advice to potential claimants and reviewing claims for SR&ED credits in the Computing Science and Information Technology sector.

Prior to joining CRA in 1999, Helene's background includesa variety of roles, both as an Information Technology professional and project manager for IBM Canada Ltd., with a focus on large, complex projects and innovative, leading-edge technologies, and as an independent consultant to companies in the IT sector and to CRA.  She has also taught project management seminars across the country.

Duncan Wright is the Trade Commissioner responsible for wireless & telecom at the Vancouver Office of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT). He works with Canadian companies to help them land new international customers, partner with foreign firms and attract investment from abroad.

Duncan joined the Department in 2007 and has undertaken assignments in Vancouver, Ottawa and San Francisco.  Responsibilities to date have included analyzing US-Canada cross border investment and innovation trends, promoting the BC and Yukon mining industry abroad and managing Canada's relations with Japan in the Pacific Region (BC and Yukon). While in San Francisco, he helped develop a mentoring program for Canadian start-ups looking to break into the Silicon Valley.

Prior to joining DFAIT he was the Japan project manager for Molo Design, a Vancouver architecture and design firm with projects in Japan, USA, and Europe. He graduated UBC with a degree in Asian Studies and is fluent in Japanese.

 

Megan Griffith is a Communications & Promotion Officer with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), who works at NSERC’s Pacific Regional Office in Vancouver. Megan has been with the regional office since its doors opened in 2006. She was instrumental in the Pacific launch of NSERC’s most recent initiative, the Strategy for Partnerships and Innovation, which focuses on building relationships and research collaboration between industry and academic communities. With the Strategy come two new programs administered through the regional office and Megan finds this the most exciting aspect – the capability to provide opportunity and support the local tech community directly.

 

Monica Keen has been with Telefilm Canada for 19 years working as an Analyst for both television and feature film and since 2006 has been part of the Television Business Unit/CMF Program Administrator working exclusively on television projects. She has also been the lead analyst for the Aboriginal Program.