Program Summary 2011-12

The Productivity and Innovation Voucher Program (Voucher Program) provides small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with vouchers to acquire the direct assistance from Nova Scotia universities and colleges that is needed to help make their business more innovative and productive.

Based on feedback received from past recipients, the 2011-12 Voucher Program was augmented this year to include a Pilot Round offering of accelerated program vouchers. The two tiers of vouchers available to SMEs this year are defined as:

• Tier 1 Vouchers are the traditional vouchers worth a maximum of $15,000 these are provided to eligible SMEs who have not previously been awarded a voucher - (Round 4 launched September 12, 2011).
• Accelerated Program Vouchers (limited pilot launched on November 10, 2011) are worth a maximum of $25,000 and are designed to help previous voucher recipients build upon progress initiated and supported by earlier voucher program funding.

Tier 1 of the 2011-2012 Voucher Program (Round Four) was launched on the web site and with a news release on September 12, 2011. All projects are required to be completed by the end of the fiscal year, March 31, 2012.

The Tier 1 application process was open for a three-week period between September 12th and October 3rd, 2011. A total of 91 applications were received and reviewed by ERDT staff, with input from program Service Providers to ensure compatibility with services being offered. Applications were received from across the province and were more or less evenly split between businesses from rural and urban areas.

Thirty-five vouchers were awarded in late October 2011. The map below provides a listing of the successful voucher recipient companies by geographic location. Additional detail on these companies and their specific voucher projects is provided in Appendix A.

A breakdown of Round Four Tier 1 voucher recipient companies by sector, below, illustrates a broad range of areas of focus. Compared to the previous year, the percentage of recipients in the Information and Communications Technology sector nearly doubled. There was a small increase in the percentage of recipients in the Life Sciences and Industrial Manufacturing sectors. And, there was a small decrease in the percentage of recipients in the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector.

Voucher program funding supported project activity at the early (applied research/feasibility studies) and later stages (proof of concept-field testing/prototype development) of the innovation/commercialization process. There was little change in the distribution by project type when compared to last year. The most significant change was an increase in the percentage of product design projects. There was also a decline in the percentage of projects related to applied research. No vouchers were applied for or awarded for eco-efficiency audits.

Projects were spread out among Service Providers across the province, with the bulk at Dalhousie University, comparable to previous years. There was a notable increase in the number of agricultural-related projects at Nova Scotia Agricultural College and food-related projects at Acadia University.

A pilot Accelerated Program 2011-2012 Voucher Program was launched on November 10,2011. All projects are required to be completed by the end of the fiscal year, March 31, 2012. The objective of the Accelerated Program pilot program is to provide funding to previous voucher program recipients to allow them to build on their initial voucher-supported activity.

The Accelerated Program application process will be open for a two-week period between November 10 – 25, 2011. A total of 117 previous voucher program recipients are eligible to apply, six Accelerated Program vouchers will be awarded. The value of the Accelerated Program voucher will be $25,000.