Technology Access Centre grants

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Activities supported

TAC grant proposals are expected to focus on how the TAC will meet the innovation needs of organizations within the college’s community. For example, the centre might focus on:

• developing a strategic technology for key business sectors in the community
• providing basic capabilities to strengthen a region’s innovation infrastructure
• addressing the applied research and innovation needs of key social, health and public organizations
• augmenting the innovation capabilities of local/regional organizations

TACs help their clients be more innovative, productive, effective and competitive.

For Quebec colleges and CEGEPs, TAC grants will only support an added administrative, research management or client development position (and associated expenses) for an established centre.

Community, local or regional focus

TACs must serve the college’s community or local/regional area. These terms are used interchangeably. For most colleges, this is the local geographic area where the client or partner organizations that will use the research and employ the students are found. In some cases, depending on the college’s context, the geographic area can span several provinces and/or territories.

Innovation support and research services

Innovation support services refers to a range of services aimed at supporting client researchers and their research objectives. These innovation support services can include specialized training, technical services and access to equipment, among others.

Research services refers to the set of client-focused activities that lead to the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way. Research services generally include innovation support services required to meet the research objectives. For example, stand-alone services that are independent of larger research goals such as technical services, specialized training and access to equipment, are not considered research services.

Innovation support and research services refers to the full set of TAC service offerings, which includes stand-alone client-focused innovation support services and client-focused research services.

TACs must provide innovation support and research services (i.e., research or research support activities undertaken to meet a client organization’s innovation requirements). The TAC offers these services on a fee-for-service or cost-recovery basis (recovery minimally of all incremental centre expenses resulting from the client service activities). If the TAC has other sources of funding—such as a College and Community Innovation program Applied Research & Development (ARD) grant or a College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) grant—client/partner organizations may provide cash and/or in-kind contributions to meet the grant’s leveraging requirements. Client contributions, along with the grant funds, should cover at least the centre’s cost-recovery expenditures.

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