R&D Partnership Fund – Advanced Charging and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Stream
Receive co-investment of up to $1,000,000 toward the development, validation, testing, piloting, demonstration, commercialization, and deployment of advanced charging and V2G technologies.
For more on this program’s current status, please visit the Programs Overview.
Program overview
The R&D Partnership Fund – Advanced Charging and V2G Stream supports projects related to the development, validation, testing, piloting, demonstration, commercialization, and deployment of technologies, products and services focused on advanced charging and V2G technologies needed to accelerate the shift to electrification. This includes technologies in the following Priority Areas:
- Advanced charging technologies, including wireless charging, high-speed charging, bidirectional charging, dynamic charging, and smart charging.
- Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technologies, including technologies to support interoperability and scalability.
- Energy demand and grid management systems.
- Zero-emissions technologies relating to the integration of renewable energy within charging infrastructure.
- Energy storage and transmission technologies (including battery and hydrogen-focused technologies) relating to energy management and grid capacity.
Examples of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) energy management systems and other advanced charging technologies:
- Smart Charging and Load Management technologies: technologies that help manage and distribute the load of EVs on the grid to match the grid’s capacity. Examples include time-of-use pricing, off-peak charging, and smart charging software.
- Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Technology: that allows bidirectional energy flow between EVs and the grid, enabling EVs to act as mobile energy storage units, mitigating the need for additional infrastructure. Examples include vehicles equipped with bidirectional charging technology that enables electric vehicles (EVs) to discharge energy back into the grid when not in use supporting grid stability and managing fluctuations in energy supply and demand.
- Energy storage technologies: technologies managing fluctuating electricity demand and integrating intermittent renewable energy sources into the grid. Examples include batteries for grid storage applications, hydrogen storage technologies including compressed hydrogen for grid integration, pumped hydro storage systems for large-scale and long-duration storage, and flywheels for rapid response times.
- Distributed energy resources and technologies (DERs): technologies close to the point of energy consumption, which aim to integrate smaller-scale, localized energy systems as an alternative or complement to the centralized grid. Examples include various technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, small-scale hydroelectric systems, combined heat and power (CHP) systems, and microgrids that allow for off-grid vehicle charging stations.
- Technologies that support system operability across the grid and vehicle and charging infrastructure: cybersecurity solutions (e.g. network security and device authentication), connectivity and smart device solutions (e.g. anomaly detection, network management and preventative maintenance), and blockchain solutions (e.g. access management and transaction systems).
- Integration of Renewable Energy: technologies that integrate more renewable energy sources into the grid to potentially enhance the reliability and sustainability of the grid, such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power technologies.
Objectives
For eligible projects, applicants, and partners:
- Commercialization of Ontario-made technologies
- Demonstration of Ontario-made technologies to potential customers
- Relationships with researchers to extend company R&D
- Marketable solutions and technologies for advanced charging and energy management systems
- Public/private partnerships
For society:
- Cleaner transportation
- Reduced environmental and carbon footprint
- Efficiencies and cost-savings relating to energy systems and infrastructure
How co-investment works
The R&D Partnership Fund – Advanced Charging and V2G Stream supports approved projects with up to $1,000,000 in funding over a maximum of 24 months. All funds must be matched by a minimum 2:1 contribution from applicants and/or private sector partners.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- A small- and medium- sized enterprise (SME) with fewer than 500 global full-time employees.
- May be an Applicant on only one R&D Partnership Fund project at a time.
- Must have registered operations (R&D, manufacturing, product management, etc.) in Ontario.
- Applicants who have received over $500,000 of funding from OCI administered programs in their lifetime (excluding TalentEdge) are required to obtain OCI approval before a new application for funding is initiated. Your Business Development Manager can guide you through the process.
Eligible partners
- Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
- National and Multi-National Enterprises (NEs and MNEs)
- Academic institutions (as clients only)
- Local electricity utilities or local distribution companies (LDCs)
- Municipalities
- Transit Authorities
- Crown Corporations
- Indigenous Communities
- Not-For-Profit Organizations representing industry
Additional partners can also join the project. There is no limit on the number of partners. Partnerships should represent significant potential commercial opportunities for all parties.
Eligible Projects
- One Applicant and minimum of one Primary Partner.
- An unlimited number of additional Secondary Partners, or Other Partners can join.
- Applicant and Primary Partner must have an arm’s-length business relationship.
- Project activities are carried out in Ontario.
- Minimum 2:1 contribution match by Applicants and/or private sector Partners.
- Projects can be up to 24 months in duration.
- This program is not intended for research to prove feasibility or basic technology research. Projects should be at Technology Readiness Level 3-9.
- Typical project activities include technology/product/service development, validation, testing, piloting, demonstration, commercialization, and deployment of technologies, products and services focused on the production, transmission and storage of energy needed for the transition to EVs; as well as technologies reducing the impact of EVs on grid capacity, such as grid optimization and other EV related technologies.
- Intellectual Property (IP) arising from a project will be managed by project Applicant and Partners as OCI does not claim or manage IP rights.
- Applicant and Partners should demonstrate close collaboration and scalable outcomes with high potential for commercialization, strong commercial pull, competitive advantage, and alignment with intended program benefits.
- Eligible projects MUST include demonstration of actual products/services that can be showcased in Ontario at events, on the road, to OCI and its partners, and/or at customer sites.
How to apply
The R&D Partnership Fund – Advanced Charging and V2G Stream consists of two stages: an expression of interest (EOI) and a Full Proposal.
To begin the EOI submission process, please complete a client intake form. An OCI Business Development Manager (BD) will contact you to discuss the opportunity and assist you. Your OCI BD will also maintain oversight responsibility for the OCI components of any approved project.
Reference documentation (the Program Guidelines, the OCI Funding Agreement, the Eligible Expenditures Guide, the Full Proposal Questionnaire, the Letter of Support Template, and the Data and Information Sharing Protocol (DISP) documents) are available on the OVIN Resource Document Page.
Intake Form
Submit this intake form and see if this program is the right fit for your business!