Question 1

What is ElevateIP (North Forge) (ElevateIP – Intellectual Property Support (delivered by North Forge)) and who is it for?

Accepted Answer

Federally funded (ISED) intellectual property support program, delivered in Manitoba and Saskatchewan by North Forge in partnership with Communitech. Structured in three tiers: Tier 1 (IP Capacity Building — education, no application needed, always available), Tier 2 (IP Strategy Development — up to $25,000, 100% funded, no participant co-investment), and Tier 3 (IP Strategy Implementation — up to $75,000, participant co-invests 10%/20%/30% depending on ownership structure and revenue). Combined Tier 2+3 funding is capped at $100,000 total. Funding is not paid directly to the applicant — North Forge pays approved Service Providers directly, and a Tier 3 participant pays their co-investment share directly to the Service Provider. ⚠️ Tier 2 and Tier 3 applications under ElevateIP 1.0 CLOSED June 30, 2025; the official FAQ says North Forge anticipates opening ElevateIP 2.0 to new applicants in Fall/Winter 2026/2027 — not yet open as of this check, no confirmed date. (The page's own hero banner separately says "Applications open during the Fall/Winter 2026 intake", which reads as already-open — confirm current status directly with North Forge before advising a client either way.) Typical applicant: Manitoba/Saskatchewan CCPCs under 15 years old with a defensible technology or process (e.g. proprietary software architecture, novel process) who need a formal IP strategy

Question 2

Who qualifies for ElevateIP (North Forge)?

Accepted Answer

Canadian-Controlled Private Corporation (CCPC) Incorporated or registered in Manitoba or Saskatchewan ⚠️ HARD GATE: fewer than 500 employees ⚠️ HARD GATE: less than CAD $10 million in annual revenue — not restated on the live page at the 2026-09-13 check; confirm with North Forge ⚠️ HARD GATE: operating for fewer than 15 years — not restated on the live page at the 2026-09-13 check; confirm with North Forge Own, or hold exclusive legal rights to use, the IP associated with the innovation being supported Developing or commercializing an innovative product, technology, or service where IP is a meaningful barrier or asset ⚠️ Tier 1 (education) has no application gate and is available independently of the funded tiers — the Tier 2/3 support (up to $100,000) is gated by intakeDeadline

Question 3

Is ElevateIP (North Forge) currently open for applications?

Accepted Answer

RE-VERIFIED 2026-09-13 after the drift monitor flagged this entry, and the finding was the most consequential of that batch: the program has REOPENED. The live page states "Applications are open on the portal from September 9 to 23, 2026", while this entry still carried intakeDeadline 2025-06-30 and prose about waiting for 2.0 — so a consultant would have been told a program with an open window was closed. The page confirms "Employ fewer than 500 people", "Are Canadian-Controlled Private Corporations (CCPCs)" and "Are headquartered in Manitoba or Saskatchewan" (note: headquartered, where this entry says incorporated or registered). The page also reworded its eligibility list ("Are Canadian-Controlled Private Corporations", "Are headquartered in", "Employ fewer than 500 people" — people, not employees), so sourceQuote now carries that wording and no longer quotes revenue or age figures it does not contain; that is what stops the weekly drift check reporting them missing forever. The under-$10M-revenue and under-15-years criteria did NOT surface in the 2026-09-13 fetch of this page, but they are still reported by search results quoting the program and were on the page at the 2026-08-19 check, so their hard gates are KEPT rather than removed — keeping a gate is the conservative reading and removing one is the permissive one (CLAUDE.md §7). Confirm both directly with North Forge before telling a client they are out of scope on either. Tier 1 education content requires no application and can be used regardless of the funded-tier window. Unused Tier 2 funding may be applied toward eligible Tier 3 activities per the official FAQ. Intake closed 2026-09-23 — next intake date not yet announced. Confirm current status directly with the program.