Leveraging Canada’s Renewed ElevateIP Funding in 2026: What Businesses Need to Know

ElevateIP was originally launched in 2022 and was designed to address a persistent gap in the Canadian innovation ecosystem: the lack of IP ownership among Canadian companies and the tendency for startups and smaller companies to delay developing a formal IP strategy until later stages of commercialization, which in many cases is too late. As the program guide makes clear, failure to secure and manage IP early can undermine growth, investor readiness, and long-term competitiveness. In response, the federal government created ElevateIP to provide businesses—through accelerators and incubators—with access to professional IP guidance and advice and funding for both IP strategy development and implementation through investments in obtaining patents and trademarks. 

The policy importance of this initiative has been reinforced in Budget 2025, which emphasizes the protection and commercialization of Canadian intellectual property as part of a broader effort to strengthen productivity and innovation. 

From a practical standpoint, the program is now transitioning into a new phase and recent communications to IP service providers confirm that ElevateIP is being extended, with updated agreements, revised eligibility criteria, and a substantially redesigned administrative portal. Applications are expected to reopen in mid to late summer 2026 with funding expected to continue through 2030. This timing is important: businesses that are already thinking about their IP strategy will be better positioned to take advantage of funding once intake resumes.

One of the strengths of the ElevateIP model is the breadth of support it offers. Funding is structured around three stages of IP development: IP education and awareness, IP strategy development, and IP implementation. In practice, this means that businesses can receive support not only for early-stage IP education and planning, but also for the concrete steps required to secure IP protection—such as patent drafting and filing or trademark registration. Professional fees, including those associated with hiring patent and trademark agents and legal counsel, are eligible costs, along with government filing fees and other technical services. 

The ElevateIP funding structure is also designed to reduce upfront barriers. First, IP education is offered to companies through the program at no charge. Following on that, work related to developing an IP strategy is fully funded (on approval), while implementation activities typically require a modest co-investment by the business, generally in the range of 10 to 35 percent of eligible costs. There is also a cap—no single company may receive more than $100,000 in funding under the program. From a client perspective, this often translates into a meaningful reduction in the cost of building a defensible IP position at a critical stage of growth. 

Beyond the immediate IP funding benefit, the ElevateIP program reflects a broader shift in Canadian policy toward encouraging earlier and more strategic engagement with IP. The stated outcomes include increasing the number of companies with formal IP strategies, improving access to high-quality IP advisory services, and ultimately supporting firms in securing and leveraging IP rights. In our experience, this aligns closely with what investors and commercial partners expect: a clear understanding of what IP assets a company owns, how they are  protected, and how IP supports and generates value in the business model. 

For small businesses, the key implication is that IP planning and development should be treated not as an optional, discretionary legal expense, but as a core business requirement and function that drives commercial benefit and returns. This is why the government is willing to support  IP funding directly as a key driver of the innovation economy. 

With the ElevateIP program expected to reopen for applications later this year, the most effective approach for companies is to prepare in advance. That typically means identifying core innovations, thinking through markets and competitors, and beginning to outline an IP strategy that can be refined and implemented once IP funding becomes available. Because IP funding is delivered through business accelerators and incubators rather than directly to companies, early engagement with those organizations and suitable IP service providers is also advisable so that a company is ready to act quickly when the application window re-opens.