- Eligible Companies
- Eligible Projects
- Eligible Costs
- Selection Process
- Executing Your Project
- Ineligible Costs
Projects Eligible for SMART Funding
Project Types
A wide variety of productivity improvement projects are eligible, including:
- Lean manufacturing
- Lean design
- Quality improvement
- Energy efficiency
- IT best practices
- Environmental impact reduction
- Health and Safety
At minimum the primary focus of your project must be on improving your operational efficiency. Ideally the project will not just improve your efficiency incrementally, but transform the way you do business and make your company substantially more competitive.
Project Start and Finish
Projects must have started AFTER June 1, 2011 and should be completed no later than October 31, 2011. Extensions will not be provided for this latest round of funding. Any project that cannot be complete by October 31, 2011 will be terminated and any funding received will need to be returned to the SMART Program. There are absolutely no exceptions.
Project Size
Projects of any size can be proposed for funding, but SMART Funding is only available up to 50% of project costs or $50,000, whichever is less. Good projects shouldn't be too big or too complicated - we are looking for projects that will be completed successfully and on time, and we want the benefits that are reported to clearly relate to the project. At the same time, projects should not be so small that achieving the stated goals or performance objectives depends on other things - like the completion of other projects at the facility.
