IAC FAQs
The Innovation Asset Collective (IAC) is a not-for-profit, members-based organization funded by the Government of Canada. IAC empowers cleantech small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow, strengthen their businesses, and compete internationally, with resources and programs that increase their freedom to operate (FTO) and create capacity to implement intellectual property (IP) strategies.
The Innovation Asset Collective (IAC) delivers a variety of programs to help our members in cleantech industries increase competitiveness on the global market, foster growth, and ensure freedom to operate (FTO) by establishing and investing in their intellectual property (IP) strategy. This includes:
The IP Maturity Framework™ (IPMF) is a structured tool developed by IAC that helps companies understand where they are on their IP journey, and what steps they can take to strengthen their IP practices to support their business goals.
Yes, whether you already have multiple patents and want to build a long-term IP strategy, or you don’t even where to start with filing your first patent, IAC supports cleantech companies at all stages of their IP journey. For companies whose current IP position does not include patents, other aspects of IP strategy might include:
IAC is a national nonprofit that provides programs to small and medium-sized cleantech companies aimed to support their IP strategy, protect their freedom to operate, and make IP investments and decisions that will provide long-term business value. IAC offers many things that are different from most IP programs, including:
IAC builds and maintains a portfolio of patents that members can license to strengthen their freedom to operate and reduce IP risk—such as in negotiations when a competitor asserts a patent against them. By accessing IAC’s portfolio, companies may be able to assert counter rights. IAC provides this support without taking equity or charging royalties. Patents in the portfolio have been purchased independently by IAC; members do not contribute IP to the portfolio.
IAC does not provide legal advice and does not replace the need to work with service providers and IP lawyers. We empower our members to work with service providers more effectively and affordably. That might look like helping members know what questions to ask IP lawyers or how to confidently guide their conversations with service providers. IAC regularly works in collaboration with IP lawyers on services and resources for members.
IAC, working in partnership with brokers, provides full members access to a base IP liability insurance coverage with $1M in defensive coverage and $1M in enforcement coverage over a 12-month policy period. Members have the option to apply for coverage when they join IAC. IP insurance can be used to cover unexpected costs related to contract indemnification, infringement of third-party IP, and enforcing your IP rights against infringement.
IAC membership is open to companies that meet all the following criteria:
IAC’s Full Member tier is $15,000 per year. However, full membership is designed to be cost neutral. Members are eligible to receive an equivalent $15,000 annually in IP credits, which support investment in intellectual property strategy. IAC also has a free Associate Member tier for companies with fewer than 25 employees and under $500,000 in annual revenue.
Full members have access to all of IAC’s services and higher-value grants. Associate members have access to a subset of IAC’s services and a lower maximum grant value.
Full members can receive:
Full Membership requires an annual fee of $15,000, which can be recouped through IP credits.
Associate members do not pay fees and can receive:
Full members can submit any IP-related expense to IAC for reimbursement, up to the full value of their annual membership fee. Eligible expenses include:
Yes, IAC funds can be used to cover the portion of costs that other IP funding programs don’t cover. For example, if a company receives 70% investment on an IP project through another source of funding, IAC funds can be used to cover the other 30%.
IAC’s full members are eligible for up to $50,000 of grants per year, at up to $20,000 per application. Associate members are eligible for up to $15,000 per year at up to $10,000 per application. Grants can be used to towards a range of IP-related activities, including developing an IP strategy, developing IP agreements, IP filing costs, landscape analysis or freedom to operate analysis.
Yes, IAC uses its IP Maturity FrameworkTM (IPMF) to assess each member’s IP maturity and develop a customized learning pathway. The learning pathway includes curated modules and toolkits tailored to the company’s specific stage and goals. Members can also meet 1:1 with IAC IP experts to discuss their IP strategy and receive guidance on which learning materials are most relevant.
In addition to 1:1 access to IP experts, IAC members have access to the IAC IP Hub, an educational platform that helps members innovate, protect, and grow their business through IP upskilling.
Businesses of all sizes need an IP strategy to ensure that the intangible things that set them apart—like technological innovations, novel processes, and memorable branding—are driving value and supporting their business goals. An effective IP strategy can:
The Innovation Asset Collective (IAC) provides deep educational resources for members that cover IP strategy, IP management, enforcement, commercialization, and more. Additional resources on IP in Canada are provided by Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), ElevateIP, The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), and New Ventures BC, among others.
The main forms of IP protection in Canada and around the world are patents, trademarks, copyright, trade secrets, and industrial designs.
Yes, computer programs that are inventive, non-obvious, and useful may be patentable. However, patents might not be the best form of IP protection for software that is expected to be obsolete within a few years, since the patent application process is time-consuming. Computer code as such cannot be patented, but it is considered a literary work, which is automatically protected by copyright.
In many cases, yes. A 2023 European Patent Office (EPO) press release found that startups with patents and trademarks are 10 times more successful in securing investment. A well-managed IP portfolio plays a strategic role in enhancing company valuation, building investors’ confidence, and improving access to funding and market opportunities.
Trade secrets are often not sufficient when trying to attract outside investors. Ownership of formal IP, such as patents, demonstrates a company’s ability to scale, grow, and protect itself against competition. If all your IP is trade secrets, it is much harder to disclose necessary information to potential investors without the risk of ideas being appropriated or accidentally made public.
You can determine if your idea is already patented by performing patentability searches across patent databases. Two common forms of patentability searches are competitor-focused and feature-focused. Competitor-focused searches look specifically for what your competitors have already patented. Feature-focused searches look for patents related to the core features of your idea. When conducting patentability searches, be sure to try different combinations of terminology and synonyms to ensure you don’t miss anything.
As of January 1, 2026, a patent application fee in Canada is $595.06. Applicants who are considered small entities, which includes companies with fewer than 100 employees, are eligible for a reduced fee of $241.24. A request for examination fee is $297 ($117.94 for small entities) if the patent application has been the subject of an international search by the Commissioner of Patents in their capacity as an International Search Authority. Otherwise, the basic examination fee is $1190.13 ($482.48 for small entities). If a patent is approved, the basic final fee is $446.03 ($181.20 for small entities).
Protecting your IP internationally as a Canadian company requires filing separate patents in each jurisdiction, but there are systems that can help reserve your rights while you determine your strategy. Canada is one of 159 states signed to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), which means that when you file a patent in Canada, you are given 12 months to seek patent protection for your invention in multiple countries with a single international patent application successfully filed under the PCT. In Europe, the Unitary Patent system gives access to 46 member, extension and validation states, including 18 countries of the European Union, instead of requiring filings in each country.
Not necessarily, but working with a licensed patent agent is strongly recommended to make sure your application is done correctly. Working with a patent agent is required in some scenarios, such as if the application is being filed by someone other than the inventor. IP lawyers can help you search for existing patents, determine whether your invention is too similar, and navigate the application process.
The first step in a freedom to operate (FTO) analysis is to search across a database such as the Canadian Intellectual Property Office’s (CIPO) Canadian Patent Database to find existing patents that are similar to the invention that you wish to patent. The second step is to analyze the results for any potential conflicts, which may require the input of an IP lawyer or other subject matter expert.
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