Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and the McGuinty government working together to boost competitiveness

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) and the Government of Ontario launched a joint initiative today to help small and medium-sized companies secure and create jobs by becoming more productive and more competitive. "The McGuinty government is working with manufacturers to help them to compete and to win in the global market place," said Michael Bryant, minister of economic development. "Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters are superbly placed to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers become more competitive so there are the jobs people need and deserve." CME, backed by a $25-million investment by the provincial government, will be helping small and medium-sized manufacturers increase their competitiveness in the global economy through a new program called SMART. ”CME’s SMART Program will equip Ontario manufacturers with the tools needed to compete and win in the new economy,” said CME President, Jayson Myers. “We are pleased that the McGuinty government has taken a lead role in helping hundreds of small and mid-sized manufacturers invest in their future.” The SMART program will provide up to 50 per cent of eligible program costs, to a maximum of $50,000 per project, and focuses on three key areas that can help Ontario manufacturers get ahead: Lean manufacturing and process improvements Information and communications technology Energy efficiency. More information about the SMART Program can be found at http://www.cme-smart.ca/ 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 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 start within 2 months from your notification of selection and should be completed within 6 months of that notification. CME intends to notify applicants whether their projects have been selected within 45 days of application, so applications shouldn't be submitted too far in advance of the planned start of a project. For a limited time, CME will accept applications for projects that have already started, but which are not projected to finish within the next 2 months. 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. Companies Eligible for SMART Funding Eligible Companies Your company must employ no more than 500 people worldwide and must also have at least two years operating history. You will need to submit selected figures from your company’s last two Canadian federal tax returns. Eligible Facilities For a given project proposal, the facility where the project will be implemented can have no fewer than 10 and no more than 200 employees as of the date of the application. Multiple Facilities If your company has more than one facility in Ontario, you may submit more than one proposal, but no more than one per facility. Important Information About the Selection Process There are limited funds available for SMART Funding, so not all eligible projects can be selected. Only the best projects will be selected, and not all eligible projects can be selected. Our Selection Criteria We’re looking for projects that will be completed on time and under budget, that will reach their stated performance goals, and that will make more of a difference to your company than just incremental performance improvements. Here are some important factors we’ll assess when considering your proposal: The feasibility, clarity and specificity of the project plan, and evidence your company has assembled the right resources to complete the project successfully. The competence and capabilities of your project management team, its commitment to the project and to the larger objectives of continuous improvement, and any examples of successful improvement projects previously undertaken at your company. The impact of the proposed project on your company as a whole, and the scale and reasonableness of the benefits expected from the project The project’s economic and environmental benefits to Ontario, including interactions with other segments of the Ontario economy (for example, by strengthening economic clusters across the province). A Fair and Impartial Process Using Industry Experts CME will use a fair and impartial process, using independent reviews by outside experts, to ensure that the best projects are selected for funding. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest All CME staff and contractors involved in the application review and selection process are covered by a strict confidentiality and conflict of interest agreement, as are all the industry experts involved in the review of your proposal. In addition, based on information you provide in your application, we will screen our experts for any conflicts of interest so that your proposal receives an impartial and unbiased review. Final decisions about funding will be made by a panel of those experts, rather than by CME staff, further reducing any chance for bias. Ranking and Recommendation Our panel of experts will meet frequently to discuss and rank applications from best to worst, and the panel then allocates funding to the top-ranked projects. Below the funding cutoff, a few projects may be deferred for consideration by the next review panel, to ensure consistent How to Apply for SMART Funding Our Online Application Process We are using a custom-designed online application system to speed up our application review process and keep our administrative costs low. The same system will be used by your Reference and expert reviewers to conduct their assessments of your application. Complete the form here to let us know you are interested in more information and we’ll notify you as soon as the full application process is available. Sample Application Forms To help organize the information we need about your company and your project, we'll soon be posting a sample version of the application form for download. When you have all the information ready, you can cut and paste answers in the appropriate places in the online (web) application form. Our application form has a number of detailed questions about your company, the people who work there, and about the specifics of your proposed project, its costs and timing, and the benefits you expect from it. The questions are detailed because we want to give you the best opportunity to provide a very clear presentation about why your project will be successful and will make a difference to your company. Who Should Complete the Application? Because the application contains important information about your company (for example your business number for tax purposes) and about your proposed project (including details of costs and timing), different people in your organization may have to contribute different information to complete your application. However, at this time, only one person per facility can be registered to use the online system, so it might be best if the application is actually made by a senior person at the company or by a trusted associate. Projects Selected for Funding If your proposed project is selected for SMART Funding, you will receive both electronic (e-mail) and written notification. (That will be the Notification Date for contract purposes.) You will then work with a SMART Program representative to finalize details about the project, details that will become part of a contract between your company and CME. Initial Payment Once your signed contract is received back in our offices, we will send you your first payment, equal to 30% of the award amount. For example, assume you proposed a $100,000 project and received an award of $50,000 – 50% of the project costs. Your first payment will be 30% of the award amount, or $15,000. Supervision of Your Project Once the contract is in place, you will need to communicate with us to keep us up-to-date on the progress of the project and the benefits you eventually experience. You will be able to contact appropriate CME staff by phone, e-mail and using the same online system you used to submit your application. In addition, the Reference you chose at the beginning of the process will continue to help keep things on track – they will also be part of the project supervision process. Starting and Completing Your Project Our contract requires that you start your project within 2 months of the Notification Date and finish the project within 6 months of that Date. CME and your Reference will be in contact with you to help you keep on schedule. Learn more about Project Progress reporting. Submitting Actual Expenses for Reimbursement When the project is complete, and all of the project expenses have been documented by your company, you are ready to report them to CME for reimbursement according to the terms of the Contract. Learn more about Expense Claims and the reimbursement process. Reporting the Results of the Project Once the project is finished, you have up to 6 months to conduct follow-up measurements of performance to see if the results you expected have actually been achieved. When you report these results to CME this will trigger release of your final payment under the contract. Learn more about Reporting Results and receiving your final payment.