ElevateIP Alberta relaunch makes it easier for founders to build stronger intellectual property strategies

ElevateIP Alberta relaunch makes it easier for founders to build stronger intellectual property strategies

The ElevateIP Alberta program relaunched its funding programs on Aug. 31 with a redesigned experience aimed at helping Alberta startups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) better understand, protect and strategically use their intellectual property (IP).

Delivered by Innovate Calgary, it is part of the national ElevateIP program led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, which provides entrepreneurs access to practical IP education, strategic guidance, expert coaching and funding to support IP commercialization. The relaunch follows the federal government committing in its 2025 budget to further extending the national program, and four years of the team working with intellectual property experts.

"What's different is that we're increasingly positioning ElevateIP Alberta as an IP-commercialization platform, not simply an IP-education or funding program," says Kevin Dahl, senior director of ElevateIP Alberta.

"We want to help Alberta innovators and SMEs understand what IP matters to their business, build a strategy around it, and then invest in protecting and leveraging the assets that can actually help them grow."

At the centre of the refreshed program is a simple idea: Intellectual property decisions should support the direction of the business. The redesign includes a new application portal, simpler document requirements, clearer eligibility and evaluation criteria, updated resources, and more clearly defined funding streams that help applicants identify supports that best align with their needs.

"IP strategy should start with your business strategy, not with a patent application," says Dahl. "We want founders asking: what creates value in my company, what gives me a competitive advantage, and what do I need to own or control to protect that advantage as I grow?"

That can mean understanding when a company is ready to pursue formal IP protection and when it may benefit more from education, coaching or developing a strategy first.

For early stage companies with limited resources, those decisions can be particularly important.

The goal, Dahl says, is to help founders connect their IP priorities with concrete business objectives and determine why a particular investment makes sense at that point in the company's development.

For ElevateIP Alberta, the next phase is about building on its first four years while making the experience clearer and more useful for entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs interested in ElevateIP Alberta can explore the updated program information, funding streams and application resources here: Explore ElevateIP Alberta funding streams.