In-Kind SupportOntarioStart a Business

Sandbox Centre: Ideate & Discovery

The Sandbox Centre, operating as a Regional Innovation Centre (RIC), provides comprehensive support for technology startups and scaling ventures.

At this stage, Sandbox Centre will help you focus on exploring the technology, innovation, and customer base for your product or service.

Offered by Sandbox Centre

Amount

No fixed amount

Quick eligibility check

Years in business
No minimum stated
Employees
No limit stated
Revenue
No limit stated
Legal structure
No requirement stated
Location
Ontario

Who can apply

Becoming a RIC Client is ideal for innovative startups, tech-based companies, and businesses entering new markets or preparing to scale. This program offers more hands on, structured support.

IDEA — I am defining a problem and hypothesizing a solution.

The IDEA stage is the very first step in your entrepreneurial journey. You have come up with an idea for your business, service, or process improvement, and are in the initial stages of investigating your market. At this stage, Sandbox Centre will help you focus on exploring the technology, innovation, and customer base for your product or service. Your product or service must be innovative; it must be creating something new or improving an existing product or service. It must also have some level of technology; such as breakthrough research, ICT devices, or products or services based on the internet.

DISCOVERY — I am experimenting to validate my ideas, business model, and opportunities.

The DISCOVERY stage is where your idea starts to take shape. You are actively exploring your market, refining your solution, and testing early assumptions. At this stage, founders are working to better understand their customers, the competitive landscape, and how their product or service fits into the market.

About the funding

Cost:

Free to accepted businesses

Services available in IDEA stage:

  • On-Demand Learning Modules
Show all funding details
  • Business Validation Tools; including Problem Identification Support
  • Startup Support Navigation, including access to advisors (it will be limited at this stage)
  • Networking Opportunities with experts and peers
  • Community Workshops & Roundtables – you will have access to a number of different workshops and roundtables covering subjects such as Marketing, Sales, HR, finance, etc.
  • Opportunity to reserve desk space in our Co-working area

Services available in DISCOVERY stage:

  • On-Demand Learning Modules
  • Business Validation Tools; including Customer Discovery, Market segmentation, etc.
  • You will have access to Advisors (it will be limited at this stage)
  • Networking Opportunities with experts and peers
  • Community Workshops & Roundtables – you will have access to a number of different workshops and roundtables covering subjects such as Marketing, Sales, HR, finance, etc.
  • Opportunity to reserve desk space in our Co-working area

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