Ontario launches free IP education tools to help businesses innovate and grow

KITCHENER, ON, Sept. 9, 2025 /CNW/ – Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) has launched a practical online platform designed to help Ontario-based entrepreneurs and researchers better understand and use intellectual property (IP) to achieve their business goals. Freely available to innovators across the province, IPON’s IP Toolkit provides hands-on, on-demand resources that are straightforward to access and apply. The platform includes step-by-step guides, training materials, and customizable tools and templates that assist users in taking immediate action on IP-related matters, regardless of their level of experience.

Created to inform and guide a spectrum of innovators, IPON’s IP Toolkit aims to make available comprehensive IP education materials, enhance IP literacy, and empower more Ontario businesses to protect and strengthen their homegrown innovations.

“Now more than ever, it is vital that our province bolsters the commercialization of homegrown innovation so Ontario benefits first and foremost from research taking place in our own backyard,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “With IPON’s new IP Toolkit, Ontario is expanding access to intellectual property resources so that local businesses and researchers have the tools they need to accelerate growth, protect innovations, and drive discovery across our key sectors.”

Developed by IPON in collaboration with partners across Ontario—including MaRS Discovery District, North America’s largest urban innovation hub—IPON’s IP Toolkit was created with input from organizations working directly with entrepreneurs. The educational resource was designed to support both innovators and the support networks that guide them, such as Regional Innovation Centres and business accelerators and incubators. 

Innovators can use IPON’s IP Toolkit to move across the full spectrum of IP-related topics, including:

• Resources to get started: FAQs, glossary of common IP terms, and key IP considerations at each stage of business development.
• IP strategy: What an IP strategy is, why businesses need one, and how to get started.
• IP protection: An overview of the different IP rights and their uses.
• IP budgeting: How to budget for IP and access IP funding in Ontario.
• Confidentiality: Why confidentiality is important and information on non-disclosure agreements.
• Ownership: Clarifying who owns IP and when it needs to be transferred.
• Commercialization and usage: Considerations for turning IP into higher revenue and business valuations.
• Enforcement and disputes: What to do if IP is challenged or infringed.

“IP doesn’t need to be complicated,” said Roula Thomas, vice president of intellectual property at IPON. “A clear understanding of intellectual property, and how IP can be used to support business growth and higher valuations can be a game-changer for innovators. IPON’s IP Toolkit is designed to help more Ontario companies identify, protect, and strategically leverage their intangible assets. By making IP education tools free and accessible, we’re investing in Ontario’s economic development and long-term prosperity.”

Advanced tools such as templates and tailored IP support are also available to IPON clients.

To access IPON’s IP Toolkit and learn more about IPON services, visit www.ip-ontario.ca/ip-toolkit

Intellectual Property Ontario    

Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) is a provincial agency that provides trusted IP support and services to enable Ontario businesses and researchers to innovate and grow. IPON works directly with innovators and postsecondary institutions to help protect and maximize the value of made-in-Ontario IP, strengthen innovators’ ability to grow and compete in the market, and advance the province’s economic growth. For more information, visit www.ip-ontario.ca.   

SOURCE Intellectual Property Ontario