The Green Market Acceleration Program (GMAP) provides local firms and foreign investors with an opportunity to collaborate with the City of Toronto in order to accelerate the development and commercialization of made-in-Toronto green technologies.
Participants accepted into GMAP will gain controlled access to City-owned infrastructure and assets (i.e. buildings, streets, vehicles, water) for applied research, proof of concept and demonstration pilots for their new green technologies during the early stages of product development.)
GMAP participants will also have access to City staff knowledge and use of the City of Toronto as a reference when marketing their products and services locally and globally.
By supporting innovation and commercialization within the green economy, GMAP will also:
Accelerate job growth in Toronto’s green sector
Develop, attract and retain green sector talent and business
Boost market development including international trade for local green companies
Generate local and global partnerships
Create competitive advantages for Toronto’s green companies
Attract investment to Toronto firms
While the range of possible products and services accepted into the program is wide, all projects must relate back to the green economy as defined below:
The green economy is economic activity that produces products or services that directly or indirectly reduces the impact of human activities on the environment.
Based on the above definition, projects could include products and services that support the use of natural resources (water, air, land, trees, waste, and energy) more effectively or efficiently, as well as technological solutions such as energy efficiency, electric vehicles and green transportation, renewable energy, green buildings, resource management and bio-products (i.e. items made from plants).
Applications to participate in GMAP will be assessed using the following criteria:
Does the proposal represent a green technology or services as described above? Does the applicant company have the capacity/ability to implement the project and bring the product to market? Is the amount of effort required by City of Toronto staff to manage and facilitate the project reasonable and feasible?
Is the project compatible with City of Toronto infrastructure/assets?
Can the project be implemented with no direct costs or risks to the City of Toronto?
Does the project represent potential for local economic benefits?
Does the project represent potential for environmental benefits on both a local and global scale?
Does the project offer potential benefits to the City of Toronto?
GMAP Participants:
All direct and incremental costs will be borne by the GMAP participant, including any direct costs incurred by the City of Toronto for implementation of the project.
All GMAP participants must enter into a legal agreement with the City of Toronto in order to proceed with the program.
Participants must provide the City of Toronto with all project data and established metrics, including environmental benefits, as outlined in the project agreement.
Participants must satisfy all legal and administrative requirements outlined in the project agreement.
City of Toronto – GMAP Team:
Application intake and screening process
Project Management
Execute legal agreement with participants
Monitoring and reporting outcomes, tracking performance measures (environmental and jobs-related)
Program promotion
City of Toronto – Host Division (Infrastructure/Asset Owners):
Conduct feasibility assessment and evaluate proposals
Provide in-kind support including staff time required to support project implementation
Provide controlled access to infrastructure/assets for applied research, proof of concept and demonstration pilots
Please note that participants in GMAP will not receive any preferential treatment or consideration with respect to future procurements.
In the event the City is interested in procuring technology or other services similar to projects piloted through the GMAP, any such procurement will proceed in accordance with the City’s Procurement Policies. This will include going through the Toronto Office of Partnerships Unsolicited Proposal process where appropriate. Sole-source procurement of any GMAP projects will only proceed if approved in accordance with the City’s policy for sole source procurement.
If the GMAP participant wishes to offer its products or services to the City for purchase the company will not receive preferential treatment and must exit the program and engage the City via the normal procurement channels as per City policy.
Application Screening
All GMAP applications are screened for acceptance by the City of Toronto’s GMAP Review Committee based on the GMAP participation criteria (see above). The review committee consists of City staff representing the Economic Development and Culture Division, Strategic Partnerships and an additional division or City agency if required. Applications which meet a rating threshold based on the program criteria will proceed to the feasibility assessment stage.
Feasibility Assessment
Projects that pass the initial application screening will be referred to the appropriate City of Toronto Host Division (responsible for the required City infrastructure or asset) to conduct a project feasibility assessment. This assessment will ensure that the proposed project presents no or minimal risk to staff, the public, or City assets/infrastructure and meets all applicable safety standards and legislative requirements.
Notice of conditional approval will be given within one month of referral to the Host Division for the feasibility assessment.
Proposal Stage
Upon completion of the feasibility assessment, conditional approval will be given by the City of Toronto to the selected project, with final approval subject to a detailed proposal from the applicant, which will include the following requirements:
Development of an approved implementation plan and timeline
Possession of required liability insurance
Possession of required business license(s)
Completion of a signed legal agreement with the City of Toronto
GMAP Legal Agreement
Once approval is given by the Host Division based on a completed feasibility assessment, and prior to commencement of the approved project, the applicant will be required to enter into an agreement with the City in a form and content satisfactory to the City Solicitor including provisions for appropriate insurance and indemnification of the City of Toronto. The City’s Purchasing and Procurement Management Division, Legal Services and Risk Insurance Management shall be engaged for their review of each approved application.
Project Implementation
The City of Toronto will endeavour to bring about the commencement of each approved GMAP project within four months from the time of the applicant’s initial referral to the City division.
Project Evaluation
The GMAP team will develop success metrics and each project will be evaluated using these metrics. At the end of each project the GMAP team will document the outcomes and lessons learned. Propriety knowledge will be kept confidential.
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