Interested in exploring a potential partnership with a CONII college but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, the process is simple.

1. Complete the following Expression of Interest form and forward it electronically to the CONII Central Office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This form should be filled out in enough detail to provide the colleges with a basic understanding of your needs so that they can determine if they have the expertise you require
2. CONII staff will circulate your Expression of Interest to all 20 CONII-member colleges for review. During the review, colleges will determine if they have the appropriate expertise available to complete your project, and on your timelines.
3. Within 2 weeks of receipt of your Expression of Interest, CONII will provide you with a list of colleges who would be interested to speak with you further about your project. CONII staff will facilitate introductions with the college(s) of your choice, and also answer any questions that you have when selecting a college to work with. Ultimately the choice is yours which college you select to work with. After all, it is your project and you know what makes the best fit.
4. Contact the college(s) of your choice to further discuss your needs and the details of the project and make a decision which college you would like to engage to work on your project.

Alternatively, if you are familiar with the college applied research system and know which CONII-member college you want to work with, you may contact the college directly. There is no requirement that you go through the Central Office. This simply gives you exposure to the whole college system rather than a single college. It is still suggested that you complete the Expression of Interest form as this information provides a great starting point for a conversation with the college about your business needs. Also, if the college you select is not able to help you, then they can forward your request to the rest of the CONII members.

Expression of Interest form

Next Steps

Once you have decided which college to collaborate with, you will work directly with the college faculty and industry innovation centre staff to develop the project proposal. This involves defining the scope and deliverables of the project, identifying the benefits to the company and to the college, establishing timelines, and identifying and  securing funding. CONII is able to provide financial support of up to $30,000 per project.  Many colleges have additional funding sources which they may also access.  Once the proposal is finalized and the funding secured, the college will execute on the project plan and provide you with the Practical Solution to your Real Challenge.