GreenFIT Open EOI Self-Assessment Instructions

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NOTE: Program On Hold pending further notifications

Overview: This section provides an overview of the process to submit a GreenFIT Open Expression of Interest (EOI) Self-Assessment.

Overview detail

1. How to Register: This section provides step-by-step instructions on registering to complete a greenFIT Open EOI Self-Assessment.

Online Registration || Step-by-step detail

2. Logging in: This section provides step-by-step login instructions for the Self-Assessment.

3. Entering your GreenFIT Open EOI Self-Assessment Responses: The Self-Assessment is a three-part online process. Each part must be completed separately. Parts 1, 2 and 3 can normally be completed in approximately 30-45 minutes.

Step-by-step detail

4. Reviewing your Self-Assessment Report:

Step-by-step detail

Support: This section provides email links to GreenFIT information and technical support.

Support detail

GreenFIT Open EOI Self-Assessment Overview

The GreenFIT Self-Assessment is a requirement of GreenFIT's "Open Expression of Interest" process. The self-assessment will examine your eligibility, as well as provide you with a quick way of determining if your concept or idea may be worth pursuing through the submission of a full "Open EOI" to the GreenFIT program.

The Self-Assessment requests information that represents a subset of the information requirements for a full Open EOI. The Self-Assessment is intended to enable interested parties to obtain an advance indication of whether or not it may be worthwhile to expend the time and resources required to formally apply to GreenFIT’s Open EOI.

However, a high rating/score in the Self-Assessment in no way is to be construed as having a relationship to the assessment of any formal application to GreenFIT and is in no way to be construed as providing comfort or a guarantee of success.

Once you have completed your Self-Assessment, you will be presented with a report which summarizes your inputs. A careful look at the report may help you in the process of deciding whether or not to expend to time and resources necessary to apply to GreenFIT's Open EOI.

The Self-Assessment process takes approximately 30-45 minutes to complete. Detailed step-by-step instructions are provided in the following Sections, which include:

User and Project Registration, including Eligibility Verification
Login to the futureInnovate online system
Complete Part 1: Project Data
Complete Part 2: Environmental Impacts and Related Data
Complete Part 3: Self-Assessment against Review Criteria
Generate and review Self-Assessment Report providing feedback

If you have completed a Self-Assessment and wish to proceed to complete and submit a full Open EOI, please refer to the full GreenFIT EOI instructions.

Your Self-Assessment inputs and the resulting report will not be used in any final assessment of your project by MRI. Individual responses will be considered confidential and will not be reviewed by OPS personnel. However, MRI may review aggregate data to gather insights about utilization patterns, the degree of interest in the GreenFIT program from various sectors, etc. Company contact information will be gathered to allow for future communications about changes to the GreenFIT Strategy and upcoming opportunities. Information regarding the overall objectives of this GreenFIT vehicle are provided below to assist you with your Self-Assessment and potential Open EOI application.

What is the GreenFIT “Open” EOI?

The GreenFIT open call EOI process will allow for the submission of vendor/stakeholder initiated proposals for consideration as potential GreenFIT pilot projects. The open EOI process will be managed by the Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) in support of other Ontario Public Service ministries and agencies (OPS) and Ontario Municipal, Academic, Schools and Hospitals (MASH) sector stakeholders.

The process will identify, demonstrate and test innovative green products and technologies that are not currently in use in the OPS or Ontario MASH sector. This GreenFIT opportunity may offer an opportune platform for real-world demonstration of innovative green technologies, which will potentially enable companies to expand into the local, North American, and global markets.

Projects that best meet this GreenFIT vehicle’s objectives and criteria, in Ontario’s sole opinion, may be eligible for purchase under GreenFIT by the OPS and/ or Ontario MASH sector.

What are the objectives of GreenFIT and the Open EOI?

There are three key objectives:

To accelerate access to global markets for businesses by using the Government of Ontario as an early adopter to test and demonstrate innovative green products and technologies.
To reduce environmental footprints in the OPS/ Ontario MASH sector through the following:
1. Greenhouse Gas (GHG), air pollutant, and toxic emission reductions
2. Waste Diversion
3. Resource Conservation (e.g. water)
4. Energy Conservation
5. Renewable Energy Generation
To measure and showcase the environmental and economic impacts of the respective innovative green technology and the resulting value potential for stakeholders and Ontario society.

What projects will be eligible for consideration under the Open EOI?

In order to be eligible for consideration, projects must meet the following criteria:

The project must be implemented, tested, and validated within two years from the date of a purchase approval by the OPS/ Ontario MASH sector;
The technology, product or service must not have not been commercially available for wide scale application during the past 5 years;
The technology, product or service does not have a history of use with the OPS/ Ontario MASH sector, and is not currently in use by the OPS or Ontario MASH sector;
The potential pilot project can demonstrate clear, quantifiable environmental benefits;
o The potential pilot project can demonstrate strong commercial potential, economic potential or first mover advantage (i.e. advantage gained as the initial occupant of a niche market segment).

How will Open EOIs be Assessed/ Reviewed?

Pilot projects must demonstrate innovative technologies, processes or products with strong, quantifiable, environmental performance measures. This process will also seek out companies that can demonstrate direct potential economic benefits for Ontario as a result of the OPS/ Ontario MASH sector piloting their product, technology or service.

To summarize, projects will be assessed to ensure they:

Are highly innovative;
Are viable for use/demonstration within the OPS/ MASH sector;
Demonstrate strong potential for an attractive return on investment including short and long-term environmental and economic impacts for all participant stakeholders and Ontario.

Decision Management support for GreenFIT, including systems, tools, and support are being provided by futureInnovate.net.

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Section 1. How to Register for the GreenFIT Open EOI Self-Assessment Service

Registration is a 2-3 minute process.

Step 1.1: Access registration link

To begin, click on the following Online Registration link:

Online Registration (will open in a new window)

Step 1.2: Select registration action and enter email address

If you already have an account on the ProGrid-BenchmarkActionTM system, click on "Add this subscription to my existing account" and enter your email address.
If you are setting up a new account, click on "Set up a new account for a first-time user"
If you have already registered one Product/Technology but wish to register another one, click on "I am already registered for this service but wish to register another Project"
Enter your email address in lower-case where prompted

Step 1.3: Verify Eligibility

You will be asked to respond to a set of six question to verify your eligibility for the GreenFIT Open EOI program.

Step 1.4: Supply additional user information as requested

For a new account, you will be asked to provide your name, phone number, organization name (company, institution or government department), and specify a password.

Step 1.5: Review and accept Terms and Conditions

You must review the terms, conditions and other requirements of the GreenFIT Open EOI and the online platform, and signify your agreement in order to proceed further.

Step 1.5: Register your Open EOI Project

You will be asked to provide the name of the Product/Technology you are considering for the Open EOI program and a short 10-word description.

You will be notified onscreen and via email when registration is complete. Ensure that you complete the registration process within 15 minutes. If you are interrupted, the session may timeout and your registration may not be complete.

Unless you are registering an additional Product/Technology as described above, you only need to register once for the Open EOI Self-Assessment. However, you will need to upgrade your registration if you decide to proceed for the full Open EOI. On subsequent visits to work on your Open EOI Self-Assessment, login as described below.

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Section 2. Login and Specify Service

Step 2.1: Login

After completing or updating your registration, the system will automatically direct you to the login page.

On subsequent visits, login using the following URL:

https://secure.futureinnovate.net (will open in a new window, click the button to login to the futureInnovate platform)

You will need to supply your userid (i.e., your email address) and the password you specified on registration.

Step 2.2: Specify Service

After logging in, select the "GreenFIT Open EOI Self-Assessment" service. On the subsequent screen you will see this Introduction again. Click "Next" to proceed to the Main Menu.

Note that on the Main Menu, you may:

Select English or French
Specify a larger font size

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Section 3: Entering your Open EOI Self-Assessment responses

The Open EOI self-assessment is completed in three online Parts, as follows:

Part 1: Summary Project Data

Part 2: Environmental impact and Related Data

Part 3: Self-Assessment against Review Criteria

Each Part must be "created" and completed separately, as described below.

If you are not able to complete the submission in a single session, at any time you can logout, and your input to that point will be saved automatically. You can return later and continue as described in Step 3.4 below.

Also note that the system will automatically log you out after 15 minutes of inactivity, in which case you will need to login again and continue from your last completed response.

Step 3.1: Complete Part 1

From the Main Menu, select "Create New Part for a Multi-Part Open EOI SA". On the next page, use the pull-down menu to select the Product/Technology Name specified on registration. Click "Part 1", and then click "Next". Part 1 questions will be presented in on a single page. Respond to all the questions and click "Next" to continue. Note that a response is required for each question. Your responses will be saved when you click "Next". After completing Part 1, you will be returned to the Main Menu.

Step 3.2: Complete Part 2

From the Main Menu, select "Create New Part for a Multi-Part Open EOI SA". On the next page, use the pull-down menu to select the Product/Technology Name specified on registration. Click "Part 2", and then click "Next". Part 2 questions will be presented in logical groupings of from 1-6 questions. Respond to all the questions on each page and click "Next" to continue. Note that a response is required for each question. Specify "N/A" or "0" as instructed for questions that are not relevant to your Product/Technology. Your responses will be incrementally saved each time you click "Next". After completing Part 2, you will be returned to the Main Menu.

Step 3.3: Complete Part 3

Part 3 of the Open EOI Self-Assessment consists of your responses to questions which address the Open EOI Review Criteria. These criteria will be used by expert reviewers in assessing full Open EOI submissions. Benchmark statements (termed a Language Ladder) for each criterion which form the basis for this assessment are provided for your reference. From the Main Menu, select "Create New Part for a Multi-Part Open EOI SA". On the next page, use the pull-down menu to select the Product/Technology Name specified on registration. Click "Part 3", and then click "Next". Respond to the questions on each page.

As a Self Assessment, for each criterion, you select a letter grade using the Language Ladder pulldown menu to specify the statement that best describes your potential Open EOI Product/Technology and/or potential pilot project.

After completing Part 3, you may return to the Main Menu and view your report.

Step 3.4: Finish or Edit/Update a Part

If you need to logout before completing any of Parts 1, 2, of 3, you may login again, select "Finish Incomplete Part for a Multi-Part Open EOI SA" from the Main Menu, then select the Product/Technology SA you wish to complete, and the Part you wish to complete.

Alternatively, if you have completed any of Parts 1 or 2 and wish to edit your responses, select "Update Completed Part for a Multi-Part Open EOI SA" from the Main Menu, then select the Product/Technology SA you wish to update, and the Part you wish to update. On the subsequent page, you may select the specific answer you wish to update.

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Section 4. Review your Open EOI Report

After completing Parts 1, 2 and 3, you may choose to review an online and downloadable feedback report based on your responses. Return to the Main Menu and click on "Report". Select the default entries on the next pages. You may choose to view the report, or download it as a pdf file.

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Support

For additional information about GreenFIT program, contact:

greenFIT@ontario.ca

For technical assistance associated with the on-line Self-Assessment system, contact support@smartzone.futureinnovate.net, or refer to the online help system. Please indicate, by reference to the above instructions, the step with which you are having difficulty, and include any error messages or system alerts.

NOTE: Technical Assistance support is restricted to issues associated with mechanics of the on-line system; specifically, Technical Assistance CAN NOT comment on or provide interpretation of GreenFIT Open EOI details or requirements.

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