Green Market Acceleration Program (GMAP)

Eligibility Criteria & Evaluation Process

Eligibility Requirements

The Green Market Acceleration Program (GMAP) is a City of Toronto initiative that helps Toronto-focused cleantech companies accelerate commercialization by providing controlled access to City‑owned assets, data and subject‑matter expertise to test, validate and demonstrate innovative green solutions in real‑world municipal settings.

GMAP is neither a grant nor procurement program.

To apply, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Identify their business as a startup or scale-up (large firms may be considered only if the proposed project involves novel technology development and aligns clearly with GMAP’s objectives)
• Have business documentation that reflects a Canadian address (international companies may be considered only if there is a strong Canadian presence and clear local economic benefit)
• Are developing a unique-to-Canada green or climate‑positive technology or solution, including:
  • Products and services that support the use of natural resources, such as water, air, land, trees, waste and energy, more effectively or efficiently
  • Technological solutions, such as those supporting energy efficiency, electric vehicles (EVs) and green transportation, renewable energy, green buildings, resource management and bio-products (i.e. materials, chemicals and energy derived from renewable biological resources, such as agricultural crops, forestry residues and organic waste)
• Can articulate the environmental benefits of the project
• Are an appropriate level of technical readiness with the development of their pre-commercial technology, suitable for applied testing or demonstration (typically TRL 5–8)
• Require access to City assets, infrastructure, data or expertise for testing or validation and are willing to pilot their solution within the City of Toronto
• Can demonstrate a clear potential benefit to the City and can clearly identify which City asset(s) are required for testing (e.g. buildings and facilities, vehicle fleets and equipment, streets and sidewalks, public realm infrastructure, utilities, waste and water systems, operational data and staff expertise, etc.)
• Can conduct testing safely and in a controlled manner
• Can identify measurable environmental indicators (e.g., emissions reduction, efficiency gains, waste reduction, etc.) that demonstrate local economic benefit to Toronto (e.g., jobs, investment, market growth, talent retention, etc.)
• Can cover all project-related costs, including implementation, appropriate liability and other insurance and compliance
• Are compliant with applicable City policies, safety standards and regulatory requirements
• Are able to adequately mitigate risks associated with the project
• Are able to sign a legal agreement with the City prior to implementation
• Have a project proposal with the following:
  • Clear testing objective
  • Defined scope
  • Implementation plan
  • Realistic timeline, and
  • Removal or decommissioning plan.
• Have internal capacity to manage the project and reporting requirements and are prepared to share agreed-upon performance and outcome data (with confidential information protected).

Ineligible Projects

GMAP does not support:

• Fully market‑ready products or services (TRL 9)
• Basic research or ideation‑stage concepts
• Projects that do not require City assets or involvement
• General partnerships, sponsorships or sales pilots
• Technologies with limited or indirect environmental benefits
• Projects that incur a financial cost to the City

Evaluation Process

Applications are assessed using the following core criteria:

• Commercial Readiness and Feasibility: Does the proposal qualify as a green technology with a feasible path to implementation and commercialization?
• Infrastructure Compatibility: Can the project be safely and effectively tested using the relevant City assets?
• Cost & Risk to the City: Can the project be implemented without direct costs or risks to the City?
• Local Economic Benefit: Does it demonstrate job creation or economic advantages for Toronto?
• Environmental Impact: Will it deliver measurable environmental and benefits benefit locally and/or globally?
• Benefit to the City: Are there clear advantages for the City of Toronto from the participation?

Procurement Policies

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.

Roles & Responsibilities

GMAP Participants

• All direct and incremental costs will be borne by the GMAP participant, including any direct costs incurred by the City for implementation of the project.
•  All GMAP participants must enter into a legal agreement with the City in order to proceed with the program.
• Participants must provide the City 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 and host division coordination
• 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

How to Apply

Submit Application

Eligible applicants can apply online below. Application intake is continuous; there is no fixed deadline.

Apply Now

Tips for a Strong Submission

• Articulate environmental outcomes with measurable indicators;
• Demonstrate economic benefit for Toronto, such as job creation, talent, or investment;
• Ensure asset compatibility with infrastructure needs;
• Clarify risk mitigation and safety compliance

Application Screening

All GMAP applications are first screened for acceptance by the City of Toronto’s GMAP Review Committee based on the GMAP participation criteria.

Select applicants will continue to the interview stage of the application process. Applicants who are not selected to proceed will not be contacted.

Selected applicants 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 does not take equity or claim intellectual property rights through GMAP. Companies retain ownership of their intellectual property. However, the City will reserve ownership of mutually agreed upon performance data collected during the pilot which may be subject to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Any data‑sharing or reporting requirements are defined in advance and documented through formal agreements.

The City aims to begin approved projects within approximately four months of initial referral, subject to project complexity and internal capacity.

Acceptance into GMAP does not guarantee a pilot site. Access to City assets is subject to the Host Division’s feasibility and operational capacity.  Please note that all decisions concerning eligibility are final.

Companies who have applied or participated in GMAP previously can re-apply, provided the new proposal represents a distinct project or a materially advanced stage of development.