Sodecia Canada Increases Projects’ ROI with Canadian Government Grants

Sodecia Canada, a globally leading automotive manufacturer, is in the process of expanding their operations in London Ontario. As part of the organization’s growth strategy, Sodecia is investing in a new production facility that will greatly expand their capabilities and ability to support the global automotive market.

Sodecia Canada recently partnered with Mentor Works to assist their government funding application process. As a partner throughout the process, Mentor Works helped Sodecia’s management team to identify funding opportunities, optimize their spending timelines, and increase their project return on investment.

Mentor Works recently spoke with Sonia Monteiro Moreira, Sodecia North America’s CFO, to discuss their experience obtaining Canadian government grants. The following article highlights how the partnership led to a successful funding outcome.

Related Blog: Sodecia Opens Global Technology and Automation Centre in London, ON

Improved Funding Process: Knowledge, Speed, Quality

As the CFO for an international corporation, Sonia had limited experience and knowledge of Canadian government funding programs outside of SR&ED, a tax incentive they were already taking advantage of.

After an initial meeting with Bernadeen McLeod, President & Founder of Mentor Works, and Rob Maciel, Program Manager at Mentor Works, Sonia was impressed with the team’s knowledge, responsiveness, and commitment to success.

For a company like Sodecia, there was a clear benefit in bringing in a third-party to review what projects they were undertaking. From this preliminary review, Mentor Works was able to present Sodecia with a customized funding strategy, and provide complete application writing support:

“The process with Mentor Works was very smooth. The greatest value [in working with Mentor Works] is the fact that you know what kind of information the funding agency is waiting for and you can do all of the writing based on client information. This takes some time and if we needed to do [the application] internally, it would delay the process.”
– Sonia Monteiro Moreira, Chief Financial Officer, Sodecia North America

She was also impressed by how well the Mentor Works team responded to Sodecia’s needs. Efficient communication, quick turn-around times, and expertise on a range of funding programs helped expedite the process significantly.

“Rob was so fast at responding to my questions at all times.”
– Sonia Monteiro Moreira, Chief Financial Officer, Sodecia North America

Canadian Government Grants Boost ROI, Keeps Investment in Canada

Prior to meeting with Mentor Works and identifying the level of funding available for the new plant, Sodecia was planning on putting the project in Michigan – where they have an existing operation. By working with Rob and his team, Sodecia identified that using the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) provided them with a higher return on investment than if they took the project into the United States.

“We were thinking of putting the project in Michigan. Having access to SWODF made up our mind to keep the facility in Canada.”
– Sonia Monteiro Moreira, Chief Financial Officer, Sodecia North America

Their experience with Mentor Works and the Canadian government funding landscape already has Sonia thinking about her next project in Canada:

“After this stamping plant, we’re actually thinking to expand it and put some welding cells there.”
– Sonia Monteiro Moreira, Chief Financial Officer, Sodecia North America

Identify Strategic Initiatives that Qualify for Canadian Government Grants

Sodecia and Mentor Works collaborated so well together because Sodecia had clearly defined growth plans, including a project budget and key deliverables. With this information, Rob and his team were able to use their knowledge to match it with government grants and incentives to help offset project costs.

In this case, government funding was a key reason why a large investment was made in Canada.

While not all government funding programs have this level of impact on a company’s decisions, the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) has been a key difference-maker when it comes to solidifying investments within southwestern Ontario.

Become the Next Canadian Government Funding Success Story

If you have an upcoming strategic project that may qualify for Canadian government funding, contact Mentor Works. We can help assess your project’s fit for a variety of government grants, loans, and tax credits and provide you with next steps so that you can get started with the funding process.

Mentor Works can also support your application with the same personalized approach we extended to Sodecia. With this assistance, our clients secure larger investments, expedite projects, and improve profitability as opposed to working through the process on their own.

Recent Canadian Government Funding Success Stories:

• New Investment Strengthens Ontario Electric Vehicle Supply Chain 
• 2023 Recap: Over $183 Million in Funding Won for Our Clients 
• SWODF Funds $5.5M Expansion in Windsor Ontario
• EODF Supports $4.1M Investment by All Season Fencing Inc.
• Agribusiness Secures Extra $11.2M to Enhance Agricultural Efficiency in Canada