IP BRIDGE toolkit
An online toolkit and training program created for Simcoe County’s entrepreneurship partners, equipping them to navigate IP conversations with founders from identification and protection to commercialization.
Through IP BRIDGE — “Building Regional Intellectual Property Capacity to Drive Growth of Entrepreneurs” — regional advisors and mentors gain the resources needed to have confident, informed IP conversations with founders.
About IP BRIDGE
IP BRIDGE is an initiative supported by the County of Simcoe’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Fund (EIF) and developed by the Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre (HBEC). Its purpose is to strengthen the region’s capacity to support entrepreneurs in understanding, identifying, protecting and commercializing their IP.
The toolkit is designed specifically for Simcoe County’s entrepreneurship ecosystem partners, including business advisors, mentors, program coordinators and innovation-support organizations. It helps non-lawyers feel confident having early IP conversations with the founders they support.
The toolkit consists of an AI agent and a conversation guide.
What IP BRIDGE offers (at a glance)
IP BRIDGE provides two complementary tools:
- a conversation guide that supports structured client discussions and helps identify IP opportunities, risks and next steps; and
- a guided AI agent offering accessible, plain-language information about IP.
When and how to use IP BRIDGE
Use IP BRIDGE during:
- initial meetings with a new client, to explore their business and identify potential IP considerations early.
- conversations about new ideas, products, features, services, or brands, where IP opportunities or risks may arise.
- periodic reviews or check-ins, when businesses evolve and new IP may emerge.
Start with the conversation guide to structure the discussion, and reference the AI agent when you need clear explanations or additional context during or between client sessions.
IP conversation guide
The IP conversation guide is a practical, step-by-step tool designed to help ecosystem partners structure early IP discussions with entrepreneurs. Use it when meeting a new client, discussing a new idea, or reviewing updates to a business, product, service, or brand.
Follow the prompts in the form. As you respond, the guide branches into the most relevant pathways, helping you gather information, understand the client’s context and determine useful next steps.
The guide also includes talking points, answer brackets where you can type in notes, and plain-language explanations of key IP concepts to support the conversation. You will receive a copy of the conversation via email after submitting the form. This is for your records or for follow-up with the client.
Clicking the button below opens the guide in a browser tab. This will allow you to have this page with the AI agent and the guide in separate tabs. You may it useful to consult the AI agent during your conversation with a client.
Tutorial video
If it is your first time using the IP Conversation Guide or need a refresher, please watch this brief introduction video.
AI agent
The AI agent is a guided conversational tool that helps ecosystem partners explore IP topics in plain language.
Key features:
- Built for non-IP specialists to support clear, confident conversations.
- Draws from curated and vetted sources, including content from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
- Uses only approved reference materials integrated into the tool. It does not search the internet, speculate, or pull from outside sources.
- Confidential by design: user inputs are handled securely and are not used to train external systems.
To access the AI agent, click the bridge icon at the bottom right of this page. You can expand the window by dragging its left border.
Important notes
The AI agent provides general educational information only. It is not legal advice, business advice, or professional guidance and should not be relied upon as such.
Please do not enter confidential, sensitive, or privileged information into the AI agent. Use general descriptions only when exploring IP topics.
Tutorial video
If it is your first time using the AI agent or need a refresher, please watch this brief introduction video.
Our project partners and acknowledgements
The AI agent technology is supported by York University. We appreciate the partnership of the IP Innovation Clinic at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.
The AI agent has been informed using publicly available educational materials from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). We acknowledge and appreciate the availability of these resources in supporting IP education. All CIPO and WIPO materials were used in accordance with their permitted terms of use. Their inclusion for training purposes does not imply endorsement of the IP BRIDGE toolkit or its outputs.
We’re grateful to the ecosystem partners who have contributed to IP Bridge.
Legal notice and disclaimers
The IP BRIDGE toolkit, including the AI agent and IP conversation guide, is provided for general educational and capacity-building purposes only. It’s designed to help ecosystem partners explore intellectual property (IP) topics and structure early conversations with entrepreneurs. The toolkit does not provide legal advice, business advice, or professional guidance and should not be relied upon as such.
HBEC and its partners make efforts to ensure the quality of the information referenced in this toolkit; however, the materials and outputs are provided “as is,” without any warranties, whether express or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, warranties of accuracy, completeness, currency, reliability, or fitness for a particular purpose. Users are solely responsible for evaluating whether and how the information applies to their specific circumstances.
No information from this toolkit should be relied upon to make IP, legal, or commercial decisions. Users should seek qualified professional advice before acting on any information obtained through the toolkit.
Users should not enter confidential, sensitive, or privileged information into the AI agent or the IP conversation guide. Use broad, non-identifying descriptions only. Although conversations are not used to train external systems, HBEC cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality for information voluntarily submitted by users through the AI agent or the conversation guide.
HBEC, Georgian College, Simcoe County, and their partners and contributors are not responsible or liable for any loss, damages, or consequences arising from the use of, reliance on, or inability to use the toolkit or AI agent.
HBEC may update, revise, or modify the toolkit, its components, or associated content at any time and without notice.
Contact us
Are you ready to start your entrepreneurial journey?
Contact us or visit us in person to learn more about how the Henry Bernick Centre can get you further, faster.
Phone: 705.728.1968, ext. 1149
Email: hbec@georgiancollege.ca
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
One Georgian Dr.
Suite E219
Barrie, ON L4M 3X9
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