About the Ontario Centers of Excellence
Client: Ontario Centres of Excellence
Industry: Private Foundation
Key Stakeholders: Farzad Zohouri (Director of Information Systems)
Tools Used: SmartSimple Cloud
Overview
The Ontario Centres of Excellence, a leading organization driving innovation and commercialization in Ontario, faced a growing challenge: how to efficiently manage thousands of complex, high-volume grant applications across multiple funding programs. With critical data scattered across several disconnected platforms, OCE experienced administrative inefficiencies, delays, and difficulty maintaining a consistent applicant experience. By adopting SmartSimple Cloud for Government Funding, OCE centralized its workflows, streamlined application processing, and significantly improved user satisfaction. This transformative shift enabled OCE to scale its operations effectively and continue delivering on its mission to build a more competitive and innovation-driven economy in Ontario.
Challenges
OCE processes over 2,000 applications annually across a range of funding programs, each with unique workflows and requirements. The core challenge was managing the complexity and scale of these operations. Prior to SmartSimple, OCE used a variety of disconnected tools:
- A CRM for contact management
- Separate software for financial processing
- A different tool for e-signatures
- Zendesk for support ticketing
This fragmented system caused data silos, administrative slowdowns, and reduced responsiveness. Additionally, coordinating processes across multiple departments, including nine program managers, proved cumbersome and inefficient.
Solutions Implemented
SmartSimple delivered a centralized, fully integrated platform that unified OCE’s entire grant management ecosystem. All core functions, including CRM, grant tracking, document management, reporting, financials, and applicant support, are now housed in one seamless system. This streamlined experience enables OCE to manage highly customized workflows with ease, regardless of program complexity.
Impact & Outcomes
- Simplified Workflows Across Programs
- From intake to close-out, OCE’s workflows are now standardized and scalable. Application reviewers receive real-time alerts and can move applications through predefined stages efficiently.
- Enhanced Reviewer and Applicant Experience
- With all necessary application data in one place, reviewers complete evaluations faster and more effectively. The introduction of standard review forms and integrated communication tools has led to measurable improvements in user satisfaction.
- Continuous Feedback Integration
- Through built-in feedback surveys and Zendesk integration, OCE continuously collects and incorporates user input to improve the platform and applicant experience.
- On-Time Reviews at Scale
- With structured workflows and automated reminders, OCE has successfully processed more than 3,000 grant reviews on time—something not feasible under the previous system.
Client Testimonials
“We’ve managed to receive 3,000 reviews on time, and without the SmartSimple system we couldn’t handle the processing of our grants.”
— Farzad Zohouri, Director of Information Systems
“The demand is always high for grants, but one metric that stands out since moving to SmartSimple Cloud is an increase in user satisfaction”
— Farzad Zohouri, Director of Information Systems
Key Takeaways
By transitioning to SmartSimple Cloud, Ontario Centres of Excellence transformed a fragmented and complex grant management environment into a cohesive, efficient, and scalable system. The centralized platform not only simplifies internal operations but also significantly improves the experience for reviewers and applicants alike. With a solid technological foundation and a culture of continuous improvement, OCE is better equipped than ever to drive innovation, support commercialization, and build a stronger Ontario economy.
