Business model validation and commercialization strategy for ConnectCorr - ON-1225

Genre de projet: Innovation
Discipline(s) souhaitée(s): Recherches opérationnelles, Sciences mathématiques, Design, Sciences sociales et humaines, Administration publique
Entreprise: Connections in Corrections Services Inc.
Durée du projet: 4 à 6 mois
Date souhaitée de début: Dès que possible
Langue exigée: Anglais
Emplacement(s): Toronto, ON, Canada
Nombre de postes: 1
Niveau de scolarité désiré: CollègeÉtudes de premier cycle/baccalauréatMaîtriseDoctoratRecherche postdoctoraleNouvelle diplômée/nouveau diplômé
Ouvert aux candidatures de personnes inscrites à un établissement à l’extérieur du Canada: No

Au sujet de l’entreprise: 

Connections in Corrections Services Inc. is developing ConnectCorr, a secure digital platform designed to improve communication and financial connectivity between correctional institutions, incarcerated individuals, and their families.  The company is focused on identifying innovative, practical, and secure solutions that support correctional operations while improving accessibility for users.  This project will help validate the business model, identify market opportunities, and establish a commercialization strategy before technology development begins. 

Veuillez décrire le projet.: 

ConnectCorr addresses a documented gap in Canadian correctional infrastructure: the absence of a compliant, Canadian-built digital platform enabling monitored communication and electronic financial access within federal and provincial correctional environments. Despite consistent research evidence linking sustained family contact and financial stability to reduced reoffending, no domestic technology solution currently serves this need at national scale.
This research project will investigate the conditions under which a secure correctional technology platform can achieve sustainable market entry and adoption within Canada’s highly regulated public sector environment. The student researcher will conduct original inquiry across four interconnected areas:
1. Market and Stakeholder Analysis
Investigate the decision-making structures within Canadian federal and provincial correctional institutions to identify who holds procurement authority, what evaluation criteria are applied to technology vendors, and what barriers exist for early-stage Canadian companies seeking pilot partnerships with government-adjacent institutions.
2. Regulatory and Compliance Landscape
Research the specific regulatory, privacy, and security requirements applicable to technology platforms operating within Canadian correctional environments — including Protected B data classification, PIPEDA and provincial privacy legislation, and Treasury Board security guidance — and assess how these requirements shape commercialization pathways and competitive positioning.
3. Business Model Validation
Evaluate the viability and scalability of ConnectCorr’s proposed revenue model — institutional licensing fees, per-transaction service fees (ConnectPay at $3.00 per deposit transaction), and per-batch messaging fees (ConnectMail at $1.50 per batch) — through analysis of comparable correctional technology markets, institutional budget structures, and family-user willingness to pay.
4. Commercialization Roadmap
Develop an evidence-based commercialization strategy identifying optimal pilot partnership targets, procurement pathways (provincial vs. federal sequencing), partnership structures with Canadian fintech and cloud infrastructure providers, and a phased market entry timeline aligned with the company’s funding and development roadmap.
Research findings will be synthesized into a commercialization roadmap document that supports informed decision-making before full software development begins — reducing implementation risk, strengthening the business case for institutional and investor audiences, and establishing a foundation for future pilot partnerships with correctional institutions across Canada.

Expertise ou compétences exigées: 

The ideal student will have knowledge or experience in business development, innovation, commercialization, entrepreneurship, market research, public policy, or strategic planning. Strong analytical, research, and communication skills are important. An interest in social innovation, public sector innovation, digital transformation, or justice related initiatives would be an asset. Experience conducting stakeholder research and developing commercialization recommendations would be beneficial.