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Source verified September 30, 2026
Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Ventures Program
National accelerator for women and nonbinary scale-ups
Latest source updateLast Update: September 30, 2026Latest change: The Rhyze Up program page now clarifies who can apply, what projects are supported, and where to submit the application, while the form also shows updated contact details.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: September 30, 2026
Latest change: The Rhyze Up program page now clarifies who can apply, what projects are supported, and where to submit the application, while the form also shows updated contact details.
Rhyze Up eligibility, funding, and application updates
The Rhyze Up program page now explicitly includes co-led and co-owned businesses, clarifies that technology-enabled businesses do not need to be traditional tech companies, and adds exclusions for direct sales, prospecting, promotion, public relations, and direct marketing work. It also updates the application path and shows updated contact details on the form page. The funding and phase details are now spelled out more clearly: companies can receive support in the $5,600 subsidy and $1,200 client contribution structure, Discovery includes up to 15 hours of fully funded mentorship, and Coaching is fully funded. The page also describes examples of supported project areas.
Funding available
$ 5,000 - $ 12,000
Deadline
Open continuously
Location
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Overview
Rhyze® Up! is a national accelerator for women- and nonbinary-led, owned, co-led, or co-owned companies across Canada, designed to help businesses scale through mentorship, project implementation, leadership coaching, and education. Approved Traction Phase projects receive a $5,600 subsidy, with a $1,200 client contribution plus applicable taxes.
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Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Improve governance or administrative structure
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Develop workforce skills
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 12,000 $
- Minimum amount : 5,000 $
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Guelph
- Ontario
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- $ 200,000 minimum revenue
Organisation size
- 500 employees maximum
Audience
- Women
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 1
Activities funded
- Technical challenges for new or existing products or services.
- Management issues related to skills, capacity, communications, planning.
- Strategic marketing aiming to build market reach.
- Strategic sales and/or key account management aiming to access new key customers/clients.
- Recruitment of critical and exceptional talent, process efficiency and optimization to achieve market advantage, demos and pilots of new technologies/products to enter new markets, improving product or service quality, looking for new ways to capitalize on existing technology, and growing business to be better able to scale-up and/or expand operations.
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- For-profit companies.
- Women-led, women-owned, nonbinary-led, or nonbinary-owned companies.
- Co-led and co-owned companies are also eligible.
- Companies incorporated in Canada.
- Companies employing less than five hundred staff, generating a minimum of $200,000 in annual recurring revenue, and operating as a technology-driven innovation.
Who is not eligible
- Consultants.
- Solo entrepreneurs with local service or retail outlets.
- Businesses unable or unwilling to scale.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Projects focused on direct sales, sales prospecting, promotion, public relations, or direct marketing to customers or clients.
Selection criteria
- Other eligibility criteria may be used to determine which companies are the best fit for the program, including review by the program’s funder, NRC-IRAP.
How to apply
- Review the target client section and the FAQ before filling out the application.
- Apply through the online application form.
Processing and Agreement
- Each accepted company has an initial call with the program manager.
- Mentor fit is determined using the mentor skills and sector experience matrix, the completed intake form, and the initial call, and you remain the ultimate decision-maker on what to focus on.
- At the end of Discovery, the mentor provides a list of high-impact, high-return project recommendations.
- The program uses its internal roster of vetted mentors and industry specialists; outside consultants cannot be used.
- All projects, hours, and meetings must be completed by the end of the fiscal year in March, and accepted participants must complete all Boundless Accelerator surveys up to and including 2 years post-program completion.
Additional information
- The program is supported in part by the National Research Council Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Ventures Program Program
What is the Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Ventures Program?
Rhyze® Up! is a national accelerator for women- and nonbinary-led, owned, co-led, or co-owned companies across Canada, designed to help businesses scale through mentorship, project implementation, leadership coaching, and education. Approved Traction Phase projects receive a $5,600 subsidy, with a $1,200 client contribution plus applicable taxes.
How much funding can be received?
Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Ventures Program Funds up to $12,000 of admissible expenses.
What is the deadline to apply?
The program is accepting continuous intake
Who is eligible for the Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Ventures Program program?
To be eligible for the Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Ventures Program program, you must:
For-profit companies that are women-led, women-owned, nonbinary-led, nonbinary-owned, co-led, or co-owned.
Companies incorporated in Canada, employing less than 500 staff, and generating at least $200,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR).
Women or nonbinary individuals must have decision-making authority.
What expenses are eligible under Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Ventures Program?
Technical challenges for new or existing products or services.
Management issues related to skills, capacity, communications, planning.
Strategic marketing aiming to build market reach.
Strategic sales and/or key account management aiming to access new key customers/clients.
Recruitment of critical and exceptional talent, process efficiency and optimization to achieve market advantage, demos and pilots of new technologies/products to enter new markets, improving product or service quality, looking for new ways to capitalize on existing technology, and growing business to be better able to scale-up and/or expand operations.
Who can I contact for more information about the Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Ventures Program?
You can contact Innovation Guelph or by phone at 519-265-4495.
Where is the Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Ventures Program available?
The Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Ventures Program program is available the province of Ontario.