Mitacs — Accelerate Entrepreneur
Canada
Money to grow start-ups and get to market faster through funded internships
grant_single_labels|summary
grant_single|eligibleFinancing
- grant_single|minCount
grant_single|deadlines
- grant_single|timelineUnspecified
grant_single|financingType
Wage Subsidies And Interns
grant_single|eligibleIndustries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Other services (except public administration)
grant_single|grantors
- Mitacs
grant_single|status
grant_card_status|open
grant_single_labels|preview
Funds for student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs to further develop the research or technology at the core of their start-up business.
grant_single_labels|projects
Accelerate Entrepreneur funds student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs to achieve commercialization goals and further develop the research or technology at the core of their start-up business.
- Piloting and testing a new product, service, or technology
- Iterating and improving on an existing product, service, or technology
- Making the most out of limited budgets
grant_single|admissibleProjectsExample
$13,000
Montreal
Pilot testing of a smart home energy management system
$13,000
Vancouver
Iterating on a drone-based agricultural monitoring system
$13,000
Toronto
Developing an AI-driven health diagnostic tool for rural clinics
$13,000
Ottawa
Improving a machine learning algorithm for financial predictions
$13,000
Toronto
Development of a portable water purification device
$13,000
Calgary
Testing a renewable energy storage solution in urban environments
grant_single_labels|admissibility
Eligibility criteria for the Accelerate Entrepreneur grant include:
- Students and post-doctoral fellows at Mitacs partner colleges and universities in Canada are eligible.
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_can_apply
Accelerate Entrepreneur funds student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs to achieve commercialization goals and develop the core research or technology of their start-up business. Eligible companies must be actively housed at an approved incubator facility and have a research project that further develops their business core.
- Start-up companies owned and managed by student or postdoctoral entrepreneurs
- Companies incorporated to receive the funding
- Companies with an approved research project that enhances their core technology or research
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_cannot_apply
Generally, consulting firms and full-time employees without ownership or management responsibility in the start-up are not eligible for the Accelerate Entrepreneur grant. The following types of companies may not be eligible for this grant:
- Consulting firms
- Full-time employees without ownership or management responsibility in the start-up
grant_eligibility_criteria|eligible_expenses
Eligible expenses for this grant include research-related costs such as equipment, supplies, travel (if applicable), and salaries for interns or research personnel.
- Equipment
- Supplies
- Travel expenses (if applicable)
- Salaries for interns or research personnel
grant_single_labels|criteria
Accelerate Entrepreneur projects are evaluated based on specific criteria. The main evaluation criteria include the following:
- Relevance of the proposed project to the start-up's commercialization goals
- Demonstration of how the research or technology at the core of the start-up will be further developed
- Feasibility and clarity of the project objectives
- Evidence of the project's potential impact and benefit to the start-up
- Alignment with the program's focus on piloting, testing, and budget optimization
grant_single_labels|register
- Step 1: Connect with your local Mitacs Advisor to get your Accelerate Entrepreneur application started.
- Step 2: Review the following information when you begin writing your proposal:
- Eligible research and adjudication criteria
- Writing Your Proposal guide
- Policies
- Step 3: Collect all required signatures from intern(s), professor(s), partner contact, and university Office of Research Services or equivalent.
- Step 4: Email your proposal package to your Mitacs Advisor.
- Step 5: Peer review of your proposal will take approximately six to eight weeks. Partners will receive an invoice for their contribution.
- Step 6: Mitacs forwards the Accelerate funds to the academic institution upon receipt of the partner contribution and approval of the proposal.
Apply to this program
Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur Grant Summary
Accelerate Entrepreneur is a grant program that funds student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs in Canada to achieve their commercialization goals and further develop the research or technology at the core of their start-up business.
Detailed Explanation of Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur Grant
Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur is a flexible initiative aimed at student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs across Canada. The program provides financial support through internships valued at $15,000 each to assist start-ups in piloting, testing, refining, and commercializing new technology, products, or services. The initiative helps entrepreneurs optimize their budgets and accelerate their path to market.
The program supports individuals involved in start-ups who possess ownership of their incorporated companies and take responsibility for the management and operations. Consulting firms and full-time employees without ownership are not eligible for Accelerate Entrepreneur funding. The grant requires entrepreneurs to be actively housed at an approved incubator facility for the project's duration.
Accelerate Entrepreneur is designed to target specific stages of a start-up's journey where significant impacts can be achieved, such as piloting and testing new products or services, iterating and improving existing offerings, and making the most of limited budgets. The program enables participants to access funding, enhance their entrepreneurial skills, and accelerate the commercialization of their technologies, products, or services.
The application process is flexible and straightforward, with projects starting at four months and scalable based on the start-up's requirements. Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur funding focuses on supporting research-based internships that align with the academic institution's intellectual property terms. The grant aims to foster collaboration between academia and industry, driving innovation, and fostering entrepreneurial growth in Canada.
Overall, Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur is a valuable opportunity for student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs to receive financial support, gain professional skills, and fast-track their start-up's growth towards successful commercialization and market entry.
