Mitacs Entrepreneur Awards
The deadline for applications was March 19, 2020 at 1 p.m. PT.
Mitacs Entrepreneur Awards

The Mitacs Entrepreneur Awards celebrate outstanding Mitacs program participants (past and present) who have turned their research into an innovative business or business idea.

Past award winners have received wide publicity from local, national, and international media outlets as well as partnership and investment opportunities as a result of being promoted to Mitacs’s national network.

A panel of esteemed judges will select five exceptional researchers-turned-entrepreneurs to receive a total of $25,000 to support their innovative businesses. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on May 27 (new date), in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

What do winners receive?

  • $5,000 towards their start-up
  • Travel and accommodation to attend the awards ceremony in Vancouver on May 27 (new date), 2020*
  • Inclusion in national marketing and media promotions

The deadline for applications has passed

Supporting program participants in their entrepreneurial journey is important to Mitacs. By helping them succeed, we are strengthening Canada’s economy and improving the lives of Canadians.

Successful applicants will be notified by May 6, 2020. For any questions or concerns, email entrepreneur@mitacs.ca.

*Only winners outside of the Vancouver area will receive travel and accommodation to attend the event. 

Award categories
Outstanding entrepreneur

Awarded to an applicant with an outstanding start-up or business idea that is feasible and sustainable.

Social entrepreneur

Awarded to an applicant whose start-up works to address or solve social, cultural, or humanitarian issues.

Global impact entrepreneur

Awarded to an applicant whose start-up demonstrates the potential to scale to international markets or have a global impact.

Environmental entrepreneur

Awarded to an applicant whose start-up has a positive impact on the environment or addresses a challenge related to climate change.

Change agent entrepreneur

Awarded to an applicant whose start-up demonstrates the potential to significantly improve an industry, process or mindset.

Who is eligible?

To apply, you must have participated in one or more of the following Mitacs programs as an undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, or postdoctoral researcher:

  • Accelerate, Elevate, Globalink, or Converge
  • Training (formerly Step): you must have completed at least two Training courses and demonstrate how your participation inspired your entrepreneurship

Company eligibility

Through your application, you are declaring that you represent the company for which you are applying. To be eligible, your company must have commercialized its product or service, or be in the pre-commercialization stage, and must also meet the following criteria:

  • The business is registered within Canada as a corporation or cooperative
  • The business cannot be owned by, or a subsidiary of, a parent corporation
  • The operations of the business will benefit Canadians or the Canadian economy for example, through the creation of jobs, intellectual property, or innovative products or services

To be eligible to win the award, you must be a founder or member of the senior leadership team (e.g. Chief Technology Officer, etc.) of the company for which you are applying.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Vancouver on May 27 (new date), and winners will be invited to participate in marketing and media relations activities. Attendance at the awards ceremony is mandatory in order to receive the award.

Evaluation

Your application will be judged based on the extent to which it demonstrates:

  • Soundness of business planning
  • The values and ideals of the award category(ies) to which you are applying
  • A connection to, or influence from, your Mitacs experience

An esteemed panel of experts from business and academia will judge the applications, and successful applicants will be notified by May 6, 2020.

The deadline for applications was March 19, 2020, 1:00 p.m. PT. For any questions or concerns, email entrepreneur@mitacs.ca.

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