Participants in one or more of the following Mitacs programs as an undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, or postdoctoral researcher:

• Accelerate, Elevate, Globalink, Entrepreneur International, or Business Strategy Internship
• Training (formerly Step): completion of at least two Training courses and demonstration of how this experience inspired the entrepreneurship

Company eligibility

The 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

Applicants must be a founder or member of the senior leadership team (e.g., Chief Technology Officer, etc.) of the company for which they are applying.

When is the deadline to apply?
Thursday, March 18 at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT)

How are the winners determined? 
A panel of expert judges reviews the applications to determine the winners. 

When will I find out if I won? 
Successful applicants will be notified by May 7, 2021. 

When are the winners announced?
The plan is for the winners to be announced at a digital awards ceremony in June 2021.

Why is Mitacs doing this?
Supporting Mitacs program participants in their entrepreneurial journey is important to us. By helping them succeed, we strengthen Canada’s economy and improve the lives of Canadians.

What if I need help?
For any questions or concerns, email entrepreneur@mitacs.ca. 

I applied in a previous year. Can I apply again?
Yes, previous applicants are eligible and highly encouraged to apply again. Only previous winners are ineligible to apply using the same business for which they won. Previous winners can apply again with a new business.

Can I apply for more than one category?
Yes, you can apply for up to two categories.

I don’t have a connection to Mitacs, can I still apply?
No, you need to have participated in one or more of the following Mitacs programs: Accelerate, Elevate, Globalink, Entrepreneur International, Business Strategy Internship, or completed at least two Training (formerly Step) courses.

My start-up is not related to my Mitacs research, am I still eligible to apply?
If your Mitacs experience helped or inspired you to become an entrepreneur you can still apply.

I missed the deadline. Can I still submit?
Unfortunately, we cannot accept late submissions. As soon as the deadline passes, we immediately organize applications and send them to the judges. This is an annual event and we encourage any applicants who miss the deadline to save their submission for the following year. There are no restrictions around the date of participation/completion of the Mitacs project to be eligible.