All submitted applications are reviewed for minimum eligibility and to ensure an applicant’s business model and proposed travel plan meets our program guidelines.

A copy of our minimum eligibility requirements and adjudication criteria can also be found in the application package,  including: 

  • Application, letter of support and letter of acknowledgement templates
  • Minimum eligibility requirements
  • Adjudication criteria 


Minimum eligibility requirements


Section 1. Company Information
Does the company meet the minimum eligibility requirements? 

  • Is the company for-profit?
  • Is the company incorporated in Canada? 
  • Is the Home Incubator eligible? 
  • Has the company been incubated for a minimum of three (3) months and maximum of four (4) years? 
  • Is section 1 of the application duly completed?

Section 2. Travellers and Incubator Contact Information
Do the travellers meet the minimum eligibility requirements? 

  • Are the travellers full-time employees, founders or owners of the company?
  • Is the Home Incubator contact an advisor/mentor to the company?
  • Does the Host Incubator contact have the signing authority to support the company’s application?
  • Is section 2 of the application duly completed?

Section 3. Business Model
Has the company completed the business model section?

  • Is section 3 of the application duly completed?

Section 4. Travel Plan
Has the company submitted an eligible travel plan?

  • Is/are the travel destination(s) eligible? See Eligible Markets
  • Are the anticipated travel dates a minimum of 4 weeks after submission?
  • Is section 4 of the application duly completed?

Section 5. Budget
Has the company submitted an eligible budget?

  • Is the transportation fare to the travel destination(s) estimated at an economy fare?
  • Are the ground transportation costs reasonable to cover economy transit fares from the travellers’ accommodations to the host incubator and to meetings with existing or potential international investors, clients, partners, suppliers and/or distributors?
  • Are the accommodations costs estimated at an economy fare?
  • Do the per diems align with the National Joint Council limits for the travel destination(s)?
  • Are the transportation costs to additional city/ies estimated at an economy fare?
  • Are there any ineligible in-kind contributions included in the budget that cannot count toward the matching?
  • Is section 5 of the application duly completed?

Section 6. Signature Page
Is application completed and signed?

  • Has the primary company contact and all travellers signed the application?
  • Has the primary company contact and all travellers signed Appendix A?

Attachments
Has the company attached all required documents for a complete application submission?

  • Has the company attached a signed Letter of Support from their Home Incubator?
  • Is the Letter of Support on the Home Incubator’s letterhead?
  • Has the Home Incubator fully completed the checklist in the Letter of Support?
  • Is the Letter of Support signed by an appropriate Home Incubator staff person?
  • Has the company attached a signed Letter of Acknowledgement from their Host Incubator?
  • Is the Letter of Acknowledgment on the Host Incubator’s letterhead?
  • Has the Host Incubator filled in the checklist confirming their in-kind support?
  • Is the Letter of Acknowledgment signed by an authorized signatory at the Host Incubator?

If you have any questions about the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program, please email the Mitacs Entrepreneur International team.

Does the company have sufficient support from its Incubators?

  • Is the Home Incubator contact a mentor or advisor who has sufficient knowledge of the applicant and its international growth goals?
  • Does the Letter of Support demonstrate that the company will benefit from the travel grant, and meet travel goals and deliverables, by answering yes to most or all of the checklist?
  • Does it appear that the Host Incubator will provide adequate soft-landing support? 

Does the company’s business model and development stage support its goals for international growth for the identified target market(s)?

  • Has the company identified target customers, existing and/or potential competitors, and a revenue model to support their primary international growth goal for the identified target market(s)?
  • Does the company demonstrate past success in product development and/or customer validation to support their primary international growth goal for the identified target market(s)?
  • Do the proposed activities of the travel plan support the company’s primary international growth goal for the identified target market?
  • Is the company at an appropriate development stage to achieve the key deliverables of the travel plan?

If the company is exploring an international market:

  • Has the company defined a clear market opportunity in their new target market?
  • Has the company identified or planned meetings with potential partners, investors, clients, distributors, and/or suppliers to support their international growth goal?
  • Has the company identified clear deliverables for exploring an international target market? 
    (E.g. growth of a network; identifying potential business partners, investors, clients, distributors, suppliers; gaining insight into business environment of target market; develop new skills)
  • Does the timeline of the travel support the achievement of the planned activities?

If the company is seeking international investment:

  • Has the company defined clear opportunities for gaining investment in their target market?
  • Has the company identified or planned product testing and/or demonstrations with potential clients, partners, suppliers and/or distributors?
  • Has the company identified clear deliverables for seeking international investment?
    (E.g. anticipated sales and associated metrics, signed agreements with potential investors, clients, partners, suppliers and/or distributors) 
  • Does the timeline of the travel support the achievement of the planned activities?

If the company is scaling up their start-up:

  • Is the company generating revenue?
  • Has the company defined clear opportunities for growing their customer base, developing distribution channels and/or securing new partnerships to secure further investment? 
  • Has the company identified or planned meetings with potential investors, clients, partners, suppliers and/or distributors?
  • Has the company identified clear deliverables for scaling up their start-up?
    (E.g. anticipated sales and associated metrics, signed agreements with potential investors, clients, partners, suppliers and/or distributors)
  • Does the timeline of the travel support the achievement of the planned activities?


If you have any questions about the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program, please email the Mitacs Entrepreneur International team.

Start-up companies: 
Applicants must submit a complete application, including a completed and signed Application Form, Letter of Support from an eligible Canadian eligible incubator or accelerator linked to a Canadian academic institution (Home Incubator), and a signed Letter of Acknowledgement from an international host incubator (Host Incubator), all in accordance with the templates provided on the Mitacs Entrepreneur International webpage. 

Applicants must have an approved application prior to their departure and related business expenses. 

The primary applicant contact and all travelling employees must:

  • Make the necessary preparations, accommodation arrangements and obtaining the appropriate visas and travel documentation prior to travel
  • Conduct eligible activities in accordance with the approved application including: return travel for up to two (2) full-time employees, owners or founders of an eligible applicant, soft-landing at an international host incubator, and participation in meetings/events with key contacts from the approved target market(s) to support their international growth goal
  • Travel within the approved travel period to the approved target market(s)
  • Adhere to the terms and conditions as set out in the Notice of Approval and Acceptance Form, which they will receive after approval of their application
  • Comply with all laws, regulations, guidelines and directives applicable to them with regard to eligible activities in Canada and abroad
  • Report any changes to the approved travel plan and dates to Mitacs immediately
  • Return ineligible or unspent funds that may result from changes to the travel plan
  • Submit financial and final reporting within 30 days of the travel end date
  • Maintain proper and accurate accounts and records of the approved travel expenses for a minimum of seven (7) years after the date of completion of the travel period

All parties involved with Mitacs programs should review the following policy statement and guidelines provided by ISED and the Government of Canada:

Home Incubators:
The Home Incubator agrees to support a start-up company’s application to the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program by completing and signing a Letter of Support.  

Home Incubators must: 

  • Complete and sign a Letter of Support on incubator or accelerator letterhead attesting to the applicant’s business model and proposed travel plan
  • Attest that the applicant has been incubated at your organization for a minimum of three (3) months and a maximum of four (4) years
  • Provide Mitacs with a completed participant survey once a year for each year they support companies as part of this program

Host Incubators: 
The Host Incubator agrees to support a start-up company’s application and travel to the international market by completing and signing a Letter of Acknowledgement, and providing successful applicants with in-kind soft-landing support.  

Host Incubators must:

  • Complete and sign a Letter of Acknowledgement on incubator letterhead confirming the in-kind soft-landing support the incubator will be providing to the applicant
  • Provide Mitacs with a completed participant survey once a year for each year they support companies as part of this program

Mitacs:
Mitacs is responsible for the adjudication and delivery of the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program, including processing payment and collecting financial and final reporting.  

Mitacs will:

  • Receive and evaluate all submitted applications based on the minimum eligibility requirements and adjudication criteria published on the Mitacs Entrepreneur International webpage
  • Provide applicants with a notice of the outcome of their application review
  • Provide any participant forms and agreements required for the release of the travel grant to successful applicants, including financial and final reporting templates and surveys
  • Monitor the compliance of applicants with respect to the approved travel plan and terms and conditions of the travel grant
  • Mitacs will not claim ownership of any intellectual property generated from the travel funded through the travel grant

If you have any questions about the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program, please email the Mitacs Entrepreneur International team.

Upon their return, travellers will be sent a financial report template and a web link to an online final report by their Grants Specialist, as identified in their Notice of Approval.

Traveller(s) must complete and submit a financial report to their Grants Specialist, as identified in their Notice of Approval within 30 days of the travel end date. 

Traveller(s) must also submit a final report through a web link within 30 days of the travel end date. The report should summarize:

  • Eligible activities carried out during the travel dates
  • Benefits of soft-landing support provided by host incubator
  • Key meetings/activities attended related to your organization’s growth goals
  • Achievement towards the travel goals and deliverables
  • Future business development opportunities in the target market, if applicable 

Home and host incubators are expected to submit a short participant survey via a web link once a year for each year they support companies as part of this program.

If you have any questions about the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program, please email the Mitacs Entrepreneur International team.

All personal information collected as part of the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program application and administration is subject to privacy legislation and Mitacs Privacy Policy. Please see www.mitacs.ca/en/privacy-policy.

Information supplied in the application will be made available to Mitacs staff responsible for managing the application, for activities including reviewing and adjudicating applications, administering and monitoring travel grants, compiling statistics, evaluating the program and reporting to our funders. Demographic information will only be reported in aggregate. Information supplied in your application will also be made available to internal Mitacs reviewers. All reviewers are required to make a commitment to keep the application information confidential.

If you have any questions about the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program, please email the Mitacs Entrepreneur International team.