Grant
Private
Between Intakes
Lenovo Evolve Small AI Grant
Lenovo (with Intel and Microsoft)
Maximum Funding
$25,000 cash grant + customized AI technology package valued at...
Closed. The 2025 cycle ran January 27 to February 17, 2025 and no next window...
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Mixed (Advance + Reimb.)
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
Varies
Lenovo Evolve Small AI Grant provides up to $25,000 cash grant + customized AI technology package valued at $10,000 + mentorship. Lenovo, with Intel and Microsoft, awards 10 North American small businesses a $25,000 cash grant, a $10,000 customized AI technology package and mentorship; eligible Canadian businesses must be in Greater Toronto or Greater Vancouver, have under $7.5M annual revenue, 75 or fewer employees, and use Microsoft 365. Closed. The 2025 cycle ran January 27 to February 17, 2025 and no next window has been posted.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
Lenovo, with Intel and Microsoft, awards 10 North American small businesses a $25,000 cash grant, a $10,000 customized AI technology package and mentorship; eligible Canadian businesses must be in Greater Toronto or Greater Vancouver, have under $7.5M annual revenue, 75 or fewer employees, and use Microsoft 365.
Eligibility Requirements
- Be located in Greater Toronto, Ontario or Greater Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Have annual revenue of less than $7.5M.
- Have 75 or fewer employees.
- Use Microsoft 365 as the primary computer operating system.
- Minority, disabled and woman-owned businesses are championed but not exclusively eligible.
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Hard
Competition
High
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- $25,000 cash grant + customized AI technology package valued at $10,000 + mentorship
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Deadline
- Closed. The 2025 cycle ran January 27 to February 17, 2025 and no next window has been posted
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
High
Deadline
Between Intakes
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipThe 2025 cycle ran January 27 – February 17, 2025 and is closed; sign up for notification of the next window.
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Rejection Pitfalls 6
- Located outside the greater Toronto or greater Vancouver metropolitan areas (all other Canadian regions, including Quebec, are excluded)
+5 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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All 6 pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win Lenovo Evolve Small AI Grant
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 6 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 1-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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5 steps
1 docs
Application Steps
1
Check the four eligibility facts Located in the greater Toronto or greater Vancouver metropolitan area (the only Canadian areas listed), annual revenue under $7.5M, 75 or fewer employees, and already using Microsoft 365 as your primary computer operating system. Quebec residents are excluded.
Required Documents 1
✓ A contest entry submitted during the open window, by the business owner or by someone with the owner's authority to enter on its behalf
Eligible Expenses 3
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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Stacking partner data not yet available.
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Not-applicable Risk
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How Lenovo Evolve Small AI Grant Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo Evolve Small AI Grant | $25,000 cash grant + customized AI... | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Closed. The 2025 cycle... |
| Ocean Supercluster | Up to $5 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Call-specific — no open... |
| Digital Technology Supercluster | Up to $5 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Open — Call for... |
| Ontario Job Grant (formerly Canada-On... | Up to $10,000 per employee | Easy | Varies | Ongoing — year-round... |
| Ontario Innovation Tax Credit | Up to 8% tax credit | Moderate | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Lenovo Evolve Small AI Grant
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Who qualifies for the Evolve Small AI grant in Canada?
Small businesses in the greater metropolitan areas of Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia, with annual revenue of less than $7.5M, 75 or fewer employees, and using Microsoft 365 as their primary computer operating system. Quebec residents are not eligible.
What do winners receive?
A $25,000 grant, a customized AI technology package valued at $10,000, and inclusion in the Goodie Nation and Chantel Cohen mentorship programs.
How many businesses win?
Ten, across ten North American metropolitan areas, two of which are Canadian. The 2025 cohort included one Toronto and one Vancouver winner.
Is the application open right now?
No. The grant contest is closed. Lenovo invites sign-ups to be notified when the next Evolve Small application period opens. The 2025 window ran January 27 to February 17, 2025.
What does the mentorship actually involve?
Goodie Nation leads a yearlong mentorship program and pairs each grant recipient with a Performance Partner who acts as a dedicated business coach, through weekly huddles and monthly one-to-one sessions covering sales, marketing, hiring and technology.
Do I have to be a technology company?
No. The only technology condition is that your business already uses Microsoft 365. Past supported businesses range from artists to bakers to shoemakers, and the 2025 winners included a barbershop, a tea blender and a dental hygiene clinic.
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Full Playbook: Lenovo Evolve Small AI Grant
5 steps · 1 docs · reviewer insights