Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur Program

Program Description

Provides funded 4-month internship units (up to $15,000 each) for enrolled students and postdoctoral fellows who own and operate an incorporated startup housed at a Mitacs-approved incubator. Each unit covers at least $10,000 in entrepreneur stipend and up to $5,000 in research expenses, with Mitacs and the partner institution splitting the cost.

Eligibility Requirements

• Entrepreneur must be an enrolled undergraduate, graduate student, college student, or postdoctoral fellow at a Canadian university or college affiliated with Mitacs
• Recent graduates eligible within 2 years of graduation date (up to 3 units within that window)
• Entrepreneur must hold ownership of, and active management responsibility for, an incorporated startup (sole proprietorships and LLPs are ineligible); Mitacs publishes no minimum ownership percentage and assesses each intern's exact share and role via the COI form
• Startup must be actively housed at a Mitacs-approved incubator facility for the full project duration
• Project must advance commercialization of the research or technology that is the core of the startup
• An academic supervisor at the affiliated institution is required
• 50% cost-share: Mitacs contributes $7,500; partner institution/incubator contributes $7,500 per unit
• Consulting firms are ineligible — Mitacs supports commercialization of research and technology, not a student incorporating a company to sell their own consulting services.
• Accelerate Entrepreneur projects are limited to two (2) years in duration; continuing beyond that requires a new proposal discussed with the Mitacs Advisor.
• Internships are full-time — Mitacs expects the intern to spend about 50% of their time at the partner organization (their own start-up) and 50% at the host academic institution.