TELUS #StandWithOwners Contest
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Winning means you must assign rights to the funder. 9 ask that.
- The decision is made by a jury or selection panel. 16 work that way.
- Scored mainly on community benefit. 17 lead with that.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Annual TELUS contest for Canadian small businesses. Nine winners: three category award winners (Future Forward, Business Growth, AI Innovation) each receive a $125,000 prize package of funding, technology and exposure, and six Community Award winners each receive $10,000 in funding plus additional prizes. After winners are announced, the public votes for one of them to receive an additional $25,000 People's Choice Award.
Eligibility Requirements
- Canadian business with 1-100 employees, operating in Canada
- Legally registered and revenue-generating
- For-profit businesses, registered charities, not-for-profit organizations and social enterprises are all eligible
- Charities and not-for-profits must operate within Canada and primarily serve Canadian communities through innovative, grassroots programs that address pressing local challenges, receive the majority of their funding from individual donors, show measurable community impact, and maintain active local partnerships
- Applicant must be the owner of the business, or an employee who has obtained written permission to apply from the owner, president or chief executive officer
- Franchisees are eligible, but must demonstrate how their business stands out from the competition, including other franchisees
- Willing to participate in TELUS media and promotional activities
- Applicants must be residents of Canada and have reached the age of majority in their province of residence; TELUS employees, its agencies and their households are excluded; proof of identity and eligibility must be provided on request or the application may be disqualified; only one entry per eligible small business is accepted for the duration of the contest.
- How the 1-100 employee count is measured: a full-time paid team member counts as 1 even if considered a contractor; a part-time team member counts as half; a sole proprietor with an established, revenue-generating business lists 1.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- 3 category award packages valued at $125,000 each — $50,000 direct funding plus technology and exposure from partner sponsors; 6 community awards of $10,000 each in funding; People's Choice winner receives an additional $25,000 in funding
- Type
- Award
- Level
- Private
- Deadline
- The 2026 contest closed September 2, 2026. 2027 dates have not been announced.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Moderate — standard application process
Very high competition — highly selective
Easy — minimal documentation
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipJudging is 50% purpose and community impact, 25% business growth, 25% technology innovation — the heaviest weight sits on community impact, not on innovation, so lead with what your business does for its community and back it with measurable outcomes. Winners are chosen by an internal TELUS panel; there is no public vote in selection, so social media momentum does not help you win. Public voting only opens after winners are announced on October 1 and decides which of the nine receives an additional $25,000 People's Choice Award. Charities, not-for-profits and social enterprises are eligible alongside for-profit businesses, and franchisees can apply if they show how they stand out from other franchisees. No photo or video upload is required to enter — the application is text, number, dropdown and checkbox fields only. Photography comes in as a WINNER prize: the category award package includes a $25,000 professional photoshoot and brand exposure.
Success Profile
Canadian small businesses, charities, not-for-profits and social enterprises with a clear, measurable community impact and a credible growth or technology story. The three category awards map to Future Forward, Business Growth and AI Innovation; the six Community Awards map to distinct named categories — Logistics Leader, Community Spaces, Neighbourhood Gem, Business Catalyst, Community Wellness, and Social Purpose — each with its own definition of who it is for. Past winners span restaurants, tech startups, social enterprises, and retail businesses; the common thread is a clear social purpose beyond profit backed by evidence.
Evaluation Criteria
Each application is reviewed by a judging panel of TELUS and partner representatives (Scotiabank, Samsung and Google are the named presenting partners). There is no public vote in winner selection. Three criteria: Purpose and community impact (50% weight); Business growth (25%); Technology innovation (25%). Three category award winners are chosen — Future Forward, Business Growth and AI Innovation — plus six Community Award winners.
How TELUS judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on telus.com, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-04.
6 of the sources
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What TELUS favours
Present your business in the best light; stand out in your market◦
“We encourage all applicants to present their businesses in the best possible light, focusing on what makes their business stand out in their respective markets.”
The form
Contact details (stage 1)
- 1First nameshort answerno limit
- 2Last nameshort answerno limit
- 3Business email addressshort answerno limit
- 4Business phone numbershort answerno limit
Your business (stage 1)
- 5Business nameshort answerno limit
- 6Business addressshort answerno limit
- 7Cityshort answerno limit
- 8Province/territoryselectionno limit
- 9Postal codeshort answerno limit
- 10Business websiteshort answerno limit
- 11Number of employeesshort answerno limit
- 12Business industryselectionno limit
What you agree to (stage 1)
- 13Application guidelines acceptancecheckboxno limit
- 14Marketing consent (CASL)checkboxno limit
Business facts (stage 2)
- 15Re-enter business email addressshort answerno limit
- 16Re-enter your business phone numbershort answerno limit
- 17Social media handle URLshort answerno limit
- 182023 total business revenueselectionno limit
- 19How many years have you been in business?selectionno limit
The five answers that are judged (stage 2)
- 20Provide an overview of your business and your purpose.written answer · 4,000 characters
- 21What makes your business unique from others in your industry / market?written answer · 4,000 characters
- 22In the past year, how has your business grown on a local, national or global scale.written answer · 4,000 characters
- 23How have you used technology to grow and innovate your business?written answer · 4,000 characters
- 24How is your business making our communities more sustainable, diverse, equitable and inclusive?written answer · 4,000 characters
bar = length the funder allows, from its stated limits
Judged against
TELUS publishes its score sheet. in Premium
- 1
Why does this business exist, and for whom?
Show them Tell the origin story in your own words and put a number on the difference the business has made in its community, because purpose and community impact carries 50% of the score.◦
In the funder’s words · 1
- Purpose & community impact: We are looking for an authentic origin story, along with demonstrating how your business is making a positive impact on your community. (weighting 50%) 50%
- 2
What did you grow, and who benefited?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 3
What has technology actually changed here?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 4
Why you and not a similar business?
What to show, and the funder’s 3 criteria behind it in Premium
Where applicants fail
“Due to the substantial number of submissions we receive and the highly competitive nature of our selection process, we regrettably cannot offer personalized feedback on individual applications.”
“In the event that it has been determined that an entry has been made in a manner not sanctioned by these rules and/or an entrant has submitted more than the number of entries permitted by these rules, the entrant and all of his/her entries will be disqualified.”
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12 more rules that can reject you · 5 more criteria · 2 more prompts
Do you pass?
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You
Submitted inside the application period?
The #StandWithOwners application period begins at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time ("EDT") on June 2, 2026 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 2, 2026 (the "Application Period").
Your business
Operating, registered, revenue-generating, 1-100 employees
The application is open to Canadian businesses that are currently operational, legally registered, revenue-generating and have between 1-100 employees.
3 things this funder says you do NOT need, in Premium.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Category award packageUp to $125,000 package
Three (3) category award winners, as determined by the judging panel will be selected and will receive the following category award prize package valued at up to $125,000: direct funding ($50,000); A custom photoshoot and additional brand exposure including but not limited to TELUS digital assets, in-store placements (approximate value of up to $25,000); the TELUS technology package; a wellbeing program from TELUS Health that includes Two (2) TELUS Preventive Health Assessments (approximate value up to $5,500) and a TELUS Health Essential Employee Assistance Program for up to 100 employees (approximate value up to $4,500); a prize package from our supporting partners (approximate value up to $5,000).
TELUS technology package5G+ plans, internet, $10,000 credit
Three (3) Business 5G+ Complete Unlimited plans (value up to $6,120); One (1) PureFibre 1G Internet (value up to $3,960); A TELUS Fully Managed credit (value up to $10,000); Fuel iX Copilots Essentials (approximate value up to $15,000)
Logistics Leader Award$10,000 funding, $5,000 Petro-Canada points
$10,000 in funding; $5,000 in Petro Canada Points; Two (2) Business 5G+ Complete Unlimited plans (value up to $4,080).
Community Spaces Award$10,000 funding, $5,000 ZS2 prizing
$10,000 in funding; $5,000 in prizing from ZS2 technologies; Two (2) Business 5G+ Complete Unlimited plans.
Neighbourhood Gem Award$10,000 funding, two 5G+ plans
$10,000 in funding; Two (2) Business 5G+ Complete Unlimited plans. Five additional Neighbourhood Gem Award winners will be selected to be featured as a spotlight across our TELUS Business social media platforms.
Business Catalyst Award$10,000 funding, two 5G+ plans
$10,000 in funding; Two (2) Business 5G+ Complete Unlimited plans.
Community Wellness Award$10,000 funding, health program, two plans
$10,000 in funding; a wellbeing program from TELUS Health (two Preventive Health Assessments up to $5,500 and an Essential Employee Assistance Program for up to 100 employees up to $4,500); Two (2) Business 5G+ Complete Unlimited plans.
Social Purpose Award$10,000 funding, two 5G+ plans
$10,000 in funding; Two (2) Business 5G+ Complete Unlimited plans.
People's Choice AwardAdditional $25,000 in funding
The winner that receives the most votes will receive an additional $25,000 in funding. In the event of a tie a random draw will be conducted amongst the tied winners.
Technology credit terms24-month bill credit, no cash value
The winner is provided a recurring bill credit or discount for 24 months and is responsible for all additional charges beyond the value of the credit; the offer has no cash value, is not transferable and cannot be substituted for other services.
From application to money
- Application periodOpens June 2, 2026, closes September 2, 2026
- Panel selects winnersWinners chosen about September 24, 2026
- Respond and signTwo business days to respond and sign
- Winners announcedOctober 1, 2026Announced October 1, 2026; voting opens
- People's Choice voteOctober 15, 2026Public vote closes October 15, 2026
- Redeem technology prizeDecember 21, 2026Redeem by December 21, 2026 or forfeit
In the funder’s words · 6
- Application period
- Complete both stages of the online application in full inside the window, because no other form of participation is accepted. (begins at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time ("EDT") on June 2, 2026 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 2, 2026)
- Panel selects winners
- The panel scores the entries against the three weighted criteria and chooses the winners. (at approximately 12:00 p.m. EDT on or about September 24, 2026)
- Respond and sign
- A selected entrant has two business days to answer the phone or email notification and must then return the signed waivers, releases, indemnities and licences.
- Winners announced
- TELUS announces the category and community award winners, and public voting for the People's Choice Award opens that day.
- People's Choice vote
- The winner with the most public votes takes the additional funding.
- Redeem technology prize
- The technology prize is forfeited if it is not redeemed by this date, and no substitute prize is provided.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win TELUS #StandWithOwners Contest
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 4-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 4
Deadline Notes
Annual contest. The 2026 application period ran from 12:01 a.m. EDT on June 2, 2026 to 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 2, 2026. There is no third-party nomination step — the business owner, or an employee with written permission from the owner, president or CEO, applies directly. Winners are announced October 1, 2026. Public voting for the $25,000 People's Choice Award opens only after winners are announced, with that winner announced October 15, 2026.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Businesses with more than 100 employees
- Pre-revenue or non-operational businesses
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
How TELUS #StandWithOwners Contest Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about TELUS #StandWithOwners Contest