TELUS #StandWithOwners Contest
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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
- 2026 applications open June 2 – September 2, 2026; winners announced October 1, 2026; People's Choice winner announced October 15, 2026
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
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.
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 runs 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
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about TELUS #StandWithOwners Contest