Is global growth in your future?
Mitacs Entrepreneur International offers a travel grant to Canadian start-ups that are housed in an academic-institution-linked incubator or accelerator to connect them with host incubators abroad and explore new business development opportunities in international markets. The Mitacs Entrepreneur International program invites application submissions on a year-round basis.
Canadian start-ups receive a travel grant to support eligible business travel costs, of up to $5,000 to connect with a host incubator in an eligible new target market. Through the program, start-ups:
After a successful couple of trips to the US, our pipeline is exploding and we are officially hiring an FTE to join me on the commercial side of the business (mostly to help with sales).
MEI participant
Participants submit their application and budget detailing a travel plan that supports growth goals in at least one of the following categories:
Successful applicants receive a travel grant to support eligible business travel costs for up to two (2) full-time equivalent employees, founders, or owners:
Find the MEI application form under How to Apply.
See Eligibility for a complete list of eligible applicants, markets, activities and expenses.
To be considered for the travel grant, all applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, companies will be limited to 2 proposals during the year.
Below is our list of pre-approved home incubators for Entrepreneur International. If you do not see your incubator on the list, please contact pilots@mitacs.ca to check if it is eligible. Please note that all home incubators are required to be linked to a Canadian post-secondary institution.
Accélérateur entrepreneurial Desjardins
Bureau de soutien à l’entrepreneuriat
Carrefour d’entrepreneuriat et d’innovation Desjardins
Centre d’entrepreneuriat et d’essaimage
Centre d’entrepreneuriat Poly-UdeM
Centre québécois d’innovation en biotechnologie
Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship
Centre de Recherche en Technologies Langagières
Waterloo Commercialization Office
Jim Fielding Innovation & Commercialization Space
Queens Partnership and Innovation
École d’innovation sociale Élisabeth Bruyère
Conestoga Entrepreneurship Collective
Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology
University of Toronto Entrepreneurship/ON Ramp
Centre of Innovation & Entrepreneurship
University of Guelph Research Innovation Office
Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre
Eligible markets include the following countries, regions or jurisdictions:
Travel grants support eligible business travel costs, with a maximum grant of $5,000. Up to two (2) full-time employees, founders or owners may claim eligible expenses per travel grant.
In-kind contributions from the Home or Host Incubators cannot be used towards matching Mitacs funds.
Successful applicants must 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.
See How to Apply for more information on how to apply for a travel grant today.
If you have any questions about the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program, please email the Mitacs Entrepreneur International team.
The Mitacs Entrepreneur International program invites application submissions on a year-round basis.
A Mitacs Entrepreneur International application consists of:
Applicants must submit an application at least four (4) weeks prior to their planned business travel. Applicants are responsible for collecting all required attachments for a complete application submission
At this time, we have reached the quota of MEI awards we’re able to support in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec, Saskatchewan and Yukon for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, and no longer accept proposals from companies in these provinces.
We still accept proposals from Nova Scotia.
3. Verify with your Advisor that your Canadian and International incubator or accelerator are eligible
4. Review the minimum eligibility and adjudication criteria
5. Draft an application and collect all required supporting documentation
6. Contact your Mitacs Advisor to review and submit your application for you
2. Once the minimum eligibility criteria are met, your application will be adjudicated to ensure your business travel meets our program guidelines (typically within 10 business days)
3. Mitacs will contact all participants with the outcome of their review and any applicable instructions
See our Program Administration tab for an overview of our adjudication process, participant guidelines, program deliverables and other program information.
If you have any questions about the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program, please email the Mitacs Entrepreneur International team.
1. Successful applicants will receive an Acceptance Form with their Notice of Approval, which must be signed and returned to Mitacs within one week to confirm their travel grant
2. Mitacs will send the first installment of the approved grant (80%) to the company via EFT or cheque (typically within 30 days)
3. Successful applicants travel to their target market (typically 2-6 weeks of travel)
4. Upon return, successful applicants must submit an exit survey detailing the outcomes of their business travel in accordance with their approved application, as well as a financial report detailing their approved expenses
5. Mitacs will review the financial report to ensure that the total Mitacs grant amount does not exceed actual funds spent. If the actual spending detailed in the financial report is equal to or exceeds the approved budget, applicants can expect to receive the second installment (20%) via EFT or cheque within 30 days.
All personal information collected as part of the Mitacs Entrepreneur International program application and administration is subject to privacy legislation and Mitacs 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.
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: