How It Works

Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur projects are limited to two (2) years in duration due to the fast-paced and quickly changing nature of research with start-ups. Participants are welcome to submit a continuation of the project in a new proposal for the remaining research work they would like to continue, but this must be discussed with your Mitacs Advisor, 

We support growth where you need it

This program targets the stages in a start-up’s journey where big impacts can be made: 

  • Piloting and testing a new product, service or technology
  • Iterating and improving on an existing product, service, or technology
  • Making the most out of limited budgets 

A flexible and scalable option

  • Applications are accepted anytime
  • Evaluation is completed in six to eight weeks
  • Projects start at four months and can be scaled up depending on the start-up’s needs

Get started on your application today!

An Accelerate Entrepreneur application consists of:

Connect with a Mitacs Advisor in your region with questions about program requirements and eligibility.

Program Details

Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur funds student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs to achieve commercialization goals, and further develop the research or technology at the core of their start-up business. 

Accelerate Entrepreneur is designed to support the unique needs of postdoctoral, undergraduate, graduate, and college student entrepreneurs. With the support of an approved incubator, Mitacs funding helps students and postdoctoral fellows build their professional entrepreneurial skills, with the goal of commercializing their incorporated start-up’s technology, product, or service through funded internships. 

In short, Accelerate Entrepreneur pays students and postdoctoral fellows to grow their start-ups and get to market faster.   

Student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs must hold ownership of their incorporated start-up, and hold responsibility for  the management and/or operations of the company. Consulting firms, and full-time employees with no ownership or responsibility for  the company’s management and/or operations are not eligible for Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur funding. Check with your Mitacs Advisor to explore bringing a standard Accelerate intern to your start-up. 

Eligibility

The student and postdoctoral fellow eligibility for Accelerate Entrepreneur is similar to standard Accelerate. Students and post-doctoral fellows at Mitacs partner colleges and universities in Canada are eligible.  

Additional eligibility criteria must be assessed for the start-up and the incubator partner for participating in a Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur project for your consideration: 

  • You need to be actively housed at an approved incubator facility for the duration of the proposed project. Don’t see your incubator on the list? Please reach out to your local Mitacs Advisor and explore the opportunity to have your incubator included on our list. 
  • Your proposed research project must further develop the research or technology at the core of your start-up business
  • Note that your start up will need to be incorporated to receive any funding, and you will need an academic supervisor at you’re academic institution who can hold and disburse the funding. Note that sole proprietorships and LLPs (Limited Liability Partnership) are not incorporated and therefore are not eligible.

Approved Incubators

The following incubators have been approved for Accelerate Entrepreneur:

Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland & Labrador
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon

Don’t see your incubator listed? Please connect with a Mitacs Advisor.

 

How to Apply

  1. Connect with your local Mitacs Advisor to get your Accelerate Entrepreneur application started
  2. Review the following information when you begin writing your proposal:
  • Eligible research and adjudication criteria
  • Writing Your Proposal guide
  • Policies

  3.   Collect all required signatures: intern(s), professor(s), partner contact, and university Office of Research Services or equivalent

  4.   Email your proposal package to your Mitacs Advisor

Please note that for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, running from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 there is limited funding available for Accelerate in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

For further details and before initiating an Accelerate application in the respective provinces, please contact your Mitacs Advisor

Proposals from British Columbia, Yukon, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are not subject to restrictions.

Please note that Indigenous Pathways availability is limited. Please connect with your Mitacs advisor.

 PROPOSAL PACKAGE

  • Accelerate proposal (under Applications). Please note that only this latest version of the Mitacs Accelerate template proposal will be accepted.
  • Intern CV (interns may use Mitacs’s optional template)

Please be sure to include supporting documents as required by your university or province.

What happens next 

  1. Peer review of your proposal will take approximately six to eight weeks. Proposals with multiple internships or that require revisions may take longer.
  2. Partner organizations will receive an invoice (refundable if not approved), so that the intern receives payment when the project begins
  3. Mitacs will contact all participants with the outcome and applicable instructions.
  4. Mitacs forwards the Accelerate funds to the academic institution upon receipt of the partner contribution and the proposal’s approval.

Application timeline

 

Email accelerate@mitacs.ca with questions about program requirements and eligibility.

 

Application
Accelerate Budget & Invoice Schedule
Download
Accelerate Proposal
Download
Accelerate: Guide to Writing Your Proposal
Download
Accelerate Independent Administrator Profile
Download
Accelerate Intern CV template
Download
Conflict of Interest Declaration form
Download
Mitacs Academic Institution Acknowledgement form
Download
Complete Package - Paper
Download
All Files.zip
Project Name Terms, Conditions & Policies
Accelerate Code of Conduct: Travel Abroad
Download
Accelerate Code of Conduct: Travel to Canada
Download
Accelerate Project Start/End Dates Policy
Download
All Files.zip
Mitacs Terms, Conditions & Policies
Mitacs Academic Institution Acknowledgement form
Download
Mitacs Confidentiality Policy
Download
Mitacs Conflict of Interest Policy
Download
Mitacs Corporate Social Responsibility Policy
Download
Mitacs Diversity Policy
Download
Mitacs Indigenous Research Policy
Download
Mitacs Intellectual Property Policy
Download
Mitacs Intern Eligibility & Conflict of Interest form
Download
Mitacs Participant Expectations
Download
Mitacs Responsible Conduct of Research Policy
Download
Mitacs Privacy Policy
Download
Mitacs Travel Subsidy
Download
Mitacs Use of Funds Policy
Download
Mitacs Virtual Interactions Guide
Download
Mitacs Website Privacy Statement
Download
Mitacs Whistleblower Policy
Download
All Files.zip

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Program Administration

Release of funds Intellectual property Adjudication

Mitacs invoices a partner organization upon submission of their Accelerate proposal. Upon receipt of the partner’s contribution, Mitacs forwards the research award to the Canadian academic institution. No funds will be released to the academic institution until the invoice has been paid and the proposal is approved. Mitacs has no control over when funds are administered by the academic institution. If you have questions about your Accelerate award after Mitacs has released funds, contact your academic institution’s Office of Research Services (or equivalent).

Mitacs’ policy is to take no position and claims no intellectual property (IP) from projects it funds. All Mitacs Accelerate participants are bound by the IP terms of the academic institution where the intern is enrolled. IP is left to be shared between the academic institution, its researchers, and the partner organization, according to the IP rules of the academic institution, unless a separate agreement is negotiated.

The following universities have developed their own IP terms for Mitacs projects:

Note that these IP agreements may not apply to joint applications with other funding organizations.

External reviewers for internship proposals receive the following questions to guide their assessment of the proposal:

  1. Mitacs Accelerate supports research-based internships. Does the proposed project qualify as research in its discipline?
  2. Is the project appropriate for the academic degree level of the intern(s)?
  3. Are the objectives clear?
  4. Is the methodology appropriate to achieve the objectives?
  5. Is the timeline realistic?
  6. Other comments and suggestions for the applicants. For example, is there prior work that should be considered by the researchers?
  7. Confidential comments for Mitacs:
  8. Will the research work potentially have adverse effects on the environment? Do you recommend that an additional environmental impact review be conducted?

Proposals for large and long-term projects may sometimes involve significant technical or scientific uncertainties, complex project management plans, or highly structured intern recruitment, supervision, and training plans. In these situations, Mitacs reserves the right to hold a review meeting between applicants and reviewers to support the assessment of such proposals before arriving at a final funding decision. The need for such a review meeting will be determined as part of the review process, and applicants will be notified as soon as possible if a review meeting needs to be scheduled.

Responsibilities

The following steps outline the responsibilities of each Mitacs Accelerate participant before, during, and after their project. For projects with multiple internships, each intern is responsible for his or her individual steps.

Mitacs Accelerate Terms and Conditions outline participants’ responsibilities in further detail — each participant is expected to understand and adhere to the Terms and Conditions of the program.

Before the internship During the internship After the internship
  • Confirm the internship start date with your professor and partner. Notify Mitacs if your start date changes.
  • Develop a research plan with your professor and partner. Confirm intellectual property requirements with your academic institution.
  • Read and follow the Accelerate code of conduct.
  • Ensure appropriate insurance coverage, as necessary.
  • Start the internship only after funds have been forwarded to the academic institution.
  • For internships with international travel: International Pre-departure form and Code of Conduct must be received before the internship can begin.
  • Organize monthly status meetings and update Mitacs as necessary.
  • Interact with your partner organization and academic supervisor as described in your approved proposal
  • Maintain student or postdoc status at the university, or student status at the college, for the duration of your internship.
  • Consider taking a Mitacs Training workshop before or during your internship. Topics include essential interpersonal, project management, and entrepreneurial skills.
  • Complete the Accelerate Intern Exit Survey. You will receive an email from Mitacs with the survey link shortly after you complete your internship. 
  • Add your Accelerate internship and Training courses to your CV and LinkedIn profile  
  • Sign up for the newsletter (optional). As a participant in a Mitacs program, you can receive exclusive updates on job postings, funding and research opportunities, courses, and more.
  • Acknowledge all Mitacs-sponsored results, including work by professors, postdocs, other interns, and research associates with the following statement: “This work was supported by Mitacs through the Mitacs Accelerate program.”

Before the project During the project After the project
  • Develop a research plan with the intern(s) and partner. Confirm intellectual property requirements with your academic institution.
  • Provide feedback to the intern(s) to improve the quality of the proposal.
  • Ensure appropriate insurance coverage, as necessary.
  • Confirm the internship start date with the intern(s).
  • Start the internship only after funds have been forwarded to the Canadian academic institution.
  • Take fiduciary responsibility for the Mitacs grant (Canadian university professors only).
  • Provide ongoing direction and research support to the student prior to and during the research project.
  • Attend monthly status meetings and update Mitacs as necessary.
  • Supervise the intern(s) during their internship activities at the academic institution.
  • Complete an exit survey.
  • Acknowledge Mitacs-funded results with the following: “This work was supported by Mitacs through the Mitacs Accelerate program.”

Before the project During the project After the project
  • Develop a research plan with the intern(s) and professor(s).
  • Provide feedback to the intern(s) to improve the quality of the proposal.
  • Confirm the project start date with the intern(s).
  • Agree to protect and keep confidential intern(s)’s personal information with any third party, unless granted written permission by intern(s).
  • Ensure appropriate insurance coverage, as necessary.
  • Pay the contribution upon receipt of the Mitacs invoice. Projects can only begin after Mitacs has received the partner payment and forwarded the Accelerate grant to the academic institution.
  • Attend monthly status meetings and update Mitacs as necessary.
  • Supervise the intern(s) during their on-site and/or virtual internship activities
  • Provide access to the project site for an in-person assessment at Mitacs’s request.
  • Complete an exit survey.
  • Acknowledge Mitacs-funded results with the following: “This work was supported by Mitacs through the Mitacs Accelerate program.”

Cancellations
  • Mitacs Accelerate internships require the active participation of the intern, professor, and partner organization. All participants should attempt to fulfill their project obligations.If all parties are in agreement, a project or individual internship may be terminated. If one party wants to cancel the internship without other parties’ agreement, s/he must first notify them in writing and allow 30 days for resolution of outstanding issues.Any funds remaining after a cancelled internship must be returned to Mitacs.

FAQs

Before You Apply When You Apply After You Apply During the Fellowship

In order to participate in any Mitacs program, it is preferred that interns have full-time student or postdoctoral fellow status at their academic institution. However, part-time students are also eligible for Accelerate internships that do not include international travel, provided that the following conditions hold:
• They have student status at the academic institution for the duration of the internship
• They are covered under the institution’s insurance, the same as full-time students
• The institution is able to pay the intern a salary or stipend from the Mitacs grant
• The student is able to commit to the project for the appropriate duration (Accelerate internships are four months and may be spread over up to six months to accommodate other commitments)

No. Funds used towards Accelerate cannot be matched by any other federal or provincial agency.

Recent college and university graduates (any level) are eligible, at the discretion of the academic institution.

  • Must have status at a Canadian academic institution
  • Check with your institution to find out what status(es) are available for recent grads
  • Internship must start within two years of graduation
  • Normally eligible for one 4-6-month internship but may do up to three internships depending on the needs of the project and the discretion of the academic institution
  • All program expectations remain the same: the intern must have an academic supervisor and split their time between the academic institution and the partner organization
  • Recent graduates are eligible for standard Accelerate and Accelerate Entrepreneur

Yes. Partner organizations are welcome to contribute additional funding but Mitacs will not provide any additional funding outside of the standard award. [This additional partner funding should be included in the application budget and the anticipated use of funds (e.g., stipend/salary top-up, specialized equipment)]. Top-up funds must be received at Mitacs at the same time as the minimum contribution and will be added to the annual award and forwarded to the university.

All Accelerate internships must include a partner organization in Canada (for-profit or not-for-profit corporation, hospital or municipality) and may optionally include a partner organization(s) abroad. Interns must have student, postdoc or recent grad status at an eligible Canadian post-secondary institution and must interaction with the Canadian partner organization. If applicable, they may also travel to interact with an international partner organization.

No. Accelerate internships are full-time internships, which means participants are expected to be spending 50% of their time at the partner organization and 50% of their time at their host academic institution.
• Interns cannot simultaneously hold Accelerate internships, or combine them with any other Mitacs internships or fellowships that overlap.
• While a Mitacs intern can hold multiple awards over time based on their degree level, internship or fellowship start and end dates cannot overlap.
Participants who hold another Mitacs award or internship must complete it prior to receiving an Accelerate Award to start an internship.

Mitacs cannot support an internship in which the intern is doing work they were previously doing as an employee or contractor. We can allow internships where the student has previously been an employee or contractor under the following conditions:
• The intern has gone back to school to pursue a new post-secondary diploma or degree following their employment
• The proposed internship is substantially different to the work they were doing as an employee or contractor
• The intern is not an employee or contractor during the internship
Postdoctoral fellows are not eligible for internships/fellowships at organizations where they have already been a full-time employee. Only if their employment was part time and/or very short-term can their eligibility for Mitacs programs be considered. Please discuss this situation with a Mitacs Business Development representative before applying.

No, Mitacs does not offer any scholarships to cover university tuition fees. Our programs are designed to offer support to students conducting research projects.

Internships are 4–6-month units of a research project, valued at $15K per unit, with $7,500 from both the partner organization and Mitacs, to support post-secondary research projects. Funds flow through the academic institution with a stipend to the student at a minimum of $10K, with up to $5K to support research costs. Please refer to the Funding section for an illustrated explanation.

The maximum allowable number of internships varies depending on your current academic designation: 

  • College students can complete up to three internship units 
  • Undergraduate students can complete up to three internship units 
  • Master’s students can complete up to six internship units 
  • PhD students can complete up to twelve internships 
  • Postdoctoral fellows can complete up to nine internships 

Graduate students seeking longer-term funding can also apply for Accelerate Fellowship funding, in which: 

  • Master’s students can complete an 18 or 24-month project  
  • PhD students can complete a three or four-year project  

Applicants can apply for Accelerate and Accelerate Fellowship funding at any time. 

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Mitacs forwards Accelerate funds to the student’s academic institution only after it has received the contribution from the student’s partner organization. Please allow two weeks for processing upon receipt of this contribution. Interns travelling to Canada should be aware that their funding may not be available until they arrive in Canada. Mitacs recommends that interns contact their Canadian host university’s Office of Research Services prior to the project to determine when they can access funds.

Mitacs follows Tri-Agency eligible expenses for use of funds. Please refer to the Mitacs Use of Funds policy for details of eligible expenses for Mitacs programs.

Accelerate is offered in partnership with a student’s university, which administers their award. We recommend that students speak with their professor and institution about student status (“employees” or “trainees”), funding policies (“stipend” or “salary”), and potential deductions of benefits. Universities administer funds according to their individual institutional policies, which are flexible under Tri-Agency guidelines. If benefits are included, they may be deducted from either a student’s pay or the accompanying research funds.

Students are welcome to revise and resubmit either a new version of the current proposal or a new proposal on a related, eligible project, per the guidance provided in the decision letter. We provide feedback from Mitacs Research staff, external expert reviewers and/or the Mitacs Research and Innovation Council in all decision letters in order to help applicants improve proposals which were not initially approved.

Provided the individual has student or postdoctoral fellow status at their academic institution, they can start an internship at any point in their academic program. They must maintain that status throughout their internship. Individuals that meet eligibility criteria for Recent Graduate status (Recent graduates will have to check with their academic institution to see what status(es) are available for them) must start the internship within 2 years of graduation.

After their research proposal has successfully passed the research review, they will receive an email that confirms Mitacs received the partner contribution confirmation. They will also be asked to confirm their start and end dates at that time. Students should not start until they receive the email confirming that Mitacs has received the partner funds. This is necessary to be able to pay the intern on time.
Please read the Mitacs Accelerate project start and end dates policy found in the downloadable Application Package zip file in the How To Apply section.

Note that if a project includes international travel, allow additional time for visa purposes if required. 

Invoices must be paid in full to Mitacs prior to any internship funds being sent by Mitacs to the university. Please note that all partner funds must be sent directly to Mitacs and not to the university. The funds must be received in advance of the internship start date.

To maximize your experience, we ask students to complete the Mitacs Accelerate Orientation online session to prepare them for their internship, and the Mitacs Virtual Interactions Resources online session if they have virtual partner interaction.
The other online courses in the Accelerate Curriculum are skills-development courses suggested for students to support your professional development.

Certain requirements must be met to be eligible to request a project extension. Please see the criteria below and contact your Mitacs Advisor for next steps. If your case does not meet the criteria below, you may submit a new project funding application.

1. Applicants who have an approved Mitacs Accelerate project may apply for a funding extension of 1 internship unit (IU) per intern — to a maximum of 10 IUs per project. Applications for an extension can be submitted once the internship(s) being extended is/are at least 75% through their original timeline. The funding extension shall be used to:

• Complete the existing project in cases where the project has experienced delays due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g., lack of access to facilities due to COVID-19, sample delays due to transportation, seasonal delays in fieldwork, etc.)

• Broaden the scope of the project (e.g., conducting additional tests, including additional samples, adding data sources for analysis, etc.)

• In either case, the request cannot be used to add new objectives or change existing project objectives.

2. Extensions must be requested within 4 months from when the intern completed their last IU on the project. In cases where a new intern is being added to the project, the request must be submitted within 4 months from the end of the last IU completed on the project.

3. If the extensions will be used to add a new intern to the project, a New Intern Profile form and the new intern’s CV will be required along with this completed form.

4. All interns must remain eligible (including respecting maximum internship allocation) to hold Mitacs internships for the duration of the extension period.

5. No discounts or enhanced leveraging options are available to fund the extension internships. Only standard funding models may apply, regardless of the funding models for the original project. Partner organizations are required to contribute additional funds for the extension period.

Yes. This should be communicated to their supervisor, organization partner and university. The internship will be put on hold for this period of time, and the student will not be paid from their internship. Once a return date has been determined, the student will need to inform Mitacs of when they plan on returning to the fellowship to complete their term.

Once the exit survey submission is confirmed, a Mitacs Program Certificate of Completion will be available in the interns/postdocs e-campus on EDGE.

Mitacs Accelerate internships require the active participation of the intern, professor, and partner organization. All participants should attempt to fulfill their project obligations.
If all parties are in agreement, a project or individual internship may be terminated. If one party wants to cancel the internship without other parties’ agreement, s/he must first notify them in writing and allow 30 days for resolution of outstanding issues.
Any funds remaining after a cancelled internship must be returned to Mitacs. For more information, please refer to the downloadable General Mitacs Terms, Conditions & Policies zip file found under How To Apply.

The Mid-Term surveys are mid-term checks that are sent to Accelerate Interns & the partner organizations at the midpoint of each internship unit on the project, to check-in and ensure that the internship started as originally proposed, to address any issues, and to offer an opportunity for stakeholders to provide feedback to the Accelerate team during the internship.

Students should check their spam or junk folder. If they still haven’t received it, they should contact evaluation@mitacs.ca.

Students should receive an invitation within the 30 days following the completion of their internship/fellowship.

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