Mitacs — Accélération Entrepreneur ### 📋 Eligible Entities - Postdoctoral researchers and students pursuing advanced degrees (Master's, PhD, or postdoctoral fellows) - Early-stage startup founders who are the primary applicants - Canadian companies with fewer than 500 employees (startup stage) - Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in research and technology development - Companies must be less than 5 years old or in early commercialization phase - At least one eligible researcher/student must be actively involved in the company ### 💰 Funding Details - Grant amount: Up to $15,000 CAD per intern/researcher - Duration: 4-16 weeks of research engagement - Matching requirement: Company must co-invest (typically 50% of grant value or equivalent in-kind contribution) - Repayability: Non-repayable grant (not a loan) - Total potential: Companies can support multiple interns/researchers to scale funding - Payment structure: Funds flow to Mitacs, which compensates the researcher's stipend; company covers matched portion ### 🛠️ Approved Expenses - Research and development payroll for eligible students/postdoctoral researchers - Technology development and validation within the startup - Product innovation and prototyping activities - Intellectual property development tied to core business - Researcher stipend and benefits (covered by grant) - Indirect research costs (equipment, materials directly supporting the project) - Must directly advance the startup's core technology or research commercialization ### ⚠️ Conditions & Milestones - Project scope: Research must be feasible within 4-16 week timeframe - Eligible researcher requirement: Participant must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or international student with valid study/work permit - Academic alignment: Project must involve substantive research or technology development (not general business operations) - Matching contribution: Company must commit co-funding before project start - Reporting requirements: Quarterly progress reports and final project outcomes documentation - Timeline: