Here are some upcoming deadlines for applying to accelerators, grants and funding, or other competitions and programs. Don’t miss out! If you know of others, please submit any application deadlines and I’ll post them if they’re relevant.
MONDAY - Desjardins Startup Prize 2026
Are you a startup founder or do you have a great idea you want to turn into a business? The Desjardins Startup Prize is U of T’s annual business pitch competition, offering over $100K in prizes to recognize, reward, and accelerate the most innovative startups. Ten finalists will be selected to pitch their business idea in the 2026 Desjardins Startup Prize Pitch Competition the first week of March as part of U of T Entrepreneurship Week. The shortlisted individuals or teams will compete by showcasing their startup via a five-minute pitch to a panel of investor judges.
Jan 8 - Eva and Allen Lau Commercialization Catalyst Prize
for Computing and Engineering Innovation
Hosted by the University of Toronto’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, the Catalyst prize aims to transform promising engineering and computer science research into investment-ready ventures. Participants in the program will receive staged funding, mentorship, workspace, and educational resources to advance proof-of-concept and validate product-market fit. In 2026, two to three teams will each receive up to $5K for Stage 1: Exploration, and one finalist team will receive up to $65K for Stage 2: ProtoCompany. The number of awardee teams will double at each stage once full funding becomes available in future years.
Jan 18 - U of T Hult Prize 2026
Each year, the Hult Prize empowers students all around the world to create innovative startups that can create real impact. Participants join an exclusive global community of student entrepreneurs, mentors, and industry experts as they work to earn a spot in the global finals where finalists compete for $1M in funding to bring their big ideas to life. Whether you’re looking to take your existing startup to the next level or are inspired to build a brand new business, we invite you to participate.
Apply now - Parkdale Centre for Innovation Fall 2025 Programs
Parkdale Centre is an incubator and accelerator that supports entrepreneurs, with a focus on equity, accessibility, and inclusion for underrepresented people, namely women, Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and newcomers to Canada. The Centre is accepting applications for both its Women Founders stream, and Early Stage Startup stream. Both programs are intended for those looking to set and meet revenue and growth goals for their business over the next three to nine months, and willing to execute on the program’s short-term milestones, stay on track with consistent webinars and mentorship. The Women Founders stream focuses on providing accessible and inclusive leadership, business training and entrepreneurship skills to self-identifying woman and/or non-binary founders, while the Early Stage stream supports entrepreneurs with a focus on preparing for user growth, team growth, revenue growth, and fundraising.
Apply now - DMZ Incubator Program
DMZ formally onboards Incubator startups twice a year (fall and spring), with applications open year-round. Be one of the ten to fourteen companies — never one of hundreds — to scale alongside driven, battle-tested founders who know what it takes. Unlike traditional accelerators, DMZ’s Incubator is designed to meet you where you are, so you can scale faster on your terms. You'll get a custom growth plan, unlimited meetings with our experts for strategic guidance, fractional support and mentoring, as well as fundraising and investor access, global exposure and media opportunities, exclusive perks and partner benefits (including $1M+ in tech credits, discounts, and resources), and a top-tier workspace with a vibrant founder community.
Apply now - YSpace Tech Incubator
This YSpace incubator membership aims to support early-stage entrepreneurs developing innovative technology-based startups with a unique network and support system of mentors, subject-matter expertise, and workshops designed to elevate their entrepreneurial journey. Participants will develop and strengthen their knowledge through virtual webinars and educational workshops, and engage with program advisors, entrepreneurs-in-residence, and industry experts to build strategic direction and drive tactical execution of their company goals. Come join a network of like-minded individuals and discuss business challenges in peer-to-peer circles. This program has an open intake throughout the year
Apply now - YSpace Women in Tech JumpSTART Incubator
The Women in Tech JumpSTART Incubator program is a bespoke and flexible membership program supporting Ontario-based women-led tech ventures to scale and grow. This program is offered in partnership with YSpace, Schulich School of Business and Treefrog Accelerator and was created with generous funding through the York Region Innovation Fund. With a network of industry experts, entrepreneurs, and advisors, the membership is designed to help founders to navigate the growth journey beyond the launch. Participants will develop and strengthen their knowledge through virtual webinars and educational workshops, and engage with program advisors and industry experts to build the strategic direction and drive the tactical execution of their company goals. Come join a network of like-minded women tech founders and discuss business challenges in peer-to-peer sessions. Applications are open year round, with selected ventures incubated for six months.
Apply now - DMZ Pre-Incubator Program
The DMZ’s Pre-Incubator program helps turn your vision into reality, validate your business idea, establish a minimum viable product, and secure customers for your venture. Participants receive over twelve hours of curated on-demand content, hands-on support, including regular 1:1s with in-house experts, relevant workshops, and progress check-ins, and are eligible for over $470K in perks from 80+ partners, exclusive invites, and the opportunity to proceed to DMZ Incubator's program, with up to $10K in grant funding, and over 18 months of additional support, office space, and more. Applications and program intake occurs on a rolling basis, with new startups joining the program at the beginning of each month.
Apply now - Brampton BHive Startup Incubator
BHive is an initiative powered by the City of Brampton with a goal to empower the next generation of innovators, accelerate their journey, and create a positive impact for the entrepreneur, economy, and community as a whole. The program has been strategically designed to ensure startups have everything they need to scale and grow. Successful applicants will have access to an unrivaled ecosystem and expertise to support exceptional founders in building successful companies. Our integrated approach involves thoughtfully designed programs, one-to-one mentorships, and access to our entire portfolio of service.
Apply now - Futurpreneur Canada Black Entrepreneur Startup Program
This program, delivered by Futurpreneur, will provide young, Black entrepreneurs age 18-39 across Canada with a comprehensive offering of $5,000–$60,000 in startup loan financing, as well as up to two years of mentorship, opportunities to engage with a national network of Black entrepreneurs, leaders and community organizations at a range of entrepreneurship events, and a variety of relevant tools and resources. Participants who are keen to scale their businesses even further will also be eligible for up to $40,000 in follow-on financing funded by RBC, based on the first two years of successful business performance.
Join - Science Discovery Zone at TMU
At the Science Discovery Zone (SDZ) we help people take evidence-based approaches to test big ideas and discover new ventures. We aim to serve as a model for strong collaboration across all disciplines (not just the science ones) that fuels innovation and entrepreneurial discovery. What makes the SDZ stand out amongst other incubators are the unique services and opportunities we create for our community, which are geared towards fostering your goals and success!
