At the Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, we pride ourselves on offering experiential and interdisciplinary courses for students from every Faculty. With that comes built in and external opportunities for funding, so you can support yourself or your venture throughout your degree!
With plenty of competitions, grants and more, we hope our awards, funding, and scholarships page offers you a wealth of information.
If you’re not sure our entrepreneurship awards page is right for you, SFU offers an array of different types of funding for students of all faculties.
You can find the general SFU scholarship and award bank here.
🔴 = Applications Open
💵 = Grant
🖥 = Program
💰 = Showcase
🏅 = Pitch Competition
✍️ = Writing Competition
🎨 = Design-Focus
🌱 = Sustainability-Focused
💜 = Health-Focused
🤖 = Technology-Focused
Win $10,000 in funding, co-op credits, mentorship and work space at the Coast Capital Venture Connection Incubator to launch your start-up. If you’re looking for an opportunity to work on your venture full-time, this may be the program for you!
Share your business pitch with the SFU community for your change to win up to $75,000 in prizes! Learn more about this Coast Capital Venture Connection competition.
The perfect competition for product entrepreneurs! Win up to $500 in prizes and a contract from the SFU bookstore to purchase your product. Learn more about this Coast Capital Venture Connection competition.
This entrepreneurial showcase is built into certain entrepreneurship courses (BUS 238, BUS 477 and more)! Win up to $1000 in prizes. Learn more about this Chang Institute showcase.
The Social Innovation Seed Fund is designed to enhance student access to early-stage financial support for projects, initiatives, programs or processes intended to create positive social, economic or environmental transformation for SFU and/or its communities, contributing to long-term sustainability.
Calling all students! Do YOU need $3,000 to start something awesome? We’re looking for creative ideas for working with partners in your community to create meaningful impact. Register today to get started – all you need is your passion and an idea!
The Certificate of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, eCOOP and all the programs were the highlight of my degree!SIAT Alumni, 2022
The Certificate of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, eCOOP and all the programs were the highlight of my degree!
Value: $1,000
Term: Any Semester
Apply: Contact faawards@sfu.ca for more info.
One scholarship, valued at $1,000, will be granted annually in any term, to an undergraduate student who meets the following criteria: Is enrolled full-time in a Bachelor’s degree program in the Beedie School of Business with a concentration in Marketing and/or Entrepreneurship and Innovation;is entering their fourth year of study; andis in excellent academic standing (minimum CGPA of 3.50).
The company will publicize the recipient’s name and thank you letter.The scholarship will be granted by the Senate Undergraduate Awards Adjudication Committee upon the recommendation of the Associate Dean, Beedie School of Business.
Value: $4,000+
The award, valued at a minimum of $4,000, will be granted in any term of each year, to an undergraduate student who fulfills the following criteria:Is enrolled full-time in the Beedie School of Business;is nominated or self-nominated with a faculty member reference as having participated successfully in one of the Beedie School of Business’ key entrepreneurship programs such as Change Lab, the SFU Venture Accelerator, or Opportunity Fest; and,is in good academic standing.
Students will be selected based upon those who best exemplify high impact entrepreneurship, and who show exceptional entrepreneurship skills and passion while pursuing an idea that demonstrates a strong combination of intentional social impact and financial viability.Applications must include a CV outlining their history of entrepreneurship training and ventures as well as a letter of reference from a faculty member who can attest to the same. Preference may be given to students who have a declared concentration in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.The award will be granted by the Senate Undergraduate Awards Adjudication Committee upon the recommendation of the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Beedie School of Business.
Value: $750
Up to 40 awards, valued at a minimum of $750 each, will be granted annually in any term to undergraduate students who meet the following criteria:Are enrolled in full-time SFU standard graded courses (minimum 9 units) and are registered in the tech-e@sfu program;are in good academic standing;have participated in tech-e@sfu team building I networking events in Summer/Fall of year 1 in the program;have joined a tech-e@sfu project team (combination of MSE/BUS students) in the Fall (year 1) and selected a capstone project topic;have completed Technology Entrepreneurship I (MSE 403/BUS 404) course requirements and remain on track to complete Technology Entrepreneurship II (MSE 404/BUS 405);
andFor MSE students:Have completed Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Innovation (BUS 238) in year 1 or sooner;have completed Capstone Spring Term (MSE 410) course requirements and remain on track to complete Capstone Summer Term (MSE 411) program requirements in year 2, working on the selected Capstone projects with teche@sfu teammates from MSE and BUS.For BUS students:have completed Mechatronics for Non-Engineers (MSE 111) in year 1 or sooner;have completed Startup Experience Spring Term (BUS 477) course requirements and remain on track to complete Startup Accelerator (BUS 406) course requirements in year 2.
Applications must include a checklist signed by the student verifying all eligibility criteria requirements have been met. The award will be granted by the Senate Undergraduate Awards Adjudication Committee, upon the recommendation of the Associate Dean, Curriculum and Undergraduate Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences.
Value: $2500
The Peter R.B. Armstrong/Rocky Mountaineer Award for Entrepreneurship valued at approximately $2,500 from a portion of the income earned on the endowment, will be awarded annually in any term. Awards will be granted to 3rd or 4th-year students in the Beedie School of Business who have evidenced or achieved some level of entrepreneurial activities. Applications should include a letter discussing the student’s interest and involvement in entrepreneurial activities. The award will be made by the Senate Undergraduate Awards Adjudication Committee upon the recommendation of the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Beedie School of Business.
Value: $5000
Two awards, valued at $5,000 each, will be granted annually in any term to Aboriginal undergraduate students who meet the following criteria:
Applications must include: a cover letter outlining the details of the applicant’s experience with entrepreneurship or entrepreneurial aspirations;one or more letters of reference from community members who can verify the applicant’s entrepreneurial experience or aspirations; The awards will be granted by the Senate Undergraduate Awards Adjudication Committee.
WomensNet founded the Amber Grant Foundation in 1998. The Foundation was set up with one goal in mind: to honor the memory of a very special young woman, Amber Wigdahl, who died at just 19 years old — before realizing her business dreams. Today, WomensNet carries on that tradition, giving away at least $10,000 every month in Amber Grant money. We’ve also expanded our grant-giving to include other grants such as our Annual $25,000 Amber Grant.
Visa supports Canadian women entrepreneurs. We’ve partnered with IFundWomen to provide $10,000 grants and a year of business coaching to women entrepreneurs across Canada. Learn more about our latest grant recipients below.
Innovative and entrepreneurial students are our best hope for solving some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems. The Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge at the University of Washington taps into the passion, smarts, and motivation that university students have for solving environmental/cleantech problems. The competition is open to undergrad and grad students at accredited colleges and universities across the Cascadia Corridor – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, as well as Alaska.
The Dempsey Startup Competition (Dempsey Startup), organized by the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, provides a real-world experience for student entrepreneurs, promoting student ideas and new venture creation to the entrepreneurial community. Participating in the Dempsey Startup gives students practice in the dynamics of venture creation by developing an idea, putting together a founding team, writing a business plan, and presenting to investors. In fact, many ideas that started as a class project turned into a start-up company through the competition process! The Dempsey Startup Competition is open to undergrads and grad students at accredited colleges and universities across the Cascadia Corridor – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, as well as Alaska.
The Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge is an exciting extracurricular competition that gives students the opportunity to come up with meaningful solutions to big problems the world faces today related to health. The competition is open to undergrads and grad students at accredited colleges and universities across the Cascadia Corridor – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, as well as Alaska.
Have what it takes to compete for over $250,000 in cash and prizes? 6 months, 4 rounds of competition. 200+ competitors, 1 grand prize winner.
You’ll have the opportunity to compete for over $80,000 worth of monetary prizes to fund winning ventures, as well as in-kind services such as consulting sessions from reputable companies and venture capital firms to guide winning teams.
During the QEC’s final weekend, you’ll have the opportunity to compete for over $80,000 worth of monetary prizes to fund winning ventures, as well as in-kind services such as consulting sessions from reputable companies and venture capital firms to guide winning teams.
This is a premier business plan competition and represents a prestigious, international academic opportunity designed to mimic the real world process of starting a new venture while rewarding thinking and entrepreneurial spirit!This competition is open to all graduate and undergraduate students from across the globe and helps them gain real experience while developing and growing new ventures.Throughout this 3-day competition teams will compete in an Elevator Pitch and Business Plan Presentation for more than $60,000 CDN prize money and will evaluate the feasibility, market opportunity and business model of a new venture while receiving.
The competition showcases post-secondary student pitchers throughout the month of March. Modelled after the NCAA March Madness basketball competition, 64 student entrepreneurs from across Canada will be selected to compete head-to-head in brackets as they strive to eventually be declared the best in the country
The Jim Rimmer Community Scholarship for Design Award is awarded annually to students whose design work supports a community program, non-profit, social, or environmental cause.
The NU Community Board has just opened up the application process for our first ever national award for student social entrepreneurs. The 2021 awards will be presented at the virtual Pivot on Purpose (POP) summit. The NU awards seek to celebrate the best and brightest student social entrepreneurs in Canada. Our hope is to advance education and encourage academic excellence by celebrating excellence, best practices, high standards, advances in, and/or new knowledge relating to student social entrepreneurship.
The AquaHacking Challenge is an innovative tech competition that engages young Canadians to develop entrepreneurial skills and creating solutions to freshwater issues. Since 2015, 28 startups have been established.
Are you ready to tell a story with data? Check out this competition hosted by the University of New Brunswick.
Student Essay Contest is offering cash prizes worth $3000 for first-place winners in each the undergraduate and graduate student divisions.
Protein industry challenges are numerous, multifaceted, and interconnected. From deforestation and biodiversity loss to pandemic risk and antimicrobial resistance — to name just a few — the threats presented by inaction are nothing short of existential. But who is responsible for initiating and implementing solutions?
The Innovative Designs for Accessibility (IDeA) student competition challenges university students across Canada to use their creativity to develop innovative, cost-effective and practical solutions to accessibility barriers for people with disabilities.
Imagine what your business could achieve with…→ $50,000 cash investment
→ Personal mentorship
→ A supportive community of entrepreneurs, business leaders & investors
Share your business vision in a 1-minute video & you could win an opportunity to work with a community dedicated to helping you feel confident pitching your business & a chance at 1 of 3 cash prizes.
The BMCC invites student entrepreneurs to learn about business models, business model validation, and the business model canvas and then demonstrate their understanding through a video submission of their own entrepreneurial experiences that exhibit these concepts. Semi-finalists will then be chosen to participate in live presentations based on the content of their video submissions.
Are you an undergrad at a Canadian university? Got a great idea for applying AI and ML to a problem in your local community? If so, let’s solve it – together.
Let’s SOLVE it is a Borealis AI mentorship program that provides undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds with mentorship, contacts, training and guidance they would need to make their project a reality. Interested? All you need is a good idea, a team of peers, a strong sense of curiosity, and commitment to making a difference.
Next 36 focuses on the growth of you, the founder, teaching you the core skills and strategies necessary for building a business. From how to compete with established competitors to how to read a term sheet and beyond, we’ve got you covered. Learn from successful entrepreneurs, business leaders and world-class faculty.
Test your innovative business idea with our annual impact innovation challenge. An annual event hosted by League of Innovators where youth can present their impactful ideas for prizes. This year there will be 3 separate categories with 5 finalists each. Each category winner will receive a cash prize, mentorship, and perks from our partners.
Do you have an awesome idea to solve a social or environmental problem? Are you ready to take action, but don’t know where to start? You’re not alone.
The Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge will take you from idea to entrepreneur – helping bring your idea to life AND sharpening your social business skills!
Charles Chang Certificate for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Open to students in any faculty at Simon Fraser University, the Charles Chang Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship develops future entrepreneurs using the power of learning by doing. As students taking the Certificate learn and apply market-based approaches to innovation and venture development, they also cultivate connections between peers, […]
Technology Entrepreneurship @ SFU If you’re curious about becoming an entrepreneur or already know you want to be one, Technology Entrepreneurship @SFU (TechE@SFU) is for you. TechE@SFU is an exciting entrepreneurial opportunity for you to collaborate with senior undergraduate students from other faculties on real-world problems, develop creative solutions, and build your own high-impact start-up. […]