Amount:
$100,000
Type of Program:
Grant
Description:
The Seed Fund supports promising early-stage Canadian cleantech entrepreneurs with one-time grants of $50,000 to $100,000 for innovative technological projects with environmental benefits.
Comments on Funding:
Funding is a one-time grant of $50,000 to $100,000.
When It Ends:
Ongoing
Deadline:
Next deadlines to be announced.
Eligibility:
Applicant must:
Applications Steps:
Phase One: Referrals
Seed Fund applicants must be nominated by invited accelerators.
An accelerator partner must submit a company recommendation (i.e., ‘nomination’) on SDTC’s Portal when a round opens.
SDTC reviews each nomination prior to inviting companies to the application phase.
Phase Two: Applications
Once nominated by a partner accelerator, applicants will be invited to complete their application in two steps:
Applicants will receive a personalized access code to SDTC’s Portal, which they can use to access the system and create their login credentials.
After accessing the system and creating login credentials, Applicants can then complete their Organization Profile and Application Form. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the application and attachment requirements prior to completing the online form
After the Application period ends, SDTC staff will review the files for eligibility. Applicants should be prepared to provide additional materials and amend their applications if requested to do so.
Phase Three:
Presentations & Deliberations If the application is eligible, candidates will be invited to a pitch session where they will have the chance to deliver a 5-minute pitch followed by a Q & A session with the Seed Fund Jury. Presentation times will be confirmed in the week before jury week.
Following the pitch sessions, the jurors will deliberate and make recommendations to SDTC’s Board of Directors for a final funding decision.
Documentation Needed:
Applicants must submit:
- 1Investor/ Pitch Deck;
- 2Signed Investors Agreements/ Subscription Agreements;
- 3Bank Statements (last 3 months);
- 4CV of Key team members;
- 5Financial statements and Financial Model, if available;
- 6Other relevant documents shared with other investors.
The pitch should showcase for the jurors the applicant's:
- 1Value Proposition, including an understanding of the market opportunity and size ;
- 2The competitive landscape and customer acquisition plan (including Intellectual Property Strategy);
- 3Team and advisor capability and skills;
- 4Articulating how you plan to deliver environmental benefits.
Other Things to Note:
With up to 100 companies funded annually, funding rounds open every 3-4 months with a timeline of just 8 weeks to move from application submission to payment.
