The Fulbright Canada Entrepreneurship Initiative (FCEI) is an innovative new program that identifies and supports promising students, scholars and independent researchers who are interested in bringing their ideas to market. The program is open to all areas, with a preference for projects with identifiable social impact. In addition to the grant, the program includes FCEI group activities, significant networking and mentoring support, and other features designed to support and encourage entrepreneurship.
The FCEI was established to engage and support entrepreneurs who aim to contribute to the common good. A core principle of the initiative is that innovation and entrepreneurship are critical to achieving social and economic progress. This initiative is meant to advance our commitment to promoting and supporting access and opportunity.
We recognize that entrepreneurship is pivotal in driving positive change that empowers both individuals and the communities where they live and work. By equipping aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to succeed, our goal is to change lives, find solutions to real problems, and contribute to positive social and economic change.
Michael Hawes
President & CEO Fulbright Canada
The FCEI is a visionary program designed to harness the transformative power of entrepreneurship in addressing some of the society’s most pressing challenges, including climate change, ecological and social sustainability, and the maldistribution of wealth and income. The program will allow participants to benefit from the well-established range of startup acceleration support offered by Alacrity Canada and a fully scalable online program designed by Startup Science. This support is designed to guide their entrepreneurial journey from the classroom, the lab, and the community to the market as they launch new ventures and commercialize their ideas.
The FCEI is committed to providing all eligible individuals opportunities and access on a competitive, open, and inclusive basis. The FCEI is especially interested in supporting founders whose solutions have the potential to make a positive impact on society.
The pilot phase of the Initiative will serve as the foundation for this innovative new program. Participants will gain invaluable insights into the entrepreneurial process, learn from industry leaders, and connect with the global Fulbright network. Alacrity and Startup Science will ensure that support to for participating entrepreneurs provided during the grant period continues well beyond. The program is based on a model that includes networking, mentorship, and the identification of commercial opportunities. The idea is to help entrepreneurs know more than how to succeed, they will learn how to not fail.
The initial phase of the Initiative, which is designed to fine tune the model, features shorter-term awards, including Fulbright Specialist awards. Specialists typically are researchers, entrepreneurs, and others, who undertake a residential exchange and work with colleagues at a university, an incubator, or an NGO or undertake other experiential opportunities in Canada or the United States. The initial call for proposals will be in April 2024.
During the project's pilot phase, Fulbright Canada will host a symposium that includes the FCEI partners, university partners, and other interested parties and undertake a program of outreach and engagement that supports the project's ongoing success
For more information about the FCEI, please email info@fulbright.ca.
Alacrity is a leading organization in the technology ecosystem that enables founders with innovative business ideas and connects a network of successful serial entrepreneurs with business leaders. Alacrity’s commitment to a sustainable customer-led funding model is supported by its dynamic, impactful programs that cater to real-time business needs and are informed by local and global technology and business landscapes. With offices in 10 cities worldwide and in partnership with Wesley Clover, Alacrity offers entrepreneurs a platform to commercialize their products and attract investment for growth.
Startup Science is a ground-breaking web-based entrepreneur support system that offers a comprehensive and immersive learning experience, blending theory with practical, real-world applications that lets startup founders learn – and do – while building their business.