Sponsor
Lab2Market via Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (BSI) grant
This cohort will be delivered by Toronto Metropolitan University.
For More Information
- Register for the online info session (Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 5:00pm ET)
- Program Info Package
- Lab2Market Validate webpage
Description
Lab2Market Validate gives researchers the opportunity to critically test and evaluate their idea in the entrepreneurial landscape. This carefully curated 16-week experience is complemented by funding, exercises, workshops and mentorship from industry experts – all with exploration at its core.
The program will take participants through the process of unlocking the business potential of a research idea – from meeting customers, building a network, and most importantly, developing entrepreneurial grit.
Participants in the program receive:
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$10,000 in funding.
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The opportunity to assess product-market fit.
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A world-class curriculum delivered by innovation leaders.
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Access to best-in-class advisors, industry experts and
funders. -
Access to a vast entrepreneurial network and community.
Program Breakdown
The 16-week program is a full-time commitment broken into the following phases:
Phase 1: Pre-Program (4 weeks) - Get inspired to take the first steps toward validating your idea. You will be welcomed into a community of like-minded and driven individuals with diverse research backgrounds, hearing from successful founders who have been there and done it. You will learn principal market research methodologies and techniques to put into practice.
Phase 2: Core-Program (8 weeks) - “Get out of the building” and put your learnings into action by meeting with your customers. This is an intense and fast-paced period, but you will be supported by a vast entrepreneurial network of industry experts and will also receive in-depth presentations on various entrepreneurial topics.
Phase 3: Post-Program (4 weeks) - Analyze your findings and determine the appropriate path forward for your project and celebrate your successes with the Lab2Market community.
Expected start date: September 21, 2026. For full program details, please consult the Applicant Information Package.
Eligibility
Graduate researchers (Masters, PhD and Postdoc) from universities and colleges in Ontario, from all disciplines, who are looking to critically test and evaluate their idea in the entrepreneurial landscape. This cohort will be delivered by Toronto Metropolitan University.
Applicants must apply in teams consisting of a(n):
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Entrepreneurial Lead (EL): A full-time graduate (Masters or Ph.D.) student or postdoctoral fellow (service is under 5 years). Recent graduates must be within two years of graduation at the start of their project. The EL is expected to work on the project full-time (a minimum of 25 hours/week) over the duration of the program and must represent the team in all training sessions.
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Technical Lead (TL): The principal investigator of the research project. The TL is expected to participate in select training sessions and assist the EL throughout the program. The TL must be tri-council funding eligible.
The project, which the team applies with, must be based on research conducted by the entrepreneurial lead and funded through the technical lead’s lab.
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
External Deadline | Register for the fall 2026 Information session. | |
External Deadline | U of G applicants should inform research.services@uoguelph.ca if their application is selected to proceed. Each application or proposal to be submitted to a research sponsor (government, industry, business, foundation, private or other) must be approved by the University (Research Services Office) before the application is forwarded to the sponsor. To allow time for RSO review and processing, full applications (including an OR-5 Form, research proposal/application and a budget) should be submitted to research.services@uoguelph.ca two weeks in advance of external deadlines. For any IP considerations, consult with Steve De Brabandere (sdebrab@uoguelph.ca), Director, Technology Transfer and Industry Liaison prior to submitting your application. |
How to Apply
Fill out the Lab2Market Validate Application Form.