Any Futurpreneur-supported entrepreneur who meets the eligibility criteria.

Nominees must be:

• A Futurpreneur-supported entrepreneur or founding team that:
  • Has received financing from Futurpreneur or Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) and whose loan has been fully repaid or is in good standing throughout the awards selection process; and
  • Is actively involved in the leadership of the business; and
  • Is operating a business that:
    • Has been operating for at least 24 months; and
    • Has revenues and a successful business model; and
    • Operates primarily in Canada (sales can be international).

Eligibility Note – Hall of Fame Inductees

Entrepreneurs whose businesses have reached enterprise or legacy scale – such as nationally or globally recognized brands, companies with $50M+ in annual revenues, 100+ employees, those that have seen major exits, or post-scale organizations – will be recognized through Futurpreneur’s Founders Hall of Fame and are not eligible for the Entrepreneur Awards.

Futurpreneur Founders Hall of Fame inductees do not need to be currently working at their company, but their company should have achieved significant scale and prominence while they were still in a leadership role there.

This distinction ensures that the Entrepreneur Awards spotlight growth-stage entrepreneurs building long-standing businesses today, while Futurpreneur’s Founders Hall of Fame honours those who have built businesses that have already achieved enterprise or legacy scale.

Anyone can nominate Futurpreneur-supported entrepreneurs or founding teams for an Entrepreneur Award. You can also nominate yourself if you are a Futurpreneur-supported entrepreneur and meet the eligibility criteria.

There is no limit to the number of nominations you can submit. There is also no benefit to nominating a person more than once, as the volume of nominations does not factor into the judging criteria.

The business must have been operating for at least 24 months at the time of application.

Awards are granted per business. Where a business has multiple co-founders, the recognition and award will be given to the Futurpreneur-supported members of the founding team collectively.

Futurpreneur will select 30 finalists from across Canada. At least three national finalists will be recognized from each regional community (Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba + Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia) and program community (Black entrepreneurs, Indigenous entrepreneurs) that Futurpreneur serves.

National Finalists
Each of our 30 national finalists will receive $1,000.

National Winners
Three of the finalists will be selected as national winners and will each receive an additional $10,000.

People’s Choice Award
One national finalist will win the People’s Choice Award and receive an additional $30,000.

All national finalists will receive the $1,000 finalist award.

Four finalists will also receive one of four national awards:

• $10,000 to each of the three national winners
• $30,000 to one People’s Choice Award winner

All 30 national finalists are eligible to win the People’s Choice Award by encouraging their community to vote for them during the voting period. Based on popular vote (ranked by the most votes received), one People’s Choice Award winner will be selected.

Judges will assess nominees holistically using the four criteria below, taking into account context, access, and lived experience alongside traditional performance measures. The scoring rubric will be adjusted to recognize that not all applicants are expected to demonstrate all four assessment criteria equally.

Our intent is to recognize excellence across the many paths, industries and starting points entrepreneurs take to build successful businesses in Canada.

1. Business Growth & Sustainability
   • Revenue growth or financial stability
   • Job creation or workforce development
   • Market traction or expansion
   • Evidence of long-term viability
2. Resilience & Adaptability
   • Ability to navigate challenges or setbacks
   • Responsiveness to economic or market change
   • Persistence through uncertainty
3. Community & Social Impact
   • Positive impact on local, regional, or national communities
   • Contributions to inclusive prosperity
4. Leadership & Inspiration
   • Leadership demonstrated by the entrepreneur or founding team
   • Mentorship, advocacy, or community-building
   • Role-model who inspires others to make an impact

All 30 national finalists will be invited to participate in the People’s Choice Award, encouraging their community to vote for them through social media, word of mouth etc. Voting safeguards will be implemented to ensure fairness and integrity. Based on popular vote (ranked by the most votes received), we will choose one grand prize People’s Choice Award winner ($30,000).

• National finalists: Announced in late July
• National winners: Announced on October 28, 2026, at Futurpreneur’s 30th Anniversary Celebration
• People’s Choice Award winner: Announced on October 28, 2026, at Futurpreneur’s 30th Anniversary Celebration
• Founder Hall of Fame inductees: Announced on October 28, 2026, at Futurpreneur’s 30th Anniversary Celebration

No. Entrepreneurs inducted into Futurpreneur’s Founders Hall of Fame are not eligible for monetary awards.

Judges represent broad experience in entrepreneurship, leadership and ecosystem development. All judges will be asked to declare conflicts of interest.

Any judge with a real or perceived conflict of interest with an application will recuse themself from reviewing that application.

No. While financial results and sustainability are one factor, judges evaluate applicants holistically, also considering resilience, leadership and community impact.

Any active Futurpreneur mentor who meets the eligibility criteria.

Nominees must:

• Be an active Futurpreneur mentor in good standing
• Have a minimum of three years of mentorship engagement with Futurpreneur
• Have supported at least one entrepreneur within the last two years

Anyone can nominate Futurpreneur mentors for a Mentor Award. You can also nominate yourself if you are a Futurpreneur mentor and meet the eligibility criteria.

There is no limit to the number of nominations you can submit. There is also no benefit to nominating a person more than once, as the volume of nominations does not factor into the judging criteria.

Up to eight Mentor Award finalists will be recognized across the country. One Mentor Award winner will be announced at the Futurpreneur 30th Anniversary Awards on October 28, 2026.

The winner of the Mentor Award will receive recognition for their meaningful contribution to Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. They will also gain national visibility, storytelling amplification and connection to partners, funders and ecosystem leaders across Canada. They will not receive a financial prize.

No, there is only a People’s Choice Award for entrepreneurs.

After applications have been reviewed by Futurpreneur for eligibility and baseline qualifying criteria, mentors will be reviewed by judges using a standardized scoring rubric focused on:

• Depth and quality of mentorship (including frequency, consistency and strategic guidance)
• Demonstrated impact (including specific entrepreneur outcomes, growth or key turning points supported)
• Commitment to inclusive entrepreneurship (including support for equity-deserving founders and contribution to inclusive economic growth)
• Leadership within the mentor community (including peer mentorship, participation in mentor initiatives and ambassador-style leadership)
• Alignment with Futurpreneur values (including diverse and inclusive, accountable and transparent, collegial and collaborative, and mission-driven)

• National finalists (up to eight): Announced in late July on the Futurpreneur website and social channels.
• One national winner: Announced on October 28, 2026, at Futurpreneur’s 30th Anniversary Entrepreneur Awards celebration.

An organization (nonprofit, academic, or community-based) that has maintained an active partnership with Futurpreneur within the past 3 years.

These organizations play an important role in strengthening Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and supporting the success of young entrepreneurs.

Anyone can nominate Futurpreneur community partners for a Community Partner Award. You can also nominate your own organization if you are a Futurpreneur community partner and meet the eligibility criteria.

There is no limit to the number of nominations you can submit. There is also no benefit to nominating a person more than once, as the volume of nominations does not factor into the judging criteria.

Up to eight Community Partner Award finalists will be recognized across the country. One Community Partner Award winner will be announced at the Futurpreneur 30th Anniversary Awards on October 28, 2026.

Winners of the Community Partner Award will receive recognition for their meaningful contribution to Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. They will also gain national visibility, storytelling amplification and connection to other Futurpreneur partners, funders and ecosystem leaders across Canada. They will not receive a financial prize.

No, there is only a People’s Choice Award for entrepreneurs.

After applications have been reviewed by Futurpreneur for eligibility and baseline qualifying criteria, community partners will be reviewed by judges using a standardized scoring rubric focused on:

• Strategic contribution (including programmatic collaboration, and policy or ecosystem leadership)
• Impact on entrepreneurs (including the number of entrepreneurs reached, measurable outcomes where available, and quality of engagement)
• Long-term commitment (including multi-year partnership, growth in collaboration and innovation in approach)
• Championing inclusive economic growth (including a focus on equity-deserving communities and regional impact)
• Alignment with Futurpreneur’s mission (including shared values and public engagement or amplification)

• National finalists (up to eight): Announced in late July on the Futurpreneur website and social channels.
• One national winner: Announced on October 28, 2026, at Futurpreneur’s 30th Anniversary Entrepreneur Awards celebration.