Frequently asked
questions

The 2022 application process will happen in two phases. The first four categories opened for application/nomination on March 28, 2022. The Entrepreneur of the Year Award closed May 31, 2022, at midnight PST. The other three categories will close at midnight PST on June 13th, 2022. The second group of categories will open for applications/nominations on June 13th, 2022, at 9am EST, and close at midnight PST on July 17th, 2022.

This Year’s Competition – The 2022 CANIE Awards

▶ Seniorpreneur Award for Leadership & Innovation Presented by Arthur J E Child Foundation – Awarded to a business owner who is 55+ and using their experience to succeed in their mission while contributing to their community.

▶ Global Impact Business Owner of the Year Presented by UPS – Awarded to a business that demonstrates outstanding achievement and social impact in both Canada and international markets.

▶ The 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Presented by Ownr – For exceptional leadership and ongoing impact in Canadian entrepreneurship.

▶ Climate-Related Product Innovation Award Presented by UPS – Awarded to an inspiring innovative product that directly addresses climate change.

▶ The Veteran Business Owner of the Year Award Presented by Prince’s Trust Canada – Awarded to an exceptional Military Veteran business leader.

▶ The Black Entrepreneur of the Year Award Presented by Intuit QuickBooks – Awarded to an entrepreneur demonstrating excellence in their business.

Applicants/Nominees must:

• Be alive and be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• Business has been registered and operational for a minimum of 12 months. 
• The applicant/nominee identified as a member of (a) marginalized group(s) (see definition below) is the innovator or entrepreneur for the product, service, and/or business being nominated. Examples include founder, co-founder, owner, co-owner, person who owns/co-owns the entity or trademark for brand, product name, or service. 
• The business and the owner/co-owner or founder/co-founder meet the additional categorical requirements that are specified in the title of the Award being applied for.

We align our definition of marginalized groups with definitions used by United Nations, and that used by the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health: defined as members from groups and communities that experience social, cultural, political, educational, and economic discrimination and exclusion because of unequal power relationships across economic, political, educational, social, and cultural dimensions.

No, an applicant/nominee will not be awarded more than one award.

Applications/nominations can be submitted by individuals or organizations, by a third party or by a nominating partner.

Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation Adjudication Process

1.  All nominations and applications will be adjudicated equally.
2. Applications and nominations not meeting the CANIE Award requirements will be disqualified.
3. Incomplete applications and nominations will be disqualified. 
4. The first adjudication panel, consisting of the IEF team and board members, and IEF stakeholders, will work with the existing parameters of each category to shortlist applicants. 
5. A second panel consisting of the IEF team and board members, and IEF stakeholders, will adjudicate the shortlist and select the top four (4) semi-finalists using a ten-point grading scale applied to the Award Questions. The business information questions asked in the application are required, but not graded.

A voting system will then be introduced with the second adjudication panel to each select a 4th place, 3rd place, 2nd place and 1st place award winner. We will then aggregate each panelist’s votes to determine the winner of each award.

To apply, simply visit the awards page and fill out the application form.

IEF will announce the semi-finalists of each category during the Summer of 2022. Each semi-finalist will receive a professionally produced promotional video they can use for business development. In addition, IEF will promote each semi-finalist on our website, social media, and newsletters.

The winners of the CANIE Awards will be announced in the Fall of 2022. We will host 3 in-person events in the geographic locations of the winners for the following categories:

1. Global Impact Business Owner of the Year Presented by UPS
2. The 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Presented by Ownr 
3. Climate-Related Product Innovation Award Presented by UPS 

These events will allow us to celebrate these winners with their friends, family, and local business community. 

We will also host a national virtual Gala where the 2022 CANIE Award winners will be officially announced.

Each semi-finalist will receive a professionally produced promotional video they can use for business development. In addition, IEF will share their story for educational purposes, and to raise the business’s profile in local, regional, and national communities. 

The final winner for each category will receive a $10,000 cash award to be injected directly into their business. They will also receive a personalized trophy in recognition of their 2022 CANIE Award win!