CANIE AWARDS

Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation, in partnership with UPS, is proud to present the 2023 Canada Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards (CANIE Awards), celebrating excellence in entrepreneurship and innovation across the country.

The CANIE Awards recognizes and honours outstanding entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence in innovation, sustainability, social impact, community leadership, and business achievement. The prestigious CANIE Awards shine a spotlight on our nation’s best and brightest entrepreneurs who belong to equity-deserving communities.

This year the charity is thrilled to offer four (4) 2023 CANIE Award categories to celebrate our nation’s leaders in entrepreneurship.

Each award category finalist will receive a professionally produced business promotions video and a three month storytelling and marketing campaign from the charity. Each finalist will also be invited to all 2023 CANIE Awards events in October and November of this year.

This year we will be announcing the 2023 CANIE Award winners at the CANIE Awards Winners’ Circle panel discussion and VIP Cocktail Party. The Winners’ Circle and VIP Cocktail Party will be hosted on October 26th, 2023 in Brampton, Ontario.

2023 CANIE Awards

We will begin accepting applications June 12th, 2023 at 10am ET.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DOWNLOAD TO READ THE APPLICATION QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS FRÉQUEMMENT POSÉES

TÉLÉCHARGER LES QUESTIONS DE CANDIDATURE

Global Export Business Owner of the Year Award

Sponsored by UPS

Celebrating the distinction of a Canadian business founder who has achieved success in launching their product(s) into international markets.

Additional Eligibility Requirements:

meet all the additional 2023 CANIE Awards eligibility requirements, and
can demonstrate that the business is exporting its products to markets outside of Canada.

Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Sponsored by UPS

Sponsored by UPS

Celebrating an Indigenous founder and business owner delivering outstanding results in business and community impact.

Prince’s Trust Canada Veteran Entrepreneur Award

Presented by Prince’s Trust Canada

Awarded to a CAF Military Veteran entrepreneur who has demonstrated outstanding entrepreneurial skills, innovation, and leadership.

Additional Eligibility Requirements:

meet all the additional 2023 CANIE Awards eligibility requirements, and
has been honourably discharged from Canadian Armed Forces.

Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Sponsored by Ownr

Recognizing the excellence of a Canadian founder and business in innovation and entrepreneurial achievement.

ELIGIBILITY

The 2023 CANIE Awards application is open to any natural person who meets all the eligibility requirements listed below, and each Award category’s specific additional eligibility requirements.
All Award Category Applicants/nominees must:

Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Have a business founded and based/headquartered in Canada.
Be at least one of the following for the business the application is based on: founder, owner, co-founder, co-owner, person who owns or co-owns the entity or trademark for brand, product name, or service.
Be active in the business and a senior leader/key decision-maker.
Have a business that has been operating with a product or service in market and generating revenue for a minimum of two years.
Be a member of an equity-deserving or/and racialized community(ies), per the charity’s definition (see definition below). If specified in the Award category, the applicant/nominee must be a member of the equity-deserving group identified in the category name.
If selected as a finalist or winner, participate in all activities outlined in the 2023 CANIE Awards Application Terms and Conditions.

Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation (IEF, or “the charity”) exists to support entrepreneurs and innovators belonging to equity-deserving and/or racialized communities across Canada. We align our definition of racialized and equity-deserving 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.