Application information and prizes

Rules

  1. No more than three members to a team.
  2. All team members must be registered in a university or college program (undergraduate or graduate, full- or part-time) or have recently graduated (within six months of the September 2025 launch of the challenge) in order to be eligible for participation. A student is defined as an individual enrolled in an accredited Canadian university or a Canadian or permanent resident of Canada enrolled at a non-Canadian university. Team members may be from any academic discipline.
  3. Fifty per cent of the team must be from an academic institution in Kingston.
  4. Teams must select a “team lead”, who will be the primary contact between the City and the team. Any changes, updates or administrative matters will be communicated to the team's primary contact.
  5. Teams are encouraged to reach out to professors or professionals in the field to act as project advisors. This is by no means mandatory and will not have any impact on the assessment of your submission.

Prizes

This year's competition includes two separate challenge streams, each with a coveted prize.

Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre Prize

The team winning the Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre prize will be admitted to the Queen’s Founders and Innovators Initiative (QFII) program. This transformative, part-time program is designed for aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs. Winners will enter the program in May and learn how to take their early-stage startup to the next level.

The QFII program offers award-winning and internationally recognized entrepreneurship training and mentorship from industry professionals and entrepreneurs. It also provides the opportunity to unlock up to $4,000 in seed funding and a chance to compete in their pitch competition with a prize pool of up to $80,000.

Public Sector Innovation Prize

Winners from the Public Sector Innovation prize will receive a cash prize of $10,000 towards advancing their ideas. They will also be admitted to the Summer Company Program, with access to resources, mentorship, and hands-on business mentoring from local business leaders.

The creators of the top submissions, selected by senior staff, will be invited to present their proposals at the Mayor's Innovation Challenge Pitch Competition on Friday, March 20, 2026.

Contact us

For information or questions regarding the Mayor's Innovation Challenge, contact mic@cityofkingston.ca