Mayor's Innovation Challenge 2026

Mayor's Innovation Challenge, City of Kingston. A person thinking. Logos for Queen's University, St. Lawrence College, Royal Military College, AMS, Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre, Bell, and Kingston Economic Development.

Pitch your big idea for the 2026 Mayor's Innovation Challenge!

Kingston faces a series of complex challenges as we work toward our vision of becoming a smart, livable, leading city. To address these challenges we are seeking solutions from student innovators.

In partnership with Queen's University, St. Lawrence College and the Royal Military College of Canada, we host this collaborative problem-solving platform and experiential learning opportunity for current or recently graduated post-secondary students to apply their knowledge to real-world issues and help shape the future of Kingston.

Teams with proposals that are shortlisted will be invited to present their ideas at the Pitch Competition on March 20 at City Hall to a panel of leaders with expertise in municipal government, entrepreneurship and innovation. Learn more about the application requirements and prize details.

MIC info session

Join us for an information session to learn more about the competition and ask questions.

Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 4 p.m. at Mitchell Hall Event Commons, 69 Union St.

Register on Eventbrite for the info session. If you're unable to attend in person, join virtually by registering through Zoom.

Apply now!

Students are invited to develop a two-to-three-minute video proposal to present an innovative project that enhances the quality of life of Kingston residents or develops new ways to enhance the delivery of municipal services.

Apply online by Friday, March 6 at 11:59 p.m.

Mayor's Innovation Challenge, City of Kingston. A person thinking. Logos for Queen's University, St. Lawrence College, Royal Military College, AMS, Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre, Bell, and Kingston Economic Development.

Pitch your big idea for the 2026 Mayor's Innovation Challenge!

Kingston faces a series of complex challenges as we work toward our vision of becoming a smart, livable, leading city. To address these challenges we are seeking solutions from student innovators.

In partnership with Queen's University, St. Lawrence College and the Royal Military College of Canada, we host this collaborative problem-solving platform and experiential learning opportunity for current or recently graduated post-secondary students to apply their knowledge to real-world issues and help shape the future of Kingston.

Teams with proposals that are shortlisted will be invited to present their ideas at the Pitch Competition on March 20 at City Hall to a panel of leaders with expertise in municipal government, entrepreneurship and innovation. Learn more about the application requirements and prize details.

MIC info session

Join us for an information session to learn more about the competition and ask questions.

Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 4 p.m. at Mitchell Hall Event Commons, 69 Union St.

Register on Eventbrite for the info session. If you're unable to attend in person, join virtually by registering through Zoom.

Apply now!

Students are invited to develop a two-to-three-minute video proposal to present an innovative project that enhances the quality of life of Kingston residents or develops new ways to enhance the delivery of municipal services.

Apply online by Friday, March 6 at 11:59 p.m.

  • 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

Page last updated: 12 Jan 2026, 09:03 AM