Business Acceleration Program

We provide funding to support venture services, entrepreneur outreach activities and small business grants at 17 Regional Innovation Centres. As a network of organizations, with our partners, we support program and service development as a collaborative to help build regional innovation and entrepreneurship.

For further information about how to access the BAP and Youth BAP programs, please connect with your Regional Innovation Centre at a city near you or visit www.onebusiness.ca.

Ontario entrepreneurs can have access to current, relevant and timely information about their industries, competitors, markets, potential investors and partners, intellectual property and best business practices — all at no cost.

All of our services are provided by information specialists and industry analysts with expertise in IT, software, telecommunications, biotech, cleantech, pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

See the MaRS Market Intelligence page for details.

Are entrepreneurs born or made? At MaRS, we believe that you are born with drive but that entrepreneurship can be learned with the right methodology and tools.

In our Entrepreneur’s Toolkit, we offer entrepreneurship programs and resources to help you navigate successfully through the different stages of your growing business. Get unparalleled access to business and sector knowledge and experts through diverse event series and workshops or via our hundreds of online resources that cover all aspects of building a winning venture.

MaRS Library

The MaRS Library is a comprehensive suite of free online resources (articles, videos, templates, workbooks, reports and curated resource lists) to help entrepreneurs launch and grow their business.

Entrepreneurship 101

Tap into the knowledge and experience of other entrepreneurs and experts via our live event series. Our flagship series, Entrepreneurship 101, is a free 30-week lecture series that covers critical business topics for aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs. Register to attend the live events, watch via webcast or browse the Entrepreneurship 101 library of resources here. Check out our other upcoming entrepreneurship and innovation event series here.

Workshops

Entrepreneur’s Toolkit Workshops are practical hands-on workshops facilitated by experienced entrepreneurs. These sessions offer startups tools, mentoring and peer feedback to solve specific problems and build essential business components.

Find out more about our five regularly running workshop series and our new 12-week Intensive Programs here.

Certificate in Entrepreneurship

MaRS is proud to announce our collaboration with the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies on a new Certificate in Entrepreneurship. This certificate program consists of six courses that use the latest entrepreneurial thinking and tools to help aspiring and early stage entrepreneurs overcome startup challenges and set their new businesses on the path to growth and sustainability.  We’ll guide you through the initial stages of building a business, from building your idea into a business model, to understanding, communicating and effectively selling to your target market, hiring the right people, and managing your finances to best capitalize on your business opportunity.

We run granting funds that focus on accelerating ventures by engaging key business talent that will help them reach their next growth milestone.

Embark Funding

Embark Funding supports novel Ontario-based technology ventures by engaging a young professional (aged 22-29) in a business role who will work within the venture for a short term.
To learn more, visit Embark Funding.

Embedded Executive

Embedded Executive Funding helps place a C-level or other senior-level executive with an Ontario-based technology venture to help them get to their next growth milestone.
To learn more, visit Embedded Executive.