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Creative Entrepreneurs

Created by the RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers, the Seed Fund for Creative Entrepreneurs is an exclusive opportunity for OCAD U students and recent alumni to receive funding to help launch or grow a creative business.

The fund supports creative businesses in all the possible forms they can take. For 2026, recipients will be awarded up to $6,000 to support the development of their early-stage businesses.

Read about the past winners:

The Seed Fund for Creative Entrepreneurs is a multi-staged mentorship-focused grant program where ten finalists participate in half-day, in-person roundtable mentorship session to ask questions, receive guidance, and refine their business plans. Applications will be reviewed by an expert jury, and winners will be selected from the revised and resubmitted business plans. The timeline for each stage of this opportunity:

  • Virtual application info session – Wed. Nov. 12, 1 p.m. EST
  • Applications close – Mon. Jan 12, 2026, 9 a.m. EST
  • Up to 10 Finalists will be selected by an external jury to attend a half-day in person roundtable mentorship at the CEAD (115 McCaul, 3rd Floor) to refine their business ideas during Winter Break on – Thurs. Feb. 19, from 1-5 PM
  • Finalists submit their revised business plans to the jury – Mon. Mar. 9, 9 a.m. EST
  • Winners notified – end of Mar. or early Apr. 2026

Prizes

  • First place will receive $6,000
  • Second place will receive $5,000
  • Third place will receive $4,000
  • A business with a connection to Brampton will be eligible for the Brampton Arts Organization Prize and receive $2,000
  • A social enterprise will be awarded the Ample Labs Prize and receive $1,000 CAD

Submission

Applications are accepted via Typeform. A complete application consists of:

  • Applicant Details
  • (1500 characters max) Describe your business idea
  • (1000 characters max) Describe successes or milestones you have achieved to date. Outline some challenges you face in realizing your business ideas.
  • (1000 characters max) Describe at least one customer segment
  • (1000 characters max) Describe the channels - the ways you will engage, attract, and secure your customers
  • (1000 characters max) Describe how you plan to balance costs needed to run the business versus the revenue
  • (1000 characters max) Describe 3 milestones you need to achieve
  • (Optional, 1000 characters max) If you or your co-founders have a connection to Brampton, you are eligible for the Brampton Arts Organization Prize.
  • (Optional, 1000 characters max) If your business tackles a social problem, describe the social problem your business addresses and how your idea tackles or solves this problem

Download Application Instructions (pdf)

Deadline to submit: Mon. Jan. 12, 2026 9 a.m. EST

 

Apply Now

Eligibility

To be eligible for this opportunity, you must be:

  • Current OCAD U students, or recent alumni from any program of study who have graduated in 2023 or later
  • If your business idea involves personnel from outside OCAD U, then one co-founder must meet the above qualification
  • Your business has not yet received more than $10,000 in funding or revenue at the time of application
  • To the best of your ability, be available for the ½ day in person mentorship taking place Thurs. Feb. 19 from 1-5 p.m. EST. Alternative accommodations can be made with advanced notice.
  • We will be prioritizing applicants who have not yet received funding from the Seed Fund.

* Not sure if your idea qualifies for this opportunity? Email Alexandra Hong at entrepreneurship@ocadu.ca with the subject “The Seed Fund for Creative Entrepreneurs”.

Info Session and Advising

Join the virtual info session taking place Wed. Nov. 12 from 1-2 PM by rsvping at: https://bit.ly/2026SeedFundInfoSession

If you'd like 1-1 support, book an advising appointment with Alexandra Hong through the Talent Network, or by emailing entrepreneurship@ocadu.ca. 

Note that advising will not be available Dec. 22, 2025 – Jan. 5 2026.

Jury

 

Our jury will assess and provide feedback on applications and will select the finalists and the winners of the 2026 Seed Fund.

We will announce our jury shortly.

Mentors

 

Our mentors will work with finalists at a half-day mentorship to help them refine their applications and business plans.

We will announce our mentors shortly.

 

About the Ample Labs Prize

Ample Labs Logo

 

The Ample Labs Prize is part of an endowed gift provided by OCAD U alumni and Ample Labs co-founders CG Chen and Geordie Graham. The prize supports students and recent alumni who want to launch a company tackling a social problem. Ample Labs is a social start-up using AI & Data to help cities prevent homelessness.

 

About the Brampton Arts Organization Prize

Brampton Arts Organization logo

 

The Brampton Arts Organization Prize supports a creative business that has a connection to Brampton. The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) is a non-profit that champions Brampton’s diverse arts, culture and creative industries and advocates for the #BramptonArtist. They work to build a thriving, confident, valued, and empowered creative scene by offering a range of programs, services, and resources.

Inclusivity Statement

OCAD U is committed to promoting access to this opportunity for equity-seeking groups that are under-represented as creative entrepreneurs. We encourage applications from individuals of equity-seeking communities including racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities / expressions. Applicants are invited to voluntarily self-identify with any of these communities in their application.

Contact

Alexandra Hong
Program Lead, Creative Entrepreneurship, RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers OCAD University
entrepreneurship@ocadu.ca