TechAccel Pre-Grant

• McGill student teams of 2-4 people 

• Lead Applicant

  • McGill student (undergraduate, graduate, or postdoc) enrolled full time (all faculties are eligible)

  • Returning as a full or part time student for at least one more semester (for example, if you are applying for the Fall TechAccel Program the lead applicant must be returning in the Winter semester and if you are applying for the Winter or Summer TechAccel Program they must be returning in the Fall)

• Technologically-based startup idea where customer problems and needs still need validation via customer discovery

• Teams should have a basic understanding of the competitive landscape

• If you have already tested/validated your idea and are interested in receiving project funding or a summer stipend to help you further develop your technologically-based ideas, we recommend applying for a TechAccel Grant instead 

Free Resources Available Here!

• TechAccel Pre-Grant (Summer 2023 Cohort) : Application deadline is April 16, 2023, 11:59PM (ET) - Apply here!

• You will need to attach the following completed template to your application. 

  • Attachment 1:  TechAccel Summer 2023 Pre-Grant Startup Venture Information

Free Resources Available Here!

• All eligible project applications will be assessed on their merit and undergo a review process by the McGill Engine team. The proposals will be assessed based on the following criteria:

  1. Willingness to acquire new business and technical skills
  2. Level of innovation and impact of idea
  3. Knowledge of competition and market

Yes, an online information session will be held on April 4, 2023 from 5:00-6:00 PM ET. - RSVP here!

• The summer program runs for 16 weeks (3.5 months) from May 1, 2023 to August 18, 2023

• Reporting: A Progress and final report are due to the Engine's associate director and the team's assigned mentor showing progress, outcomes/impacts/learnings, use of funds, and next steps.

• Mentorship: A TechAccel mentor will be assigned to the TechAccel grantees in order to help progress the project and accelerate the learnings for the team, under the following Mentoring Guidelines and Commitment.

• Empowered Startups: Each team is expected to complete the first 5 training modules and corresponding activities. Teams could be exempt from completing the Empowered Startups training modules depending on their previous experience with the Lean Startup Methodology.

• Cohort Check Ins: Every 2-3 weeks there will be group check ins to see how progress is being made and to discuss the completed Empowered Startup modules. At least one member from each team is expected to participate in each check-in. 

• Outreach Activities: Teams must be willing to assist the Faculty of Engineering and the McGill Engine in outreach activities pertaining to technological innovation and entrepreneurship.

• Program comparison available here.

• Yes, all levels of study are welcome to apply. Please note, at least one team member must be a registered student in the Faculty of Engineering (undergraduate, graduate, or postdoc).

• Empowered Startups Platform is an intuitive digital platform that delivers comprehensive training, seamlessly paired with optimized, easy-to-use tools and mentor touchpoints, to transform your TechAccel idea into a validated business model. This startup incubation platform is used by universities, startup organizations, and research and development facilities around the world called.
• The platform has 6 online training modules covering the following topics:

1. Introduction to Lean Startup Methodology
2. Building Your Lean Canvas
3. Business Archetypes and Traction Models
4. Customer/Problem Interviews
5. Validate Your Solution
6. Venture Report, Pitch & Program Summary

• Acceptance emails are usually sent out within 2-3 weeks after the application deadline.

• Yes, we recommend having your application reviewed by the Engine's Associate Director before submitting it. Book your appointment today.