TELUS Innovation Challenge
Co-hosted by the Schulich School of Engineering
Calling all Canadian students with an interest in
entrepreneurship, engineering innovation and product design!
TELUS Innovation Challenge | Feb. 16 to Mar. 5, 2021
In 2021, TELUS and the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary are partnering on a one-of-a-kind national event designed to bring Canadian innovations to market.
The TELUS Innovation Challenge welcomes project submissions related to the following sectors:
- Energy and environment
- Technology and communication
- Health and medicine*
TELUS is committed to elevating the industry through the creation of Canadian intellectual property and supporting the launch of new technology companies. The winning team will receive a $100,000 prize package from TELUS, including a seed fund to help build their prototype, and personalized mentorship to support the development of their go-to-market plan.
Addition support of up to $100,000 will be provided by Alberta Innovates to support commercialization. This could include mentorship, resources and infrastructure from TELUS and Alberta Innovates.
The Schulich School of Engineering is committed to enhancing the student experience by expanding access to hands-on learning opportunities outside the classroom. Its Catalyst initiative, launched in 2019, supports this goal by providing hands-on leadership training, new mentoring programs, increased national and global learning experiences, enhanced support for clubs and teams, and new entrepreneurial training opportunities aimed at helping our students grow as young professionals. We will select the top 20 teams for the final phase of the competition. Faculty advisors from Schulich will support the initial selection of the innovations and will provide training workshops for competitors.
*Teams with innovative ideas in other sectors are also encouraged to apply
Prizes
The winning team will receive a $100,000 prize package from TELUS, including a seed fund to help build their prototype, and personalized mentorship to support the development of their go-to-market plan.
Additional support to winning teams of up to $100,000 will be provided by Alberta Innovates to support commercialization. This could include mentorship, resources and infrastructure from TELUS and Alberta Innovates.
Workshops to get you started
TELUS Innovation Challenge timeline
During reading week: Feb. 16 to Mar. 5, 2021
Jan. 8, 2021
Workshop 1: Proposal training
Feb. 10, 2021
Workshop 2: Pitch delivery training
Feb. 16, 2021
Team mentoring session
Feb. 18, 2021
Pitch competition
March 5, 2021
Virtual awards reception
Challenge details
This is a national competition, all teams with innovative projects anywhere in Canada are welcome to apply. This competition requires a minimum of three student team members and is open to multidisciplinary teams; please note that at least one team member must be a current student registered at a Canadian post-secondary institution.
The application package will include a project proposal focusing on:
- Project description
- Competitive advantage
- Market size
- Impact (social and economic)
- Preliminary go-to-market plan
- Preliminary financial projections
Guidelines with word limits for each section will be provided. Selected teams will deliver a 10-minute pitch in addition to another 10-minutes Q&A on their innovations, and will need to submit the presentations three days prior to the pitch competition day. Any presentation platform is acceptable.
The winning team will be selected based on the following:
- Submitted proposal (to compete as one of the 20 teams)
- Pitch competition (10-minute presentations, five-minute Q&A)
The competition will launch online across the country and proposals will be collected. A committee will be formed according to the disciplines of the submitted proposals to review the applications. A scoring sheet will be created and shared with the committee. The top 20 teams with the highest score will move to phase II – a mentoring session and pitch competition. The pre-competition mentoring sessions are designed to support the proposal and help prepare the students for the pitch competition. Below is a summary of the steps taking place in the process:
- National call for proposals
- Workshop 1: Training on proposal requirements
- Proposal review
- Select and notify 20 national teams
- Workshop 2: Pitch delivery training
- Team mentoring sessions
- Pitch competition
- Virtual reception and winners announced
Apply now!
Application form: TELUS Innovation Challenge
Please submit ONE application per team. The main applicant will be the primary contact for your team.
Collection of personal information
Your personal information is collected under
the authority of section 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. If
you have any questions about the collection or use of this information, please visit our
Access to Information page.
Co-hosts:
