NEXT 36 Founder Fellowship

Organization: NEXT Canada

Type: Fellowship

Location: Canada

Deadline: October 14, 2026

Funding: Partially Funded

NEXT Canada, a registered charity based in Toronto, selects 36 of the most entrepreneurial undergraduates, masters students and recent graduates from across Canada each year and spends eight months turning them into founders. You can arrive with an early-stage venture or with an idea you want to build from scratch. The programme is part-time and remote from January to April 2027, then a full-time, in-person Entrepreneurship Institute in Toronto from May to August 2027, with classes taught by faculty from Rotman, MIT Sloan, Imperial College London, Harvard Business School and Georgetown. **What you get:** - A curriculum on building, launching and scaling a company, taught by successful entrepreneurs and award-winning faculty - Pairing with a mentor who has launched a venture - Access to NEXT Canada's investor network - Free office space in Toronto for the summer, alongside the rest of the cohort - In-kind products and services from partners, including cloud hosting and legal support - Membership of an alumni community of more than 1,000 founders, with coaching and resources after the programme - No fee to participate, and no equity taken (the 2.5 percent equity requirement was removed in September 2025) **What you'll do:** - January to April 2027: build your venture part-time and remotely while finishing your academic year - May to August 2027: commit full-time and in person in Toronto to classes, workshops, mentorship and building the venture; no other classes, jobs or side projects during this period - Attend masters-level courses including the Economics of Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation, Entrepreneurial Finance, and Entrepreneurial Marketing - Pitch to investors, corporate stakeholders and the startup ecosystem at Venture Day in August **Key dates:** - Applications open August 13, 2026 - Applications close October 14, 2026 at 11:59pm - Programme runs part-time and remote from January to April 2027 - Programme runs full-time and in person in Toronto from May to August 2027 - A second intake in February 2027 lets admitted founders' co-founders apply **More information:** - There is no minimum GPA requirement; GPA is one data point among many - The application is individual, so co-founders of an existing venture each apply separately; only those selected at National Selection Weekend are admitted as Lead Founders - Participants cover their own summer living expenses in Toronto (food and accommodation) and their travel to Toronto - Ventures own their own intellectual property upon incorporation - The application asks for education history, short-answer questions and a 60-second video answer, and can be saved and resumed until the deadline

NEXT CanadaFellowship

NEXT 36 Founder Fellowship

Oct 14, 2026 23:59:00 ET

Opportunity type

Fellowship

Funding

Partially Funded

Location

Canada

Deadline

Oct 14, 2026 23:59:00 ET

About this opportunity

What you get:

A curriculum on building, launching and scaling a company, taught by successful entrepreneurs and award-winning faculty
Pairing with a mentor who has launched a venture
Access to NEXT Canada's investor network
Free office space in Toronto for the summer, alongside the rest of the cohort
In-kind products and services from partners, including cloud hosting and legal support
Membership of an alumni community of more than 1,000 founders, with coaching and resources after the programme
No fee to participate, and no equity taken (the 2.5 percent equity requirement was removed in September 2025)

What you'll do:

January to April 2027: build your venture part-time and remotely while finishing your academic year
May to August 2027: commit full-time and in person in Toronto to classes, workshops, mentorship and building the venture; no other classes, jobs or side projects during this period
Attend masters-level courses including the Economics of Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation, Entrepreneurial Finance, and Entrepreneurial Marketing
Pitch to investors, corporate stakeholders and the startup ecosystem at Venture Day in August

Key dates:

Applications open August 13, 2026
Applications close October 14, 2026 at 11:59pm
Programme runs part-time and remote from January to April 2027
Programme runs full-time and in person in Toronto from May to August 2027
A second intake in February 2027 lets admitted founders' co-founders apply

More information:

There is no minimum GPA requirement; GPA is one data point among many
The application is individual, so co-founders of an existing venture each apply separately; only those selected at National Selection Weekend are admitted as Lead Founders
Participants cover their own summer living expenses in Toronto (food and accommodation) and their travel to Toronto
Ventures own their own intellectual property upon incorporation
The application asks for education history, short-answer questions and a 60-second video answer, and can be saved and resumed until the deadline

Who can apply

Undergraduate, masters student or recent graduate at a school in Canada, any discipline
Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or holder of a student or working visa; a notarised statement of intent to apply for permanent residence may be accepted if you contact NEXT Canada before submitting
Canadian citizens enrolled at institutions outside Canada may apply if they can attend the full in-person summer in Toronto
Able to commit full-time in Toronto from May to August 2027, with no other classes, jobs or side hustles
Must participate in all mandatory programme activities and abide by NEXT Canada's code of conduct
An existing venture is welcome if it is early-stage and has not taken significant private investment
International applicants without Canadian status are not accepted, and the programme does not support startup visas

AI Verification

✓ AI Verified

Our AI read the official sources and cross-checked the key facts. Here is what held up, and what it could not confirm.

This opportunity is run by an established organization, and we confirmed its key details against the official source. As always, never share sensitive personal or financial information until you are sure a request is genuine.

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Cross-checked 11 of 15 key facts

Confirmed Our best read Not stated

Good to know

+Nothing to pay and no equity taken: NEXT Canada removed its equity requirement in September 2025.
+You can apply with an idea or an early venture; there is no minimum GPA.
+Eight months of classes from faculty at Rotman, MIT Sloan, Imperial, Harvard Business School and Georgetown, a paired mentor, investor access and free Toronto office space for the summer.
+A registered Canadian charity with more than 1,000 alumni founders and a fifteen-year track record.
+The application can be saved and resumed until the deadline, and includes a 60-second video answer.

Worth checking yourself

!Closes 14 October 2026 at 11:59pm Toronto time.
!You pay your own living costs in Toronto and your own travel there for the full-time May to August 2027 phase, and no stipend or housing is provided.
!May to August means full-time, in person, with no other job, classes or side projects.
!Canada only: you must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or hold a student or work visa. No startup-visa support.
!Co-founders each apply separately; only those selected at National Selection Weekend join as Lead Founders.

Sources checked

OPopportunitydesk.orgOfficialNEnextcanada.comApplyNEnextcanada.comApplyNEnextcanada.comApplyNEnextcanada.comApplyNEnextcanada.comApplyNEnextcanada.comApplyMYmy.nextcanada.comOfficialNEnextcanada.comApply

LOT finds and checks opportunities from public sources. Always confirm details on the organiser’s own page before applying.