Mitacs Accelerate: Up to $20,000 per Unit for Applied R&D Interns
Many companies have R&D problems they cannot staff or fund on their own. Mitacs Accelerate connects your organization with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and academic researchers at Canadian universities to work on applied R&D projects.
Your organization contributes $7,500 per internship unit and Mitacs matches it for a $15,000 research award, or $10,000 for a $20,000 award under the postdoc model. The program is open, with rolling intake year-round.
What is Mitacs Accelerate?
Mitacs Accelerate is a federal grant program that pairs Canadian companies, both for-profit and not-for-profit, with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and academic researchers at Canadian universities. Together you carry out applied R&D projects lasting 4-6 months and scalable up to 5 years.
The funding goes to a research award for the intern, which covers a stipend and research expenses. Mitacs does not hold the intellectual property. IP is shared according to the academic institution's IP rules unless otherwise negotiated.
Mitacs Accelerate at a glance
| Detail | Mitacs Accelerate |
|---|---|
| Funding amount | $7.5K – $20K |
| Program type | Grant |
| Level | Federal |
| Where it applies | Canada-wide |
| Status | Open |
| Deadline | Rolling intake year-round — no fixed deadline. Submit at least 6–8 weeks before your intended project start date to allow for peer review. |
| What it funds | R&D / Proof of Concept, Prototype / Product Development, Hiring Technical Staff |
| Industries | All sectors |
| Company stage | Startup, Growth, Expansion, Established |
| Payment model | Mixed |
| Matching funds required | Yes |
| Competition level | Low |
How much funding is available?
Funding is organized in internship units. Under the standard model, your organization contributes $7,500 per unit and Mitacs matches it, for a $15,000 research award. At least $10,000 of that award goes to the intern as a stipend.
A separate postdoc-specific model requires a $10,000 contribution from your organization for a $20,000 award. For-profit partners must pay their share with private-sector (non-government) funds.
- Standard model: your organization contributes $7,500 per 4-6 month internship unit, for a $15,000 total award, with a minimum $10,000 intern stipend and up to $5,000 for research expenses.
- Postdoc model: your organization contributes $10,000 per unit, for a $20,000 total award.
Who is eligible?
The partner organization
- Must be a for-profit, not-for-profit, hospital, municipal or Indigenous government organization in Canada.
- Must partner with a Canadian academic institution and an eligible faculty supervisor.
- For-profit partners: must provide private-sector (non-government) funds.
The intern
- Must be 18+.
- Must be a student, a postdoc (within 5 years of PhD) or a recent graduate (within 2 years of graduation).
- Postdocs: limited to 9 four-month units (up to 3 years).
- Recent graduates: limited to 3 four-month units.
Multiple interns
- Your organization can host multiple concurrent interns on different project streams.
- A single intern cannot hold overlapping internships.
When and how to apply
Mitacs Accelerate is open, with rolling intake year-round and no fixed deadline. Before applying, your organization needs a Canadian academic institution and an eligible faculty supervisor as partners.
Submit your application at least 6–8 weeks before your intended project start date. That time allows for peer review of the proposal.
The status of Mitacs Accelerate in EVAMAX Grant AI™ is currently Open. Grant AI™ re-checks it against the official program page, so look there for the latest before you start an application.
Is Mitacs Accelerate right for you?
Mitacs Accelerate suits organizations of any size and industry that want academic talent on an applied R&D problem and can contribute $7,500 or $10,000 per unit. Plan ahead for the 6–8 week peer review window, confirm your intern meets the age and timing limits, and if you are a for-profit company, make sure your contribution comes from private-sector funds. Review the academic institution's IP rules early, since they govern ownership unless you negotiate otherwise.
Next steps: look up Mitacs Accelerate in EVAMAX Grant AI™ to see its live status and other programs that fit your company, or talk to EVAMAX about building your application.
Program details are from the EVAMAX Grant AI™ record as of October 8, 2026. Programs change — confirm current terms on the official program page before you apply.