Calgary, Nov. 9, 2015 | Thanks to a new partnership between Startup Canada and three Alberta co-working spaces – Startup Calgary, The Collective 12|12 (formerly Accelerator YYC), and e=mc2 The Centre for Business Excellence – entrepreneurs now have more co-working opportunities in Alberta. These entrepreneur hubs are recipients of Startup Canada’s Startup Space Fund, the non-profit organization announced today.
The announcement comes after a call-for-proposals was issued by Startup Canada in early September to partner with grassroots, entrepreneur-led co-working spaces, incubators, and makerspaces across Canada to create or provide physical spaces for Startup Canada Members to start and grow their businesses.
“The partnerships established through the Startup Canada Startup Space Fund will give entrepreneurs living in and travelling to Alberta easy access to innovative places to work,” said Victoria Lennox, CEO of Startup Canada. “It’s another step forward in connecting entrepreneurs to local support and showcasing what the province has to offer.”
The announcement was made Nov. 9 during Startup Canada’s #EveryEntrepreneur Tour stop in Calgary, which connected entrepreneurs with new opportunities to start and grow their companies, and provided a platform for entrepreneurs to voice needs and calls-to-action to advance entrepreneurship in the region.
The spaces will be made available to entrepreneurs through the Startup Canada Passport, a component of the Startup Canada Membership Program, which launches in 2016. The spaces were chosen based on regional demand, the innovative nature of the space, and additional benefits provided to Startup Canada Members.
The Startup Canada Startup Space Fund is one of four Startup Canada Investment Funds. As Startup Canada travels the country with its #EveryEntrepreneur Tour, the organization will announce further recipients of the Startup Canada Startup Space Fund, the Startup Canada Retail Startup Fund, Startup Canada Women Entrepreneurship Fund, and the Startup Canada Community Investment Fund.
The Startup Canada Startup Space Fund is supported by Intuit QuickBooks, TruShield Insurance, TELUS and UPS, industry leaders committed to strengthening the national entrepreneurship ecosystem in Canada through grassroots startup initiatives.
Quotes from the recipients
“The Collective 12|12 (formerly AcceleratorYYC) could not be happier to be considered and accepted for this partnership with Startup Canada. There are endless opportunities for greatness when passionate and committed organizations team up together.” – Victoria Hannigan, Community Manager at The Collective 12|12.
“e=mc2 The Centre for Business Excellence, is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the ‘Startup Canada Startup Space Fund’. These funds will be used to support one desk spot in our new CoWorking Space for the next 12 months. We welcome future opportunities to partner with the Startup Canada Community, while we continue to develop our entrepreneurial ecosystem in Canmore, Alberta – and fulfill our vision that e=mc2 The Centre for Business Excellence is the place where ideas are formed.” – Elaine McPherson, Owner of e=mc2 The Centre for Business Excellence
For more information or to schedule interviews, please contact:
Kathryn Forrest
Communications & Marketing Manager, Startup Canada
1-844-782-7801 ext. 106
press@startupcan.ca
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada is a grassroots network of more than 100,000 entrepreneurs and more than 500 like-minded organizations that support entrepreneurs and small businesses as the voice of Canada’s startup community. Learn more at startupcan.ca.