Ingenious+ Youth Innovation Challenge – Canada

Ingenious+ gives youth in Canada aged 14 to 18 the opportunity to innovate for good, and to share strategies for improving the world. Innovation is about doing something better to make an impact.

This includes improving upon a product, service, process, or creating something new that solves a problem or makes the world a better place. Tell them what you hope to solve or improve in your community or beyond, and you could receive financial support, learning opportunities and mentorship from leading Canadian innovators!

Ingenious+ Categories

• Community and Civic Engagement 
  • Innovating for a better country: Your innovation works for the common good by addressing community issues through civic action that strengthens the world locally and beyond.
• Climate Change and the Environment 
  • Innovating for a green future: Your innovation helps in the fight against climate change, promotes sustainability, and/or benefits the environment.
• Equity and Inclusion
  • Innovating for a fair and just tomorrow: your innovation focuses on improving the world around you by removing barriers and promoting equity.
• Health and Well-being
  • Innovating to heal: your innovation addresses the challenges facing the physical or mental health of the public.
• Technology and Entrepreneurship
  • Innovate to grow: your innovation finds new and improved ways of addressing today’s many challenges through a business venture, technology and/or artificial intelligence.

What are the awards?

• Stage One
  • Youths ages 14 to 18 years can apply to Ingenious+ to receive a $1,000 Regional Award as well as learning opportunities to grow their innovations.
• Stage Two
  • $1,000 Regional Award recipients from stage one will have an opportunity to participate in the national competition.
  • Up to 13 Young Innovators have the opportunity to be named a National Finalist in their region and receive an additional $1,000.
  • One $10,000 cash award plus mentorship and learning opportunities will be awarded in the each of the five categories
  • National award recipients will be celebrated during Canadian Innovation Week, May 13th to 17th, 2024.

Eligibility Criteria

• You can submit as an individual or as a team.
• To be eligible to enter, you must:
  • Have parental or legal guardian permission to participate.
  • You and your team members must be 14 to 18 years old:
    • having reached your 14th birthday and not yet reached your 19th birthday at time of entry.
  • Your innovation project must be led and created by youth living in Canada.

For more information, visit Rideau Hall Foundation.