Deadline: 31 October 2024
The Indigenous Youth Roots (IYR) is inviting applications for its Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise Stream Grant Program for youth-led business and social enterprise projects taking place in urban, rural, on-reserve, and remote communities across Canada.
This stream is being offered in partnership with H&M, and focuses on empowering Indigenous youth entrepreneurs to build, scale and enhance their businesses.
Projects must be led by either individual Indigenous youth (ages 15-29) or 2+ Indigenous youth (ages 15-29). Youth leaders (grantees) will receive capacity-building opportunities throughout the project, including opportunities to learn from other Indigenous business-owners and to participate in H&M’s Indigenous Youth Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program. There is a priority in this stream to support:
- New and emerging Indigenous youth-led businesses and social enterprises
- Existing small Indigenous youth-led businesses and social enterprises that are looking to scale and/or grow
- There is a priority to fund business led by Indigenous youth who also carry Afro-Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ identities
Focus Areas
- Projects should focus on building the capacity of an Indigenous youth-led businesses and/or social enterprise. Below are some possible examples of eligible projects. These examples do not include every type of project that they would fund.
- Building a business plan or strategic growth plan
- Designing and making new products for a business
- Developing social media and/or promotional materials
- Launching or redeveloping a website or platform
- Supporting ongoing operations of your business
- Engaging with community to plan initiatives, programs and/or give back events
- Hosting a product launch or artist events
- Working with a business advisor or taking training/capacity building workshops
Funding Information
- The Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise Stream offers grants of $4,500.
Eligibility Criteria
- Funding in this stream will only fund Indigenous youth-led businesses or social enterprises.
- Please note: for the purpose of this program, IYR defines Indigenous as status and non-status First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada, living both on and off reserve.
- Eligible groups and projects include:
- Incorporated and unincorporated Indigenous youth-led businesses
- Indigenous youth-led social enterprises
- Individual projects led by an Indigenous youth
Ineligibility Criteria
- Ineligible groups and projects:
- Projects that are not youth-led (or where the majority of leadership is 30+)
- Non-Indigenous groups, organizations and/or businesses
- Non-youth groups, organizations and/or businesses
- Projects taking place outside of Canada.
For more information, visit Indigenous Youth Roots.