Join Rise

Thank you for your interest in EDGE! We help social enterprise and startup founders who are verifying their business and revenue models, building organizational structures, and refine processes to achieve financial sustainability. By introducing you to a unique blend of facilitated marketing and sales workshops, and mentorship support, we aim to boost the development of your startup or social enterprise. By completing this application, we hope to identify the most fitting support we can provide to suit your needs.

In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), we are committed to accommodating entrepreneurs with disabilities. If you require accommodation to complete this survey, have any questions, or require clarification, please contact us.

About You

Name *

First Last

Venture Legal Name *

Venture Operating Name (Operating, if different than Legal Name): *

Venture Mailing Address *

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

The following optional self-identification questions are intended to help gather information and data in aggregate about who participates in EDGE programs and services. Through this data, EDGE can take actions to ensure that the EDGE community is representative of the population that we serve and recognize and remove barriers. The data is also highly informative when aggregated for current or potential funders where we can point to data about our role in building an inclusive impact entrepreneurship hub. For more information on the collection of personal information see Sheridan’s privacy policy.

Gender *

Optional - Check all that apply

Self-identify as an Indigenous person
Self-identity as a person with disability
Self-identity as a racialized person
Self-identify as a 2SLGBTQ+ person
Self-identify as a newcomer to Canada

Please indicate your age *

How did you hear about EDGE? Check all that apply *

Social media
Word of mouth
EDGE website
Event
Sheridan
Other

Please specify which event *

Please specify *

Sheridan - Please specify

Class visits
Professor
Class project
Co-curricular record (CCR)
Co-op class
Other

Please specify *

Why do you think pursuing entrepreneurship or changemaking is a good fit for your personal and professional skills and interests? *

What is it about this venture idea (versus others you may have considered) that makes you want to pursue it further? *

Venture Overview

What is your social enterprise or startup ideas’s main sector? *

Search industries by typing. If you cannot find your sector, search "Other".

Please specify: *

Have you legally registered your social enterprise or startup? *

Definitions of Legal Structures

Legal structure *

Registration Date: *

Business Number *

The Business Number (BN) is a unique number the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) assigns your business as a tax ID. It is a nine-digit number that is unique to your business and that is used when dealing with federal, provincial, or local governments.

Do you consider your venture a social enterprise? *

A social enterprise can be either a non-profit or for-profit venture that uses entrepreneurial tools and market-based strategies to achieve social or environmental impact goals.

Yes
No
I'm not sure

Describe a way in which your social enterprise or startup idea strives to be accessible and inclusive (i.e. reaches a diverse audience; aspires to have a positive impact on underrepresented groups; etc.) (1000 characters)

Venture website (if applicable)

Social Media Handles

Facebook	Twitter	Instagram	LinkedIn

Do you have team members? *

Yes
No

Team Members *

First Name	Last Name	Email Address	Role	Skills & Experience

Venture Details

This is not a test. It is simply a way to help us accurately identify your needs and offer you the most relevant support. If there are questions that you don’t have answers to, do your best to complete them with the information you have available or feel free to respond with an “n/a”.

Briefly describe your social enterprise or startup idea and why it’s unique. (500 characters) *

Describe the problem(s) your social enterprise or startup idea is solving for your target user/customer/client. (1000 characters) *

Discuss the secondary research you’ve uncovered that supports your confidence in your social enterprise or startup’s uniqueness (i.e. market research reports, consumer reports, and any secondary research). *

How many target users/customers/clients have you spoken with about your social enterprise or startup idea? *

How did directly speaking with your target users/customers/clients lead to evolutions in your social enterprise or startup, if any? *

How far along are you in developing your product/service/platform? (Select the one that applies most).

How long does it take for you to complete a sales cycle (from initial contact to payment)? *

Describe your sales process from identifying a lead, making initial contact with a customer, to receiving payment from them. *

What Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system (i.e. Hubspot, Salesforce, Excel, Google Sheets, etc.) are you using to organize your sales process? In 5 sentences maximum, describe how you use this tool. (500 characters) *

Please upload a copy of your venture's most up-to-date pitch deck. (8MB Max) *

Follow the format outlined here. Keep your slides visually appealing, with further detail provided in the notes. If you don't have enough information for any of the slides, please describe why and explain any challenges you have faced in this area.

Needs and Opportunities

What milestones do you look to achieve in the next 4-6 months?

Milestone one: *

Milestone two: *

Milestone three: *

Why are you interested in joining EDGE and how do you hope we can support you? (1000 characters) *

What learning outcomes do you hope to achieve by being an EDGE member (1000 characters) *

Will you or a member of your founding team be able to commit to workshops and mentorship that may take up to 3-5 hours a month for the next 4-12 months? *

Yes
No

Is there anything else you'd like us to know? (1000 characters)

At which campus would you prefer to attend workshops and programming post COVID-19? Please note that plans are underway to expand programming to Oakville/Trafalgar Campus, but currently focuses on Mississauga and Brampton. Select all that apply *

Hazel McCallion Campus - Mississauga
Davis Campus - Brampton
Virtually

Are you working with any of the following Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs Partners, or other entrepreneur-serving organizations? Check all that apply.

RIC Centre
Brampton Entrepreneur Centre
Haltech
Halton Region Small Business Centre
Mississauga Business Enterprise Centre
ICUBE (University of Toronto)
Humber Centre for Entrepreneurship
Other

Please list *

Can we send you e-newsletters? This is the best way to stay updated on our events, services and community announcements. You can unsubscribe at any time. *

Yes
No
I've already signed up

Applicant-Rise *

Applicant-Rise

About You

Venture Overview

Venture Details

Needs and Opportunities

Stay in the loop on EDGE news and events