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Venture Acceleration Program

Venture Acceleration Program

If you’re a technology company or entrepreneur, the Venture Acceleration Program will help you transform your tech dream into a reality by connecting you with like-minded entrepreneurs and providing one-on-one mentorship.

The Venture Acceleration Program (VAP) helps early-stage entrepreneurs grow their companies. Led by experienced mentors, this ongoing 6-12 month program offers a disciplined approach to growing and taking your business to market.

We are here to help you take your idea further and give you the mentorship, peer-to-peer engagement and resources you need as an early-stage entrepreneur.

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Program Details

The Format: Participating entrepreneurs will have access to one-to-one coaching with an experienced Executive in Residence (EiR) who will take a structured approach to help you define your business model, discover product and market fit, and grow your business. You must be prepared to make a 6-12 month commitment, which will include up to 8 hours of monthly mentorship with your EiR.

Participants are encouraged to set realistic business goals/milestones and to report on their progress.

The Highlights:

  • Critically evaluate the fundamentals of your business idea
  • Develop your entrepreneurial skills
  • Overcome barriers to success
  • Prepare your company to be investment-ready
  • Network with peers who share your goals and challenges

Frequently Asked Questions

You must meet the following criteria to qualify:

  • You are an incorporated, profit-oriented small- or medium-sized business (SME) in Canada
  • You have 500 or fewer full-time employees

You plan to pursue growth and profit by developing and commercializing innovative, technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes. Tech-enabled businesses that are using technology in an innovative way to support your business growth or pursue new markets may also qualify.

Acceptance to the VAP program is based on an application to the program followed by assessments with our team and an NRC-IRAP Advisor. Pending program fit, applicants will be offered an engagement contract and will commence on-boarding with their EiR.

The cost of the VAP program is $200/month, an affordable and highly subsidized rate compared to executive-level consulting rates.

Partners & Sponsors

The Venture Acceleration Program is an initiative of Innovate BC. The program in the Kootenay region is also generously supported by NRC-IRAP.

Other Programs

In 2022 the Kootenay Youth Entrepreneurship (KYE) program was proposed as a collaborative, multifaceted program that aimed at introducing entrepreneurial skills to youth aged 16-30 across the Kootenay Development Region.
Discover entrepreneurship and attend events and skill-building seminars tailored to your needs to launch a business!