Annual Report Fiscal Year 2024–2025 · Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Research (CFIR)
Fifty entrepreneurs carried this year between them.
Funds directed through CFIR supported fifty entrepreneurs across the diploma, incubator, and not-for-profit program tracks. Each placement was made through the designated institution under standard governance.
Canadian corporations directed funds to CFIR programs this year. Each contribution was tied to a specific program track and is reported back to the partner in full.
The model is deliberately separated: CFIR structures partnerships, the designated institution delivers programs, and entrepreneurs build businesses. Each role is accountable for its part. That separation is why 99% of every dollar spent reached programs directly.
— The Board of Directors
The figures, plain.
Three program tracks. One applied research initiative.
Funding for entrepreneurs enrolled in YEDI's diploma, incubator, and not-for-profit programs. Tuition covered in full.
Diploma · Incubator · Not-for-ProfitNon-dilutive grants for graduates demonstrating commercial readiness. Covers incorporation, prototype development, and first-customer costs.
Released against milestones · not forecastsOne applied research initiative conducted by the designated institution's academic team. Findings scheduled for publication in the coming cycle.
Publication forthcomingHow the year was spent.
Revenue: CAD 685,014 in corporate sponsorship. Net income: CAD 114,249, held in cash.
Statements were prepared by the Board and reviewed before publication. Subsequent statements will undergo formal CPA review or audit engagement, depending on partnership scale and Board direction.
What comes next.
More partners. Expanding the corporate base beyond the present eight. Target sectors include banking, technology, resource, and retail.
More scholarships. Additional partnership capacity will fund a larger cohort across the same diploma, incubator, and not-for-profit tracks. Multi-year named scholarship programs are open to long-term partners.
First research publication. The applied research initiative is scheduled for publication. The next research agenda will be developed around partner-designated focus areas.
To the partners of this year.
Canadian corporations directed funds to CFIR programs this year. Each committed to scholarships, applied research, or seed grants — with full transparency on how funds were directed and what outcomes resulted.
Partnerships are structured through standard partnership agreements signed by CFIR and the partner organization. Partner identities and investment amounts are disclosed only with the partner's explicit written consent.
Every figure in this report represents a person whose trajectory shifted because a Canadian company chose to invest in their potential.