Everything a working journalist needs to write about the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Research — boilerplate, facts, spokespeople, brand assets — in one place.
One inbox for all press enquiries.
- info@research.ca
- Response time
- One business day
- Hours
- 09:00 — 17:00 ET, Monday — Friday
- Address
- 909 Alness St, Toronto, ON M3J 2J1, Canada
Three lengths. Cite verbatim or trim to fit.
The Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Research (CFIR) is a federally incorporated not-for-profit that directs corporate capital into entrepreneurial education, applied research, and seed grants — delivered through designated post-secondary institutions.
The Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Research (CFIR), incorporated in February 2025 under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, channels corporate sponsorship into measurable educational outcomes. Programs are delivered through the Foundation's designated institution, the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (YEDI) in Toronto. CFIR holds the funding framework and the accountability; YEDI handles admission, instruction, and reporting. In its first fiscal year (ending October 2025), CFIR deployed CAD $685,014 from its corporate partners, with 83 % directed to programs.
The Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Research (CFIR) was incorporated as a federal not-for-profit on 11 February 2025. The Foundation exists to convert corporate sponsorship into structured educational opportunity: full-tuition scholarships for entrepreneurship students, seed capital for graduates ready to launch, and applied research grants that strengthen the evidence base for entrepreneurship education in Canada.
CFIR does not deliver programs directly. All instruction is the responsibility of a designated institution — a post-secondary body whose admission criteria, curriculum, and academic standards are reviewed by CFIR's Board before designation. The Foundation's first designated institution is YEDI (York Entrepreneurship Development Institute), one of Canada's most established university-linked entrepreneurship centres. CFIR funds; YEDI admits, instructs, and reports.
This past year, Canadian organisations committed CAD $685,014 to the Foundation. Of that, CAD $566,883 was deployed to programs — full-tuition scholarships across three streams (Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management; Incubator Certificate; Not-for-Profit Certificate), seed grants for graduating founders, and a rent-relief grant to the designated institution. The Foundation operates on a voluntary three-director board and a single operational lead; the program-to-administration ratio for the year was 99 %.
Quick-reference facts, dated to source.
- Legal name
- Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Research (CFIR)
- Founded
- 11 February 2025
- Corporation No.
- 1674045-6
- Business No.
- 718160229RC0001
- Legal form
- Federal not-for-profit, Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act
- Headquarters
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Designated institution
- York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (YEDI)
- Sponsorship income
- CAD $685,014
- Directed to programs
- CAD $566,883 (83 %)
- Scholarships
- 50 entrepreneurs, full tuition
- Board
- 3 directors, voluntary
- Languages
- English & French
Financial statements and the full annual report are in the Service Register · Annual Filings.
Available for interview on the topics indicated.
- Anna SvirskiGovernance, by-laws, NFP compliance
- Benjamin PelegFinance, audit, capital deployment
- Aleksandr VinokurovPrograms, designated institutions, ventures
- Nikita TiurinPartnerships, operations, general enquiries
Interview requests via info@research.ca. Indicate topic and deadline; we route within the response window.
On the record. Use as written.
We started with one question: what if Canadian industry funded the education of the people who will build what comes next? Seven companies said yes. Nikita Tiurin · Corporate Partnerships Manager
Transparency isn't a goal — it's the operating system. CFIR Governance Framework
The Foundation funds; the designated institution decides who gets in. That separation is the structural reason CFIR can be both rigorous and impartial. CFIR Annual Report
Wordmark, logo files, and the brand palette.
- CFIR wordmark — SVGvector
- CFIR wordmark — PDFvector
- CFIR wordmark — PNG, 1024 pxraster
- CFIR wordmark — PNG, 2048 pxraster, print
- Press kit — PDF, single downloadall assets
Use the seal colour for accents only — single marks, hairlines, ticks. Substrate and paper are the working pair.
Editorial-grade photography available on request.
Request specific subjects, formats, and resolutions via info@research.ca. Include intended publication and run date.
- Cohort sessions & instructionYEDI, Toronto
- Venture fair & pitch eventsSpring 2025
- Founder portraitson consent
- Board portraitson request
- Office & venueToronto
Selected articles & mentions.
— first coverage list to be published as pieces appear in print —
What we ask of reporters reusing this material.
- Cite CFIR by full legal name on first mentionrequired
- Use the wordmark unaltered — no recolouring, no compression artefactsrequired
- Attribute quotes by speaker & rolerequired
- Send a link or PDF of the published piecerequested
- Send corrections to info@research.carequested