CFIR Close ✕

The plain record of the Foundation's mandate, governance, capital, and operational filings. This register exists so that any reader — partner, applicant, journalist, regulator — finds the same facts, stated once.

Mandate

The Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Research is a federally incorporated not-for-profit organisation.

The Foundation directs corporate capital into entrepreneurial education, applied research, and seed grants — each delivered through a designated post-secondary institution. The Foundation funds; the designated institution admits, instructs, and reports.

The Foundation does not select participants, deliver instruction, or operate programs directly. Its mandate is the framework, the capital, and the accountability of that capital.

Legal name
Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Research (CFIR)
Legal form
Federal not-for-profit corporation, Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act
Corporation No.
1674045-6
Business No.
718160229RC0001
Date incorporated
11 February 2025
Registered office
909 Alness St, Toronto, ON M3J 2J1, Canada
Designated institution
York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (YEDI), Toronto
Governance

A voluntary Board of three directors holds fiduciary responsibility for the Foundation.

The Board approves the designated institution, oversees fund allocation, reviews quarterly disbursements, and signs off on the annual financial statement before filing. Directors serve without compensation; no honoraria or director fees are paid.

Board policies

  • Board compensationNone — voluntary
  • Whistleblower channelgovernance@research.ca
  • Bilingual commitmentEnglish & French
Financials

The first fiscal year ended October 2025. The full financial statement is on the public record.

All sponsorship income is tracked, allocated to specific programs, and reported. The figures below summarise the Foundation's first operating year. Full statements are available in Annual Filings.

Fiscal year
1 November 2024 — 31 October 2025
Sponsorship income
CAD $685,014
Directed to programs
CAD $566,883
Operating expenses
CAD $3,882
Surplus retained
CAD $114,249
Program-to-admin ratio
99%
Partnership Framework

Corporate partners sponsor under a single written framework agreement — the same terms for every signatory.

The agreement records the capital committed, the educational outcome funded, and the reporting cadence back to the partner. The framework is identical across partners; terms are not individually negotiated.

The Foundation receives the partner's capital, transfers it to the designated institution against the agreed allocation, and reports on the cohort funded. No partner has direct involvement in admission, instruction, or evaluation of participants.

Enquiries about the framework are handled in writing at partnerships@research.ca.

Designated Institution

Admission and delivery are handled by the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute.

The Foundation funds; YEDI admits, instructs, and evaluates. The arrangement is recorded under a framework agreement reviewed by both boards. Applicants apply directly to YEDI. The Foundation does not accept individual applications and does not maintain an applicant roster of its own.

Funded programs at YEDI

  • Entrepreneurship & Small Business ManagementDiploma
  • Incubator CertificateCertificate
  • Not-for-Profit CertificateCertificate
Institution
York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (YEDI)
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Admission
Managed by YEDI under its own published criteria
Apply
yedi.ca
People

Board, officers, and operations of the Foundation.

Board of Directors · voluntary

  • Anna SvirskiDirector · Governance Committee, Chair
  • Benjamin PelegDirector · Finance Committee, Chair
  • Aleksandr VinokurovDirector · Programs & Institutions, Chair

Operations

  • Nikita TiurinCorporate Partnerships Manager
Annual Filings

Public record of the Foundation's annual operating disclosures.

Each annual filing comprises the financial statement, the board's report on the year, the cohort funded, and the designated-institution attestation. The figures referenced in Financials are drawn from these documents.

  • Annual Report 2024 — 202524 pp · 1.8 MB
  • Financial Statements, FY ending Oct 202512 pp · 0.9 MB
  • Profit & Loss Statement, FY 20258 pp · 0.6 MB
Contact

Correspondence is received in writing.

Partnerships
partnerships@research.ca
Press & general
info@research.ca
Governance & whistleblower
governance@research.ca
Registered office
909 Alness St, Toronto, ON M3J 2J1, Canada

Applicants to entrepreneurial programs are directed to the designated institution at yedi.ca. The Foundation does not maintain an applicant intake of its own.

For the press

Working journalists — boilerplate, key facts, approved quotes, and brand assets sit at Press File. Media response within one business day.

FAQ

Plain answers to recurring operational questions.

How does a corporation enter the framework?

Through a written framework agreement, identical across partners, recording capital committed, the educational outcome funded, and the reporting cadence back to the partner.

Does the Foundation accept individual applications?

No. Eligibility, admission, and instruction are managed by the designated institution. Applicants apply at yedi.ca.

Does the Foundation deliver programs directly?

No. Programs are delivered exclusively through the designated institution under a framework agreement reviewed by both boards.

Are board members paid?

No. The three directors serve voluntarily. No director fees, honoraria, or expense reimbursements are paid.

Where does the operating budget come from?

Operating expenses (CAD $3,882 this past year) are funded from sponsorship income, retained out of the gross intake before allocation to programs. The program-to-admin ratio is published with each annual filing.