ideaBUILD is a 10-month rigorous program that offers founders a $10,000 grant towards prototyping materials, a 12-week bootcamp, and deep-tech-leading industry advisers who work alongside them to validate and build their product’s first operational prototype.
Who is idaBUILD for?
- Founders pioneering physical products that are transforming the planet in Ag Tech, Med Tech, Clean Tech, Ocean Tech, Circular Economy, or other industries.Â
- Founders building physical products that are engineering-based or require engineering support in the creation or production of their physical products.
- Founders in Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada. Note that you don’t have to be associated with Dalhousie University. We welcome ALL community members to apply.
- 1st time founders and experienced founders.
HUB Alumni have backgrounds in the full range of engineering disciplines, as well as business, medicine, neuroscience, environmental science and more.
Ideal candidates
- Between 1-4 founding team members
- Have a well-formulated product idea to build an operational prototype
- Ready to dedicate time towards achieving operational prototype stage
- Have completed an initial customer discovery and/or market validation program or independent effort
- Seeking more engineering support to refine their idea or prototype
ideaBUILD program overview
Note that bootcamp sessions for the first 12-weeks are hybrid and offered typically Fridays, 10am – 12pm.Â
10-month term:
- $10,000 per company to purchase materials to build operational prototype
- 12-week bootcamp with a 2 hour weekly session on Fridays
- Venture Manager, Engineering Lead and Academic Director supporting you on achieving your Action Plan
- Engineering Feasibility Report by Enginuity
- 8 hours of Engineering support by Enginuity
- 2 Prototype Days to get feedback on your product development by ideaHUB’s team, Enginity, and Venture Coaches
- Access to hot desks (workspace) in the HUB
- Mechanical, Electrical and Additive Manufacturing Labs in the Emera ideaHUB with engineering expertise on-site
Applications open: July 14th 2025Â
Applications close: August 29th 2025Â
Program (10 months): October 2025 – August 2026Â
Apply here.
Applications
Please apply to the ideaBUILD program below. Note: this is not a closed application process – we are here to help. Contact ideahubprograms@dal.ca if you have any questions.
Meet the ideaBUILD Fall 2024 cohort
CleanEnv
The Quill Queen
AquaSense Analytics
Epoch Stride
Meet the ideaBUILD Spring 2025 cohort
ReGrey
SpectrAlign
Heat Pump Health
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