We are excited to announce the team projects that will receive funding as part of our 2024-2025 Project Accelerator program. This funding will support teams in the development and/or continuation of projects centered around specific community needs and social innovation. A total of $60,000 has been generously donated by our partners with each project receiving $2,500 to advance their project.
Alterna Savings SDG Project Accelerator
The following social enterprises address at least one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Fleming College, Paper Planet
Paper Planet is committed to diverting wastepaper from landfills and repurposing it into compostable planting kits for educational institutions and home gardens. Focused on SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG 13: Climate Action, their Classroom Kits and Home Packs provide an educational, eco-friendly experience that aligns with Ontario’s school curriculum.
EcoKelp
EcoKelp uses kelp’s natural water filtration abilities to provide a sustainable, low-maintenance solution for ocean health through an innovative, modular kelp farm system. These modular kelp farms offer a scalable solution for fisheries and marine communities while protecting aquatic life.
Nupacko
Nupacko is an all-in-one, “nutrient-pack-to-go”. Nupacko cookies were crafted with the guidance of local health industry experts to tackle 5 of the most common nutrient deficiencies in Canadians – calcium, iron, magnesium, fibre, and zinc. The team employs a variable pricing model to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to a healthier life.
University of Toronto – Mississauga, Squirl
Squirl ASL is an accessibility tool that’s bridging the gap between those who are deaf/hard-of-hearing and those who are not. The model uses machine learning to identify and interpret American Sign Language in real time using a large dataset and AI for sentence structuring. It requires no additional aids, just a camera and a screen, resulting in a frictionless experience for the user.
Kuponya Innovations
The team from Enactus Laurier launched Kuponya Innovations and developed an affordable ‘house in a box’ kit containing innovative future-proof materials that can be rapidly assembled by local labour using their assembly guide and training program, creating opportunities to build marketable skills for future employment and/or new business creation.
Project Now
Project Now is designing comprehensive filtration systems for households to capture the microplastics flowing through their water systems. The team then plans to take those captured microplastics and turn them into eco-friendly consumer products, which will be provided back to households along with other sustainable, plastic-free products through a subscription box.
CWB Indigenous Inclusion Project Accelerator
Teams are empowered to promote the social and economic inclusion of Indigenous peoples and/or entrepreneurs.
Concordia University, InStep
Project Instep’s mission is to advocate, support, and amplify the voices of Indigenous Businesses, communities, and individuals through a series of workshops, pop-up shops, and digital collaborations.
Lambton College, One Circle
Project One Circle addresses food insecurity, economic development, and employment in Indigenous communities across Canada by blending modern agriculture with traditional knowledge to promote food sovereignty and self-sufficiency. The team empowers Indigenous communities by providing sustainable agriculture skills and entrepreneurial tools, targeting Indigenous growers and community members interested in agriculture and entrepreneurship.
Nova Scotia Community College – Ivany, Indigenous Marketplace
The Indigenous MarketPlace supports Mi’kmaq entrepreneurs by helping them preserve their traditions and expand their reach through technology. The team is creating a digital marketplace for Indigenous entrepreneurs who make crafts, allowing them to showcase and sell their products online.
University of Ottawa, Ambe Read
Ambe Read aims to empower Indigenous communities by helping them publish cultural children’s books. These Indigenous-written and illustrated books will enhance the visibility of Indigenous culture for young readers across Canada, bring income to marginalized communities through a subscription model, and give Indigenous creators control over their livelihoods.
Western University, Indigenous Cultural Platform
The Indigenous Cultural Platform is an accessible online space that hosts a variety of Indigenous art and media, including articles, research papers, journals, poetry, and more. Its mission is to preserve Indigenous culture and provide easy access to educational resources.
Wilfrid Laurier University, Kuponya Innovations
The team from Enactus Laurier launched Kuponya Innovations and developed an affordable ‘house in a box’ kit containing innovative future-proof materials that can be rapidly assembled by local labour using their assembly guide and training program, creating opportunities to build marketable skills for future employment and/or new business creation.
Jeanne Sauvé Global Project Accelerator
Teams will be working to expand their projects outside of Canada and work with another Enactus team from a partner country to broaden their impact.
Capilano University, Square One
Square One’s Financial Literacy Program addresses the financial literacy knowledge gap in young people by focusing on underserved high school students in British Columbia, including individuals from diverse income levels, racial backgrounds, and minority communities. Through five interactive workshops covering banking, budgeting, saving, taxes, credit, and career development, students gain essential skills to manage their personal finances effectively.
Ontario Tech University, Skill Series
Skill Series is a student-led initiative empowering underserved youth across Canada with financial education, career readiness, and entrepreneurial skills. Recognizing the need for equitable access to financial literacy, we focus on communities facing systemic barriers. Our mission is to equip youth with the tools to build economic resilience and long-term financial independence through interactive workshops, benefiting themselves and their communities.
Saint Mary’s University, Square Roots
Square Roots is a Community Interest Company based in Nova Scotia that provides healthy and affordable produce to communities experiencing food insecurity while reducing food waste by purchasing perfectly edible, but cosmetically imperfect produce from farmers that was otherwise destined for landfills.
St. Thomas University, Spark
Spark is a student-run initiative that empowers low-income communities, high school and university students from international, Indigenous, and socio-economically disadvantaged residents of New Brunswick, Ghana, and Nigeria through financial security workshops, entrepreneurship fairs, and discounted nutritious food.
University of Ottawa, Nupacko
Nupacko is an all-in-one, “nutrient-pack-to-go”. Nupacko cookies were crafted with the guidance of local health industry experts to tackle 5 of the most common nutrient deficiencies in Canadians – calcium, iron, magnesium, fibre, and zinc. The team employs a variable pricing model to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to a healthier life.
University of Prince Edward Island, Soap 4 2
‘Soap 4 2’ is tackling food waste in P.E.I while helping support individuals below the poverty line acquire personal hygiene products. The team has created soap from potatoes that would have otherwise been food waste because of small blemishes, and selling them at various craft fairs, with plans to scale commercially in the future.
PC Financial Resilience Project Accelerator
The following projects advance equity by using financial education to build resilience in underserved population.
College of the North Atlantic – Grand Falls-Windsor, Dollars and $ense
The team has relaunched their successful interactive financial literacy education project, Dollars and $ense, to continue to educate and empower rural-based visible minorities, Indigenous people, at-risk youth, and seniors in Newfoundland and Labrador. These attendees participate in hands-on activities to develop financial knowledge and build financial resiliency using industry-led best practices and experiential learning.
Nova Scotia Community College – Ivany, Sewing for Change
Sewing for Change empowers women in Halifax’s North End by teaching them sewing skills to create reusable period products and other sustainable items like table cloths, while simultaneously providing financial education to enhance their budgeting and money management abilities.
Okanagan College, Safe Haven Project
In partnership with the SOAR Project, Enactus Okanagan College has launched Safe Haven Project to support survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) through activism and education. The team both directs survivors to available resources, and acts as a resource for post-secondary students experiencing IPV, helping to secure funding to provide microloans to help pay for safe housing and educating those who may need it on money management.
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), UpSkill
Project UpSkill addresses the critical lack of financial literacy among individuals in addiction recovery. Through collaboration with Simon House Recovery Centre, UpSkill offers personalized financial education, empowering individuals with the tools for long-term stability and success, while also emphasizing financial wellness.
St. Thomas University, Spark
Spark is a student-run initiative that empowers low-income communities, high school and university students from international, Indigenous, and socio-economically disadvantaged residents of New Brunswick, Ghana, and Nigeria through financial security workshops, entrepreneurship fairs, and discounted nutritious food.
Wilfrid Laurier University, Sapphire
Sapphire is the first comprehensive work transition program in Canada for autistic post-secondary students that supports long-term financial success. The program includes work-ready skills training to equip participants with skills necessary for financial independence and workplace success. After the training, students will gain work experience through full-semester paid internship opportunities and access to an online network of peers, neurodivergent professionals, and university allies to foster belonging and support their growth.
Congratulations to all of the teams receiving funding from our Project Accelerator and thank you to our donors for supporting social innovation, enterprise, and entrepreneurship across Canada.
The teams will present their projects at the Enactus Canada National Exposition in May and will be recognized for their efforts in each category. Follow our teams on social media for project updates and details. If you are interested in learning more about the projects, please contact programs@enactus.ca.