Spring 2027 Company Applications Now Open

What Could Design Unlock for Your Business?

Could your product be easier to use? Are you looking to better understand your customers, explore new opportunities, or communicate your value more effectively?

Through Design for Startups (D4S), Canadian startups and SMEs work with a dedicated, senior student-designer from Emily Carr University of Art + Design to tackle real business challenges through research, design exploration, and prototyping.

Since 2013, more than 150 Canadian startups and SMEs have partnered with D4S to bring fresh design perspectives to their products, services, and businesses.

Spring 2027 Program Snapshot

• Duration: 12 weeks
• Dates: January 21 – April 15, 2027
• Format: Virtual/Hybrid (Depending on location and availability)
• Design Support: One dedicated student-designer
• Cohort Size: 10 companies
• Company Contribution: $2,400 + GST
• Application Deadline: November 8, 2026

Program Eligibility

Companies must be:

• Incorporated in Canada
• Work with an IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA)

The program is hybrid and open to companies across Canada; participation is not limited by region. Final eligibility is determined by NRC-IRAP and may include additional criteria beyond those listed here.

What Could Your Company Achieve?

• Improve user experience and simplify complex products or workflows
• Understand your customers through research and testing
• Explore and validate ideas before investing in development
• Strengthen your brand and communicate your value more effectively

Join The Spring 2027 Cohort

Deadline to Apply: November 9, 2026

Questions?

You can find more information about Design for Startups (D4S) on our program page.

For program-related questions, reach out to D4S Program Manager, Priyanka Poulose at ppoulose@ecuad.ca

For IRAP-related eligibility questions, reach out to the IRAP ITA Representatives, Dusanka Firaunovic at Firaunovic@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca or Anja Haman at Anja.Haman@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Design for Startups is delivered by the Shumka Centre for Creative Entrepreneurship at Emily Carr University of Art + Design and is generously supported by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) Fall 2026 – Spring 2028.