Entrepreneurs with an idea (pre-startup)

Leveraging Queen's resources and critical funding from the government of Canada through FedDev Ontario, the Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation (QPI) team, the Queen’s Business Law Clinic (QBLC), Launch Lab, and St. Lawrence College (SLC) offer several programs and services to help entrepreneurs with ideas get started. Programs and services are for entrepreneurs in Eastern Ontario who are developing and pursuing science-based, technology-based, or software-based solutions.

QPI is also pleased to be a partner in the HI YGK Project led by the City of Kingston, providing programs and services to health innovation-focused eligible entrepreneurs and startups in the Kingston region.

We invite you to browse our list of programs and services in the table below. If you are interested in accessing a specific service, please click on the associated link.

 If you are interested in accessing many of our programs and services, please complete our Program Application Form

 

Programs

If you are an entrepreneur with an idea on the path to establishing a company in the next three to six months, you may be interested in applying to our physical or virtual incubation program.

Located in the Seaway Coworking building at 310 Bagot Street in Kingston, Ontario, the Queen's Startup Runway is a physical incubation program, for entrepreneurs, startups, and small companies developing new technologies, that includes co-location with the QPI team, Launch Lab, the Southeastern Ontario Angel Network, and St. Lawrence College. The Startup Runway provides participants with access to shared workspaces, meeting rooms, event spaces, numerous resources and various amenities and services.

  For more information, please visit our Queen's Startup Runway Incubation Program page

 

The Market-Focused Research (MFR) program is designed for faculty members, post-doctoral fellows and graduate students conducting healthcare-related research. The program emphasizes understanding the needs/wants of the market early in the research project so that the commercialization potential of the research outcome is improved. Participants will learn skills related to market/technology assessment, design thinking, intellectual property, communication, and strategies/considerations for technology commercialization. Expected outcomes include more successful grant applications, increased potential for partnerships with industry, increased awareness of Queen’s University research, an increased understanding of intellectual property and commercialization considerations. Participants will also become familiar with QPI’s commercialization services.

 To learn more and apply, visit the Market-Focused Research program page

The Foundry program connects students with entrepreneurial drive to commercially relevant research-based intellectual property through an express licensing framework.

  For more information about the program, please visit The Foundry page.

Services

The QPI team helps entrepreneurs with ideas understand the opportunity for commercializing their invention by researching the existing patent landscape and helping entrepreneurs to develop and implement an intellectual property and commercialization strategy.

  Submit request for guidance on your intellectual property strategy for pre-startups

The Queen's Business Law Clinic (QBLC) provides legal services, via its Director and Queen’s Law students, to organizations and entrepreneurs in southeastern Ontario who would otherwise have difficulty affording legal counsel. The QBLC helps eligible entrepreneurs with ideas to incorporate a company and establish shareholder agreements, confidentiality agreements, employment agreements, and other legal documents as appropriate that provide a company with a solid foundation.

  Submit request for legal services for pre-startups

Workshops, events and other resources

The many partners in the Kingston innovation ecosystem offer numerous workshops and events. For information about the workshops and events available for Queen’s students, please visit the Queen's events calendar . For information about workshops and events for entrepreneurs with an idea (pre-startup) in the Kingston community and surrounding areas, refer to the following sources:

QPI is located in the Seaway Coworking  building in downtown Kingston. Our incubation and acceleration clients have access to the amenities available such as private Zoom rooms, a podcast studio and workshop and event space. 

Contact  Rick Boswell to learn more about access to the Seaway Coworking space.

 

We have compiled a list of resources, to help regional entrepreneurs and startups, which are posted on our Resources page. We run many events and workshops that are available for entrepreneurs and startups in the Kingston region.

  For information about upcoming workshops and events, please visit our Workshops and Events page

Government of Canada logo linking to Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario website

 

We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

Nous reconnaissons l’appui du gouvernement du Canada à travers l’Agence fédérale de développement économique pour le Sud de l’Ontario.