March 8 2024, Toronto

Background:

The Embassy of France in Canada in collaboration with the French Tech Toronto and the Abeona Network is proud to announce a call for proposals aimed at supporting and empowering women in the technology sector. This initiative strives to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion within the tech community by providing resources, mentorship, and opportunities for female student entrepreneurs pursuing or already established in tech-related fields.

Objective:

The primary objective of this call for proposals is to support an early-stage woman-led project in technology. This call for proposal seeks to increase female representation within the tech industry and foster cross-cultural exchange between Canada and France.

This award represents a great opportunity for support and visibility amongst the French and Canadian tech ecosystems.

Eligibility:

Female students registered at a university in Canada and working on an entrepreneurship project in the tech sector are eligible to submit proposals.

Projects must demonstrate prospects for collaboration between France and Canada.

Collaborative proposals involving partnerships between multiple organizations or stakeholders are encouraged, with a preference for partnerships that involve both Canadian and French entities.

Proposal Guidelines:

Proposals should be submitted on the application form and include the following components:

  • Project Overview: Provide a brief overview of the proposed project, including its objectives, target audience, and expected outcomes, highlighting potential linkages between Canada and France.
  • Implementation Plan: Outline the steps and timeline for implementing the project, including any key milestones or deliverables that involve collaboration or exchange between Canada and France.
  • Evaluation Plan: Describe how the success of the project will be measured and evaluated, including any metrics or indicators of impact that demonstrate cross-cultural exchange and collaboration.
  • Relevant skill and experience: Briefly describe your relevant experience, expertise, and resources of the proposing individual or organization, emphasizing any existing connections or partnerships with entities in both Canada and France.
  • Budget: Provide a description of the allocated budget and include the predicted costs and its relation to the activities and expected outcomes

Award:

The selected laureate will win:

  • 1 round-trip economy-class flight Canada- France
  • an allotment towards subsistence costs (3 daily allowances)

This trip will provide an opportunity to explore the market, establish partnerships, and access labs for research and development (R&D) purposes, fostering further collaboration between Canada and France.

The award will be announced at the French Tech Toronto Summit on May 28th.

Submission Instructions:

Proposals should be submitted via email to [email protected], no later than May 16, 2024, at noon EST.

Please use the subject line: “Women in Tech Proposal Submission – [Your Name]”.

Late submissions will not be considered.

Evaluation Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Relevance: The extent to which the proposed project enhances female representation in the tech sector and its prospects for linkages between France and Canada.
  • Innovation: The creativity and originality of the proposed approach or methodology, with a focus on promoting collaboration and partnership between France and Canada.
  • Impact: The potential impact of the project on promoting gender diversity and inclusion within the tech sector, as well as its ability to facilitate cross-cultural exchange and collaboration.
  • Feasibility: The feasibility of the project, including the clarity of the implementation plan and the capacity of the proposing individual or organization to execute the project successfully.
  • Collaboration: The extent to which the proposed project involves collaboration with other stakeholders or organizations, particularly those based in both Canada and France.

Contact Information:

For inquiries or further information, please contact us at [email protected].