A cohort of 20 projects with socio-environmental impact, driven by audacity and the desire to take action

Montreal, December 9, 2021—The Maison de l’innovation sociale (MIS) has announced the 20 projects selected for the next cohort of its Civic Incubator, a free coaching program that supports positive-impact initiatives in their ideation or validation phase. This new cohort stands out for its notions of solidarity, for its inclusiveness in addressing diverse realities—with projects centering on seniors, vulnerable youth, and Indigenous people, among others—and for its ability to integrate environmental and social impact. Together, the members of this cohort confirm not only Montrealers’ extraordinary potential for innovation and willingness to take action, but also the relevance of providing structured support, as the Civic Incubator does, for the progression from idea to impact.

Selected for their potential impact as well as for innovative approaches that complement existing initiatives in the ecosystem, the winning projects* captured the interest of a jury whose diversity of profiles and expertise greatly enriched the selection process. The MIS team would like to thank the members of the jury** for their time and generosity in reviewing and evaluating so many applications.

As of the completion of this cohort’s term, a total of some sixty MIS projects will have been launched—by citizens, collectives, social entrepreneurs, and NPOs—since the Civic Incubator’s inaugural program in the fall of 2018! This is proof that the need for support at the embryonic stage of projects is real.

Hugo Steben, Director of Social Entrepreneurship at MIS, explains: “There are indeed few options in Quebec for projects at this stage and with this aim. Above all, there are few support options for people who want to develop an impact project but who aren’t necessarily driven by a motivation that is purely ‘business.’ Also, we welcome people with atypical backgrounds and with training, professional, and life experiences that are very diverse. This is another thing that makes MIS special! A wealth of perspectives and knowledge is one of the pillars of the program. It strengthens the potential impact of the projects we support, as well as the capacity of the members of the cohort to act as agents of change.”

MIS would like to thank the Ville de Montréal, the Mirella and Lino Saputo Foundation, the McConnell Foundation, and BMO, all of whom are renewing their funding this year to allow cohort winners to participate in the program at no cost. This collaboration among the philanthropic, public, and private sectors is all the more innovative and effective because it allows us simultaneously to support the emergence of new ideas and to bolster their impact.

A partnership has also been established with Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec (LOJIQ) to provide a lump-sum participation allowance to participants who meet their program criteria.