Entrepreneurship & Innovation

The ATREK Fund gives Olds College students the opportunity to explore and evaluate new business ideas. Too often ideas get stuck in developing the prototype; through lack of funding, resources, or mentorship, great ideas can be lost. The ATREK Fund helps budding entrepreneurs through this stage by giving internal grants up to $5,000 for access to Olds College expertise, facilities and equipment for up to 6 months. Through the ATREK Fund new entrepreneurs can quickly decide if the idea or project is worth further effort.

Olds College of Agriculture & Technology has received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to support student involvement in research at the College. This NSERC Mobilize Student Researcher Funding is designed to provide students with meaningful, hands-on research experience under the guidance of experienced faculty or researchers.

Students may contribute to ongoing applied research projects, participate in new initiatives under development through OCCI or faculty-led efforts, or even create their own research proposal. The goal is to expose students to the research process, build technical and professional skills and prepare them for future employment or further education.

We invite instructors and researchers to share this opportunity with students who may be interested in gaining research experience. Please encourage potential candidates to get in touch for more details.

Eligibility

• Students must be enrolled in an Olds College program.
• The research activity should either take place at Olds College and/or the project should be led by an Olds College staff or faculty member.
• The majority of the activity’s duration should occur during a regular semester(s) of study.

Possible Opportunities

• The application may be used to fund a student work position attached to an existing research project. 
• Students can apply for funds to cover equipment, supplies and travel expenses related to a student-led research project. 
• Students can receive travel funds to present a project that they actively and directly participated in. 
• The maximum amount of funding for a single application is $5,000.
• The research activity will have a maximum length of 29 weeks.

Apply Now!

Ask your mentor or instructor to help submit the application form on your behalf, including a statement of interest, a detailed description of the project, a timeline of completion and a detailed budget. Applications are received on a continuous intake basis and reviewed on a monthly basis by the NSERC Student Experience Fund committee. Successful applicants will be notified by the committee with next steps.

Download the Application

For more information, or to apply, please contact occi@oldscollege.ca. 

Alberta Innovates is a province-wide initiative designed to provide connections within communities throughout the various regions in Alberta. It supports business growth, research, and the establishment of start-ups throughout the province to promote the development of new technology and ideas. There are eight regional initiatives, each filled with like-minded businesses that want to help small businesses grow and succeed to promote a community of entrepreneurship.

The CARIN Early Stage Incubator helps startups in the energy, agriculture, and manufacturing industry validate their idea. It has taken previous initiatives that Olds College was a part of, and is improving on those designs. The incubator will focus on providing startup companies with business training, prototype services, market research and validation, network creation and many other resources that are crucial to a startup’s success. Olds College is working with Red Deer College Donald School of Business, Community Futures, and Access Prosperity to assist startups in this initiative. 

Find out more at https://www.ca-rin.ca/catalyst-incubator

CARIN is made up of many businesses and research institutions throughout Central Alberta, including Olds College. At its heart, CARIN is about helping SMEs to succeed by providing assistance with financing, idea development, technological expertise, and many other parts of business development to help SMEs with big ideas to effectively achieve their goals - a mission Olds College’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation division proudly reflects in its work.