New Brunswickers with the SPARK of a business idea can apply for funding to help it grow.
SPARK Something
SPARK NB is a province-wide competition for early stage innovation companies across New Brunswick. Winners can receive up to $25,000 and guidance from seasoned business professionals to put their ideas into action. The goal of SPARK NB is to find and support high potential, early stage knowledge-based companies, and encourage entrepreneurial activity across the province.
Using the training modules from Envision Saint John’s Venture Validation Program and NBCC’s existing entrepreneurship support structures, participants will be immersed in 13 weeks of training that involves working through discovering opportunity, idea validation, business planning and finance. Spark NB 2026–2027 will be held across New Brunswick with emphasis placed on rural areas.
Supporters
Sponsors participate in the programming — including showcasing their start-up professionals as speakers and judges; extensive logo placement & messaging; regular social media push-outs; and, one-on-one engagement with the companies, judges and other sponsors. SPARK NB is supported by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
Thank you for making SPARK possible:
Eligibility
Entrants must have a new knowledge-based product or service.
SPARK NB will accept applications from companies with zero or minimal revenue, if that revenue was obtained prior to the company commercially scaling up. In other words, if a company has launched, but is showing “pre-scale-up” revenue only — for example, revenue derived from beta clients or similar customer validation efforts — the SPARK judging panel will consider those applicants.
Funds awarded will be used to support the completion of prototypes or preparation for taking the product or service to market.
Entrants must be the majority owner(s) (51 per cent or more) of the start-up, and plan to work full-time with the business in the province.
SPARK NB is especially interested in start-ups from the agricultural technology, life sciences, clean technology and ocean technology sectors. However, we welcome submissions for any innovation with high-growth potential.
Based in New Brunswick
Your head office must be physically located in New Brunswick and the business is or will be registered there. No award funding will be disbursed until the business is registered in the province.
Start-up
Start-up refers only to sales revenue and not to the number of years in business. To qualify as a start-up for SPARK NB, your company may have zero or minimal revenue, if that revenue was obtained prior to the company commercially scaling up. For example, a company may have a small amount of sales based upon customer validation efforts, but will not have commercially scaled up yet.
New knowledge-based product or service
The business proposition must be a unique technology or innovative product or service that cannot be easily duplicated.
Previous applicants
If you have applied for SPARK in the past, you are very welcome and encouraged to apply again.
SPARK Training Program
The applicants will participate in Pitch Training, to prepare for the final round of Spark when they will pitch to the judging committee. The training program is tailored to each cohort to provide the support and guidance they need the most. Participation in the training program will be considered in the evaluation of the finalists.
Note: Unless stated otherwise, all training sessions will be delivered via Zoom on Thursdays at 6:00 pm AT.
Although sessions will be a combination of in-person and online, they will be live. All sessions will be available virtually for those who cannot attend in-person. Participants who are available will be able to ask “live” questions and benefit from a high level of engagement.
Round One – Business Summary
All Applicants: Complete the business summary form below, using the instructions provided at “Pointers on using the form”. Submit your application by April 8 2026 at midnight.
Qualified Applicants will be notified by April 9 2026, to continue with the Venture Validation Program.
Round Two – Venture Validation
Selected applicants will take part in a series of online and in-person sessions as part of the Venture Validation Program.
Sessions will take place in the evenings over several weeks.
Round Three – Pitch and Selection
Participants will present their projects to a panel during the evaluation period, typically in the spring.
Each presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.Presentation details will be shared with finalists.
Winners will be notified following the evaluation process, and a public announcement will follow.
Application
Your submission must be made online at www.sparknb.ca by April 8 2026 at midnight
Please answer the following questions as briefly as possible and submit your application below. If you have questions or require more information about the competition, please contact Rick Nicholson at spark@nbcc.ca.
