Who Can Apply?
Arthritis Society Canada invites ideators, entrepreneurs and start-ups across Canada to submit their innovative ideas to the Arthritis Ideator AwardsTM. Applicants must be Canadian and the original creator/inventor and owner of the intellectual property that is being submitted. Eligibility will be determined by our panel of experts and although it is an open application process, success in the competition will be determined by how well each submission meets the selection criteria.
Selection Criteria
The following criteria will be utilized to select the finalists and winning applicants:
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Founder(s) credibility (background, experience of founders)
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Uniqueness (originality of innovation)
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Desirability (is this an innovation that individuals with arthritis need)
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Evidence based (research, science and/or market validation of innovation)
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Financial viability (ability to raise funds and market/sell innovation)
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Readiness for market (how ready the innovation is for market)
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Impact (potential for significant and lasting outcomes for people with arthritis)
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Scalability (how well the innovation can be scaled)
Application Format and Process
Applications will be accepted in the form of a pitch deck emailed to innovation@arthritis.ca by midnight on December 21, 2022.
There is no prescribed format or length required for the pitch deck, but we encourage applications to consider creativity, clarity and the selection criteria when formulating their decks. Pitch decks should not exceed 10MB in size. If they are larger than 10MB, we ask that you utilize a secure file sharing program with a direct link to your pitch deck.
Selection Panel
Applications for Arthritis Ideator AwardsTM funding will be reviewed by expert panels that include clinicians, researchers, consumers and technology experts. The panels will then select eight finalists based on potential impact, financial viability and market/research validation.
The eight finalists will then be invited to present their innovative ideas to a five-person panel of judges, comprised of one Arthritis Society Canada representative and four VIP representatives, at the Arthritis Ideator AwardsTM on April 20, 2023, the day before World Creativity and Innovation Day.
Arthritis Ideator Awards
The top three projects selected by the panel at the Arthritis Ideator AwardsTM will each receive a $50,000 prize. A People’s Choice Award of $50,000 will also be selected from among the remaining finalists.
Key Dates
December 21, 2022 – Submissions close
March 3, 2023 – 8 finalists announced
April 10, 2023 – People’s Choice Voting opens
April 20, 2023 – Arthritis Ideator AwardsTM

Arthritis Ideator AwardsTM 2022
Learn about the inaugural Arthritis Ideator AwardsTM event and award winners from April 2022.
Arthritis Ideator AwardsTM 2022
