Applications Closed

Applications Closed

The Bold Spirit Awards


We’re giving away $34,000 in grants to small business owners and you could be one of our lucky winners 🤞

Learn How to Apply

what are the bold spirit awards?

The Bold Spirit Awards are a series of grants launched by Business in the Streets and powered by Diageo to help fuel the bold spirits and businesses of underestimated entrepreneurs across Canada.

*Twelve (12) entrepreneurs aged 19 to 34 will receive grants between $1,000 and $5,000 CAD to help them start or grow their venture, while developing their business skills with one of Diageo’s Learning Skills for Life modules.


Complete one module → Tell us about your business → Apply to win

Yes, it’s that simple.

Learn How to Apply

*Please review our eligibility requirements to make sure you qualify

This year you get more chances to win. We’re keeping the same categories but this time we’re funding our top 3 winners for each award with grants up to $5,000. Yep, that’s 12 grants total. Here are your categories:

grants up to $5,000 to grow your business.

Community
Impact
Award

Resilience &
Reinvention
Award

Flying
Start
Award

The
Big Leap
Award

$5,000

$1,000

$2,500

1st place

2nd place

3rd place

Grants available:

Like we said, this year there are more grants to go around.

First place in each category will be granted $5,000. Second place will take home $2,500 and third place will get $1,000.

learn how to apply

Meet last year’s bold spirits

Last year’s awards were a little different. We chose four entrepreneurs owners across Canada to grant $5,000 to grow their small business. They all came from different corners of Canada, all ran wildly different business and were all managing very different struggles. But at the end of the day it felt obvious that they shared a similar Bold Spirit.

And maybe this year, you could be next.

Meet our Winners

Are you ready? Apply by:

Sunday, May 17th 2026. That’s when applications close.
Find a detailed explanation of each step below then scroll down to get started.

Please review this before applying or you could be risking your application 😬.

  • Eligibility Criteria

    To apply for the Bold Spirit Awards, applicants must meet the following conditions in line with our mission of serving underserved and underrepresented young people through entrepreneurship:

    ✅Be a small business owner living in Canada

    ✅Earn under $35,000 per year in personal income as indicated on your most recent Notice of Assessment

    ✅Have a registered business with a valid business number (BN) or proof of registration

    ✅Be between 19 and 34 years old at the time of application

    ✅Have completed at least one Learning Skills for Life module quiz, with a passing score

    ✅Submit a complete application form with all required documents

    ✅Agree to the Terms and Conditions of the competition



    ⛔ Non profits are ineligible
    ⛔ Previous Bold Spirit Awards winners cannot apply

  • 📌 Step 1: Complete a DIAGEO Life Skills Module

    Head over and complete one of three available Life Skills Modules provided in partnership with our friends at Diageo.

    All you need to do is download the PDF presentation and brush up on your knowledge. Once you’re feeling confident, complete the associated quiz at your own pace.

    A grade of 90% or more will award you with a passing score and get you one step closer to being crowned a Bold Spirit!

  • 📌 Step 2: Complete and Submit Your Application

    Applicants must complete the online application form, outlining their business journey, achievements, and goals. And don’t worry about bragging too much - this is your moment!

  • 📌 Step 3: Email Notifications

    Applicants will receive email confirmations for each stage of the process but only shortlisted applicants and finalists will be notified of the selection outcome.

Get Started

Step 1:

Complete a diageo module

Complete a Diageo Learning Skills for Life module by receiving a passing score of at least 90%.

Complete a Module

Step 2:

submit your application

Head over to our full application form to answer a few questions about your business and why YOU are a Bold Spirit.

Submit your Application

Competition Timeline

1 Applications Open

March 2nd

For 6 weeks, small business owners across Canada can enter to win one of twelve grants valued between $1,000 to $5,000 CAD, by completing a Diageo module then submitting their business application for review!

2 Applications close

May 17th

Applications will be open from March 2nd until May 17, 2026 at 11:59 PM (EST).

After the deadline, you can still complete a Diageo module but you won’t be considered for the Bold Spirit Awards, so don’t miss your chance!

3 reviews begin

May 18th

For four weeks, our team will carefully review your applications, then shortlist our finalists for each of our four award categories.

4 Winner announcements

August 18th

We’ll publicly celebrate our winners and reach out to empower them with funding to fuel their next steps!

FAQ:

General questions:

  • The Bold Spirits Awards give small business owners the chance to win between $1,000 to $5,000 in funding by developing their skills through a Diageo Life Skills module, then showcasing their business achievements in their application.

  • The application deadline is on Sunday, May 17th, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST

  • The Bold Spirits Awards is open to small business owners across Canada who meet the following criteria:

    ✅ Age Requirement – Applicants must be between 19 and 34 years old at the time of application.

    ✅ Income barriers – The entrepreneur applying must have earned under $35,000 in personal income on their most recent Notice of Assessment.

    ✅ Business Registration – You must have a registered business with a valid business number (BN) or proof of registration.

    ✅ Time in Operation – Your business must have been operating for less than 5 years (with a dedicated category for businesses under 2 years).

    ✅ Revenue Cap – Your business must fall within a specific annual revenue threshold (e.g., under $100,000) to ensure we are supporting early-stage and small businesses.

    ✅ Diageo Life Skills Completion – Applicants must complete at least one Diageo Life Skills module by passing the quiz with a score of 90% or greater.


    You are ineligible to apply if:
    ⛔ Your business is a nonprofit
    ⛔ You’re a previous Bold Spirit Awards winner

    Please note: As we aim to honour our mission of supporting underserved and underrepresented young people in entrepreneurship, we welcome applicants of all races, genders and sexualities so long as they also meet the above criteria.

  • No, completing a BITS program is not required.

  • We’ll be choosing three winners from each of our four awards categories.

    🥇 1st Place will receive $5,000
    🥈 2nd Place will receive $2,500
    🥉 3rd Place will receive $1,000

questions about Diageo Learning Skills for Life Modules:

  • Diageo’s Learning Skills for Life modules are now easily accessible on the course section of our website.

  • Click here to head over to our Diageo Learning Skills for Life modules course page. Then:

    1. Choose the module you’d like to complete

    2. Open the PDF to review the content and brush up on your biz knowledge 🧠

    3. Take the quiz and score at least 90% to receive a passing grade
      (you’ll receive your score via email - so be sure to check your inbox!).

      And ✨ta-da✨ - that’s it!

  • You only need to complete one Diageo Learning Skills for Life module to be eligible, but you're welcome to complete as many as you’d like to continue developing your skills!

  • If you’ve already completed a Diageo module with BITS in the past, you aren’t required (but are still welcome) to complete a module again. Our team will have your previous completion on file - so congrats!

    Please pass go and head directly to the Bold Spirit Application form!

  • In the past, we’ve run “get paid to learn” initiatives with Diageo, where participants were granted $50 after successfully completing a module.

    This initiative is no longer available, and only selected winners will receive funds.

questions about The Application and review process:

  • All applicants must provide:

    • Business registration

    Finalists may be asked to share:

    • Their most recent Notice of Assessment

    • A valid form of ID

    Optional documents:

    • Supporting files such as pitch decks, news features, or other relevant media

  • No, only one application per business is allowed.

  • You can apply to any of the award categories that align with your business journey. The application will prompt you to opt in to which awards you’d like to be considered for.

    Please note:

    • Regardless of how many you select, businesses can only win in one category.

    • The Flying Start Award is only open to businesses operating for less than 2 years

    • The Big Leap Award is only open to businesses operating for 2-5 years

  • There are four award categories available:

    1. Community Impact Award 🤗
      For businesses making a social impact on others in their community

    2. Resilience & Reinvention Award 💪
      For businesses that have bounced back after a major setback

    3. Flying Start 🏃‍♂️‍➡️
      For new business (under two years in operation) who have already found commercial success

    4. The Big Leap 🚀
      For businesses that have had considerable commercial growth in a short period after 2 years in operation

  • Yes, solo entrepreneurs are eligible (and encouraged) to apply. The only businesses that are ineligible are those that operate as nonprofits or who have previously won a Bold Spirit award.

  • Unfortunately, unregistered businesses are ineligible to apply because tax forms must be issued to winners. However, you are encouraged to complete the Diageo Life Skills modules to enhance your business knowledge.

  • Applications will go through a three-stage selection process:

    ✅ Internal Review – Ensuring applications meet the eligibility criteria

    ✅ Shortlisting – Top businesses are reviewed by industry professionals

    ✅ Final Selection – A selection committee makes the final decision

  • To ensure fairness, BITS will invite external experts from outside the organization to join the reviewers' team and selection committee. Applications will go through:

    ✅ Initial internal review

    ✅ Shortlisting by expert reviewers

    ✅ Final selection by committee members

  • Winners will be asked to participate in a short survey and video interview six months after receiving their grant to highlight the impact on their business.

    We want to tell your story!

  • For any questions, please reach out to our program coordinator, Vlad, at vlad@businessinthestreets.com

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