The 2026 Canada Youth Innovation Competition is a youth innovation program organized by the Youth Innovation Award Foundation for students in Grades 7 through 12 across Canada. The Foundation was initiated by Alex Cui, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of GPTZero. Following his success in technology and entrepreneurship, Alex established the charitable foundation to give back to the community and create opportunities for young people to develop original ideas, build practical skills, and turn innovation into meaningful solutions.

The competition is open to students enrolled in Grades 7 through 12 in Canada. Students may participate individually or as part of a team of up to four students. Team members must be listed accurately during registration and should remain consistent with the final submission.

The competition features a total prize pool of CAD $100,000. Current award categories include the Grand Award at CAD $10,000 per winning project, the Outstanding Award at CAD $5,000 per winning project, and the Merit Award at CAD $2,000 per winning project. The final number of awards will be confirmed by the Organizing Committee. Eligible participants who complete a valid submission will receive a certificate of participation and a commemorative gift.

The competition provides eight reference categories: 1) Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems Innovation; 2) Biotechnology and Healthcare Innovation Solutions; 3) Environmental Protection and Sustainable Innovation Technologies; 4) Clean Energy and Low-Carbon Innovation Applications; 5) Smart Cities and Future Manufacturing Innovation; 6) Social Innovation and Technology for Public Benefit; 7) Humanities and AI Art; and 8) Other. These categories are provided for participants’ reference. Participants should select the category that best matches the problem addressed by their project, the technology used, and its primary application scenario.

All deadlines are based on Toronto time: online registration closes on July 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.; project submissions are due on August 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.; expert evaluation takes place from September 1 to 30; results are finalized from October 1 to 3; and the awards ceremony will be held on October 4, 2026. The method and timing of the public announcement will be confirmed by the Organizing Committee.

Participants must complete and submit the online registration form through the official competition website. Required information includes the project title, lead participant, team members, school, grade, contact person, and contact details. Once registration is confirmed, each project will receive a unique Project Registration Number, such as CYIC2026-XXXX.

Yes. However, each separate project must be registered independently before the deadline and must receive its own Project Registration Number. One registration number may correspond to only one project.

Competition entries will be submitted by email rather than uploaded directly through the registration website. The subject line should follow this format: [2026 Canada Youth Innovation Competition Submission] + Project Registration Number + Project Title + Lead Participant’s Name. The official submission email address will be announced by the Executive Committee.

Required materials include: 1) a Project Report in PDF format covering the project background, innovation, proposed solution, outcomes, and application value; 2) a Project Presentation in PPT or PPTX format, with an optional PDF copy; 3) participant information or registration confirmation; and 4) a Project Brief Page using the downloadable template. Participants may also include optional supporting materials such as images, data, drawings, program documentation, test reports, and other evidence.

Large video files should not normally be attached directly. Participants should provide a publicly accessible cloud link in the email body. Total email attachments should preferably not exceed 20 MB. Links must remain accessible throughout the evaluation period.

After receiving the submission email, the competition team will verify the Project Registration Number, project title, participant information, and completeness of the materials. A submission is considered successful only after the participant receives an official confirmation email. If no confirmation is received within 72 hours, the participant should promptly contact the competition team at admin@cayia.org.

A project may be updated before the submission deadline of August 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. If multiple versions are submitted, the last complete version received before the deadline will be used as the official version for evaluation. Supplementary submissions, replacements, or revisions will not be accepted after the deadline.

The judging panel will include university professors, research experts, corporate executives, industry professionals, and representatives from the investment community. Projects will be evaluated within the context of their selected category, with consideration given to product innovation, technical or solution depth, practical application value, and other relevant factors.

The competition consists of two evaluation stages: an Online Preliminary Evaluation and a Finalist Roadshow. In the first stage, all eligible submissions will undergo a blind online review to determine which projects advance. In the second stage, advancing teams will present and defend their projects before a five-member judging panel, which will determine all final award recipients. Projects will be assessed across four weighted dimensions: 1) Product Innovation and Value — 40 points; 2) Technical Innovation and Implementation — 30 points; 3) Commercialization Logic and Practical Execution — 20 points; and 4) Logical Presentation and Team Collaboration — 10 points.

A submission may be strengthened by combining technological and application innovation, presenting a prototype or demo, providing experimental results or user feedback, and demonstrating potential for broader adoption or scalability.

Not necessarily. Projects may be at the concept, research, prototype, testing, or early implementation stage. A working prototype or demo may strengthen the evidence of feasibility, but a fully completed or market-ready product is not required.

No. Although this year’s competition places particular emphasis on AI agents and future-life innovation, it also includes categories in biotechnology, environmental protection, clean energy, smart cities, social innovation, humanities and AI art, as well as other fields. Projects are not required to use artificial intelligence. More importantly, they should present an original, feasible, and valuable solution to a real-world problem.

No. Commercial potential is only one possible consideration. Projects in education, public benefit, community service, environmental protection, accessibility, or other social-impact areas may receive strong evaluations even if they are not designed for profit.

Submissions must represent the participant's or team's own work. Teachers, mentors, and parents may provide guidance but should not replace the students in developing the core idea, research, design, or presentation. Generative AI may be used as a supporting tool for research, programming, design, or language editing, provided the participant understands, verifies, and meaningfully revises the output. Material AI use should be disclosed. Plagiarism, fabricated data, and unverified AI-generated content are prohibited.

For questions about registration, Project Registration Numbers, submissions, or competition rules, please email admin@cayia.org. Additional contact information and updates will be published through the official competition website and announcements.