Rules Cooperathon 2026 – Coopérathon Global

THE COOPERATHON JOURNEY

The 2026 edition of the Cooperathon offers participants a pathway to develop their entrepreneurial project: aspiring entrepreneurs (individuals or teams) with or without an initial idea before registering, and at most a conceptual prototype (see Exception in the “Eligibility” section).

DURATION OF THE COOPERATHON

The Cooperathon (hereinafter the “Cooperathon” or the “Program”) is powered by the Desjardins Caisse Network (hereinafter “Desjardins”) and runs from February 9, 2026 at 12:01 AM (EDT) to July 9, 2026 at 11:59 PM (EDT) in Canada (hereinafter the “Cooperathon Period”).

From February 9, 2026 to April 26, 2026: Participant registration for the Cooperathon and team formation. During this period, the Cooperathon may hold optional information sessions, networking events, or team workshops in various locations. Participation in these activities is optional and does not affect participants’ eligibility for the Program.

April 26, 2026: Deadline for participant registration and team creation for the Program (registration is done on the Global platform).

From April 23, 2026 to May 21, 2026, 12:00 PM (EDT): 1st part of the training and prototyping program;

April 23, 2026: mandatory meeting for project leaders

April 27, 2026: official launch conference

May 22, 2026 – 12:00 PM. (EDT): Deadline to submit the application file to be selected for the second phase of the Program;

May 29, 2026 – 12:00 PM (EDT): Announcement of the teams selected for the second part of the Program.

From June 1 to June 30, 2026: 2nd part of the training journey with the selected teams.

July 2 and 3, 2026: Pitch competition for the 3 challenges and separate competition for the “University Research Track,” held virtually.

July 7, 2026: Pitch competition for the Cooperathon 2026 Grand Prize.

July 9, 2026: Announcement of the Cooperathon 2026 winners.

ELIGIBILITY

Cooperathon « General Track »

PRINCIPLE: The Cooperathon is open to all individuals who meet the following criteria:

Residents of Canada who are 18 years of age or older at the time of registration.

Aspiring entrepreneurs with or without an idea, in the pre-startup phase, and without a functional prototype at the time of registration for the Cooperathon.

Cooperathon « University Research Track »

EXCEPTION: A functional prototype may be accepted as part of the Cooperathon “University Research Track” if and only if the prototype meets all of the following criteria:

Was developed as part of a university research program

Has never undergone market analysis and has not been commercialized

Does not have a solid or structured team ready to commit long-term to the project (it is not an “emerging startup”)

Whose intellectual property is not personally owned or commercially exploited by a professor or any other member of the research team (for example, through a company they control). Intellectual property owned by a university or shared as part of academic research is, however, accepted

–> These criteria are cumulative. The Cooperathon team reserves the right to refuse or remove a team that does not meet these criteria.

The following are not eligible to participate in the Program : Desjardins executives, jury members and the people with whom they reside, mentors and the people with whom they reside, as well as members of the Desjardins Startup and Innovation Ecosystem team and the people with whom they reside.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE :

To participate, eligible participants must:

Visit the Cooperathon website (https://cooperathon.ca/) and click on the “Register” button;
Create their user profile and join the competition section on the Cooperathon collaboration platform, called « Global » (https://cooperathon.global/);
Confirm that they have read and accepted the Cooperathon 2026 rules.

The previous steps allow participation in the Cooperathon’s training and mentorship Program. During this period, the teams will advance their business idea and their entrepreneurial project.

It is not mandatory for participants to be part of a team at the time of registration. However, you will need to form or join a team to work on an idea or project throughout the training and mentorship program, no later than May 21, 2026.

Participation in the Competition Phase of the Program

To participate in the competition phase of the program:

The team must submit an application file that includes a description of:
- a problem statement,
- the proposed solution,
- the team,
- the link with the Sustainable Development Goals (hereinafter « ODD »)
- the expected impact, and
- a video of a maximum of 3 minutes presenting the prototype (conceptual or functional)
The team must consist of a minimum of 2 members and a maximum of 7 members.

PROCESS

Registration will open no later than February 9, 2026 on the website https://cooperathon.ca/. Each person registered for the Cooperathon must create their user profile on the Cooperathon collaboration platform, called “Global.” The registration period will end on April 26, 2026 at 11:59 PM (EDT) for participants in the program track.
Teams must work on a problem statement that addresses at least one of the three sectoral challenges. (A team may respond to only one challenge. Partners may be involved in these challenges to support teams during development. Their involvement and names will be revealed gradually as they commit, and no later than April 26, 2026.)
1. At the time of submitting the application file, the team must choose the sectoral challenge that their project addresses. It is the team’s responsibility to ensure that the project meets all eligibility criteria for that challenge. The program Program team reserves the right to place the project in a different category than the one chosen by the team.
2. The Program’s selection committee will select a cohort of teams to participate in the second phase of the Program, within one of the three challenges (People, Planet, Prosperity) and within the “University Research Track”
3. The number of teams selected per challenge and per track will depend on the quality, relevance, and diversity of the applications received. The Program aims to select approximately fifty (50) teams in total across all challenges and tracks.
From April 27, 2026 to May 26, 2026, the first part of the Program track will take place. Individuals and teams—with or without an idea and, at most, a conceptual prototype—work on a problem statement and propose a solution in the form of a prototype (Exception : see the “ELIGIBILITY ” section above). Highly recommended workshops will be offered throughout the entire Cooperathon training program to support participants in developing their idea or project and preparing the prototype of their solution, which will be presented in the application file. These teams will have access to subject matter experts during this first part of the track. Even though participation in these workshops is not mandatory, at least one team member must attend the workshops of the first phase for the team to gain access to the second phase.
Participation in all workshops does not guarantee that a team will be selected, as projects will still be under evaluation. The deadline to submit the application file is May 22, 2026 before 12 :00 PM (EDT). The program team will review the submitted applications and select a cohort of teams for the second phase of the track of the three challenges (People, Planet, Prosperity), as well as the “University Research Track.” Selection will be based on the quality, relevance, feasibility, and impact of the proposed projects. The number of teams selected per challenge and per track may vary.
The teams selected will:
1. Be invited to continue to the second phase of the track (from June 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026)
2. They will be invited to pitch in front of a jury corresponding to the challenge or track for which the team was selected, during the competition that will take place on July 2 and 3, 2026.
3. Be notified no later than May 29, 2026 at 5 :00 PM (EDT) that they may continue to the second part of the Cooperathon track.
For each challenge, the jury will determine the winning team (1st place).
Each winning team will be awarded a prize of a minimum of $10,000. At the discretion of certain partners, some of the cash prizes or complementary services may be increased depending on the challenge. This means that the monetary value of the prizes may vary from one challenge to another, but will always be at least $10,000.
Applications must be submitted online using the designated form, which will be available on the Cooperathon collaborative platform.

Submission of the application file for the first phase of the track will be done online and will be possible starting May 21, 2025 at 11:59 AM (EDT).

The deadline to submit the application file is May 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM (EDT).

Each application file must include:
1. A written description of:
  1. the problem statement,
  2. the solution (value proposition)
  3. the team
  4. the impact
  5. the link with at least one of the SDGs
  6. the prototype (conceptual or functional).
2. A video showing the developed prototype. This video must be a maximum of 3 minutes.
3. After evaluating the submitted application files, the selected teams will be invited to continue to the second phase.
The second part of the track for the selected teams begins on June 1, 2026 and ends on June 30, 2026.

THE 3 COOPERATHON CHALLENGES : PITCH & ANNOUNCEMENT

The pitch competition for the 3 challenges will take place on July 2 and 3, 2026.
All teams in the track are invited to pitch in front of a jury (composed of members from innovation ecosystems and experts in Canada, or executives from the various partners).
The Program organizing team reserves the right to add additional « pitch » categories based on the nature, quality, and diversity of the applications received. These additional categories may include, for example, prizes such as : Best Impact, Most Promising AI-Driven Solution, Best Low-Tech Innovation. The creation of these categories is at the sole discretion of the Program organizing team and does not alter the eligibility criteria of the challenges.
The selected teams will present their project (virtually) over a total duration of 12 minutes, broken down as follows:
1. 1 minute to connect to the videoconference link,
2. 4 minutes to pitch their project live
3. 7 minutes for judges’ questions and the team’s responses
  If a team is unable to present live for exceptional reasons, it may submit a prerecorded video of its pitch BEFORE June 30, 2026, at 12:00 PM (EDT). In such a case, and to ensure fairness among participants, prerecorded presentations will not be followed by a live Q&A period. This measure has been implemented to mitigate potential performance advantages associated with prerecording and to preserve fairness in the evaluation process.
Each jury for the 3 challenges will determine the top 2 teams : the team that won the challenge, and the team that finished in second place.
The top 2 teams from each challenge will be invited to pitch for the 2026 Cooperathon Grand Prize.
Since a prize is awarded for the “University Research Track”, a dedicated jury will determine the two best teams for this track, including the winning team and second-place team.
The winning team for each challenge will be announced during a special event in the week of July 6, 2026.
The evaluation grid that will be used to assess the projects during the competition phase will be published on the “Global” platform starting June 4, 2026.
For the winning teams of each challenge, the cash prize (which may include additional services) will be directly to the winning team by Desjardins or its partners. Payment of the prize must be made within 30 business days after receiving the banking information of all members of the winning team. The amount of each prize will be distributed equally among the members of the winning team, as listed in the team roster submitted with the application file, unless all team members provide written consent for the full amount to be paid to a legally incorporated entity (.INC, nonprofit, or cooperative).
Each member of the teams winning theCooperathon Grand Prizes agrees to sign a declaration and liability waiver prior to receiving the prize.

COOPERATHON GRAND PRIZES : PITCH & ANNOUCEMENT

On July 7, 2026, in the morning, the top 2 teams selected in each challenge will be invited, virtually, to present their project over a total period of 12 minutes, consisting of: 1 minute to connect to the video conference link, 4 minutes to pitch their project live, 7 minutes for judges’ questions and answers. If a team cannot pitch live for exceptional reasons, it may submit a prerecorded video of its pitch BEFORE June 30, 2026, at 12:00 PM (EDT). In such cases, no live Q&A will take place to ensure fairness among participating teams.
The jury members for the Cooperathon Grand Prizes are recognized experts from the Quebec and Canadian startup ecosystem and from the program’s various partners. Their selection is the responsibility of the Cooperathon organizing team. All judges are bilingual, allowing participants to choose whether they present in French or English.
The selection of the Grand Prize winners will be based on : the live presentation, the Q&A period, and the application file submitted for the competition.
A common evaluation grid, used for all projects, will be applied by the juries to score each team. It will be available no later than June 4, 2026, on the website cooperathon.ca.
The winning team of the Cooperathon Grand Prize will be announced during a special event in the week of July 6, 2026.
The cash award for the Cooperathon Grand Prize will be given by Desjardins (or designated partner) to the winning team within 30 business days after receiving the banking information of all team members. The prize amount will be distributed equally among the team members, as listed in the team roster, unless all team members provide written consent for the entire amount to be paid to a legally incorporated entity (.INC, nonprofit, or cooperative)
Each member of the teams winning the Cooperathon Grand Prizes agrees to sign a declaration and liability waiver form prior to receiving the prize.

COOPERATHON 2026 PRIZES

Prizes Awarded by Challenge

The amount of the prize awarded to the winning team for each challenge is a minimum of $10,000. A challenge partner may increase this amount with additional cash or in kind contributions (e.g., free workspace, expert time, etc.).

Cooperathon « Kudos » Prize

The Cooperathon team selects the team that stood out the most during the program through its commitment, motivation, and adherence to the process.

The amount of the prize is $5,000.

Additional Cooperathon Prizes

The Program team may award additional prizes based on the quantity, quality, and type of applications received during the project submission period, which ends on May 22, 2026.

These additional prizes will be determined between May 22, 2026 and May 29, 2026.

On May 29, 2026, the Program team will announce : the categories of additional prizes, the selected teams, and the prize amounts associated with each category.

The creation of additional prizes does not replace or reduce the prizes awarded for the main challenges.

Cooperathon Grand Prize

The Cooperathon Grand Prize is valued at $40,000

A team may win more than one of these prizes.

All prizes are listed on the Cooperathon website : (https://cooperathon.ca).

The Cooperathon team reserves the right, in exceptional circumstances, to modify, combine, or not award a challenge or prize, depending on the quality or number of eligible applications received.

EVALUATION

The evaluation criteria will be communivated to participants after they register for the competition. The project evaluation criteria will be available on June 4, 2026, at the start of the second part of the training track. These criteria will be used by the judges to evaluate:

The competition for the 3 challenges (on July 2 and 3, 2026)

The competition for the « University Research Track » (on July 3, 2026)

The competition for the Cooperathon Grand Prize (on July 7, 2026)

Special prizes that are awarded may use additional criteria to select the winning team. These additional criteria will be communicated publicly to eligible participants.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

Conditions to be declared the winning team of the Cooperathon
To be declared the winner of the challenge, the selected winning team must meet the following conditions:
1. Confirm that it meets the eligibility requirements and the other conditions of the Cooperathon rules;
2. On July 2 and/or 3, 2026: pitch virtually in front of the jury or, in exceptional circumstances, have sent the video of your pitch to the Cooperathon team BEFORE June 30, 2026, at 12 :00 PM (EDT). This video will be broadcast during the pitch session. There will be no Q&A period for teams that submitted a prerecorded video.
3. Be selected by the jury as the winning team;
4. Be present at the award ceremony. If attendance is not possible, the winning team must comply with certain conditions that will be communicated by the Cooperathon team.
5. If any of the above conditions or any other condition mentioned in these rules is not met, the selected team will be disqualified and, at the discretion of the organizers, the prize will be cancelled or awarded to another team in accordance with these participation rules. The same conditions will then apply with the necessary adjustments, if applicable.
Conditions to be declared the winning team of the Cooperathon Grand Prize
To be declared the winner of a Cooperathon Grand Prize for the General Track, the selected winning team must meet the following conditions:
1. Confirm that it meets the eligibility requirements and all other conditions set out in these rules; and
2. On July 7, 2026 (if your team is selected for the 2026 Cooperathon Grand Prize): pitch virtually in front of the jury or have sent the video of your pitch to the Cooperathon team BEFORE June 30, 2026, at 12 :00 PM (EDT). This video will be broadcast during the pitch session. The team’s (virtual) presence is mandatory for the Q&A period.
3. Be selected by the jury as the winning team;
4. Be present at the award ceremony. If the team is unable to attend, the winning team must comply with certain conditions that will be communicated to them by the Cooperathon team.
5. If any of the above conditions, or any other condition set out in these rules, is not met, the selected team will be disqualified and, at the discretion of the organizers, the prize will either be cancelled or awarded to another team in accordance with these participation rules. The same conditions will then apply with any necessary adjustments.
6. Teams participating in the « University Research Track » challenge are not eligible to win the Grand Prize for the «General Track».
7. The winner of the Grand Prize for the « University Research Track » is subject to the same conditions, except that they apply only to teams in the « University Research Track ».
Awarding the Prize. If the selected participant refuses to accept their prize, Desjardins and its partners will be released from any obligation regarding the awarding of this prize and may, at their discretion, cancel the prize or re-award it in the manner described in paragraph (1) of the General Conditions. The prize will be awarded to the team according to a mechanism defined between the winners and the Cooperathon organization.
Verification. All entries and all Declaration Forms may be subject to verification by Desjardins. Any that are incomplete, inaccurate, illegible, mechanically reproduced, damaged, fraudulent, submitted or transmitted late, containing an invalid telephone number, or otherwise non-compliant may be rejected and will not entitle the participant to the prize.
Disqualification. Any person participating in the Cooperathon or attempting to participate by any means contrary to these rules and unfair to other participants (for example: computer hacking, failure to disclose prior intellectual property) will be automatically disqualified and may be referred to the competent judicial authorities. Likewise, projects that have not complied with the pre-incubation (prototyping) status requirements for teams will be disqualified.
Intellectual Property.
1. Subject to what is provided in paragraph 6(c), participants agree that the intellectual property of the prototype and of the presentation of solutions during the Cooperathon belongs to the entire team. It is the responsibility of the teams to determine how this intellectual property will be shared and to ensure confidentiality when necessary.         
2. If the team uses preexisting and/or thirdparty intellectual property elements, the team must ensure that it has obtained all necessary rights before using them within the Cooperathon. Participants who are employees of an organization and wish to use intellectual property arising from their work must first ensure with their employer that their participation and the use of these elements are authorized.
3. Teams participating in the “University Research Track” acknowledge that their project may be governed by the intellectual property policies of their respective educational institution. It is the responsibility of each team to ensure that these policies are respected, where applicable. If participants within the same team are subject to different intellectual property policies due to the institution they belong to, it is entirely their responsibility to comply with each of them. It is also the sole responsibility of participants to ensure that they are authorized to disclose the information they present during the competition, including during the final pitch, which takes place in front of an audience.
Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure. By participating in the Cooperathon, all participants agree to maintain the confidentiality of any nonpublic information, ideas, or material (“Confidential Information”) presented by other participants as part of the Program. Participants may not disclose, use, or exploit this Confidential Information for any purpose whether internal or external to the Program without the prior approval of the participants who originally disclosed the information. This obligation remains in effect even after the end of the Program. Respecting the intellectual property of other participants is mandatory. Any violation of this clause may result in disqualification by the Cooperathon organizing team. Any legal action or recourse resulting from such a violation will be entirely the responsibility and at the expense of the party that disclosed the information. The Cooperathon organizing team, the Program, as well as Desjardins and its partners cannot be held responsible, under any circumstances, for disputes or legal proceedings between participants.
That said, the participants agree that all information disclosed during the final stage of the competition, namely during the final pitch, will no longer be considered confidential, given that the final pitch is presented in front of an audience.
Program Conduct. Any attempt to sabotage the legitimate operation of the program may constitute a violation of civil and criminal laws. If such attempts are made, Desjardins reserves the right to reject the participant’s entries and to seek remedies as permitted by law.
Acceptance of Prizes. The prizes must be accepted as described on the Cooperathon website and may not, under any circumstances, be transferred in whole or in part to another team, replaced with another prize, or exchanged for cash, unless otherwise decided at the sole discretion of the organizers.
Survey.Finalist and/or winning participants agree to take part in surveys and interviews in order to inform Desjardins about the progress and development of their project.
Being an Ambassador for the Cooperathon Program: The Cooperathon winners and alumni in general agree to:
1. Promote and convey a positive image of the Cooperathon and Desjardins, in accordance with all guidelines provided by the Cooperathon representative;
2. Obtain Desjardins’ consent before making any announcement or statement regarding their participation in the Cooperathon.;
3. Agree to obtain Desjardins’ consent before making any announcement or statement regarding your participation in the Cooperathon (including on your website or in your marketing materials), and agree to delete or modify any such announcement or statement upon request, including any requests related to the use of Desjardins’ trademarks on the Internet or in your marketing materials;
4. Display the Cooperathon logo on their website (with Desjardins’ consent), with a hyperlink to cooperathon.ca, for at least 12 months from the date their prize is awarded.
5. Publish (with Desjardins’ consent) at least one positive social media post about their experience and their prize (if applicable) within 6 months following the end of the Cooperathon.
6. Communication with Participants. No commercial or other communication unrelated to the Cooperathon will be sent to a participant unless they have explicitly consented to it. All communication or correspondence will be conducted solely within the scope of this program and in accordance with these rules, initiated by Desjardins or its partners, or for the purpose of obtaining the eligible participant’s consent.
Limitation of Liability:
1. Awarding of the Prize. Desjardins reserves the right to modify the prize amounts or the prize distribution structure if unforeseen circumstances arise, provided that participants are informed in advance.
2. Use of the Prize. The winner releases Desjardins from any liability for damages that may result from their participation in the competition, or from the acceptance and use of the prize. The winner acknowledges that from the moment they receive the prize or the letter confirming their prize, the fulfillment of the obligations related to the prize becomes the sole and exclusive responsibility of the various product and service providers. The winner agrees to sign a declaration and liability release form to this effect. The winner recognizes that the only applicable warranty for the prize is the standard warranty offered by the provider.
3. Force Majeure. Desjardins assumes no liability of any kind in situations where its inability to act results from circumstances beyond its control, including strikes, lockouts, or any other labor dispute within the facilities of organizations or companies whose services are used for the administration of this program.
4. Participation in the Cooperathon. Desjardins is not responsible for lost entries, any failure, regardless of the cause, of the website during the program period, or any damage caused to a participant’s computer or mobile device. By participating or attempting to participate in the Cooperathon, each person releases Desjardins from all liability and any damages they may suffer as a result of their participation or attempted participation in the program.
5. Other participants.  Desjardins assumes no liability of any kind with regard to the behavior of other Cooperathon participants.
Program Modification. Desjardins reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend this program, in whole or in part, in the event that an incident or human intervention occurs that could alter or affect the administration, security, fairness, or proper conduct of the program as set out in these rules; no liability may be attributed to Desjardins in such circumstances.
End of the Participation in the Program. In the event that, for any reason whatsoever, participation in the Cooperathon must end, in whole or in part, before the end date provided in these rules, the prize awarding may be carried out, at Desjardins’ discretion, among the entries duly registered and received up to the date of the event that ended participation in the competition.
By registering, each participant authorizes Desjardins to use, if necessary, their name, photographs, images, voice, placeofresidence information, as well as statements regarding the prize, if part of a winning team, for advertising purposes, without any form of remuneration or compensation.
If any paragraph of these rules is declared or deemed illegal, unenforceable, or null by a competent court, that paragraph will be considered null; however, all other paragraphs not affected will continue to apply to the fullest extent permitted by law.
These rules are available on the website https://cooperathon.ca and on the Cooperathon collaboration platform called “Global” (https://cooperathon.global/);
In the event of a discrepancy between the French and English versions of the rules, the French version shall prevail.
The Cooperathon is subject to all applicable laws.
Personal Information. By participating in the Cooperathon, you authorize Desjardins and its partners to collect, use, and disclose personal information about you for the purpose of administering the program and awarding prizes, in accordance with applicable regulations and its Privacy Policy available at www.desjardins.com/privacy-policy. By accepting a prize, and subject to their consent, each winner authorizes Desjardins and its partners to collect, use, distribute, and share, as needed, their name, place of residence (city, province), statements regarding the prize, photograph, image, voice, or any other representations and recordings in which the participant appears as part of the program, for advertising or promotional purposes, on any medium or platform (e.g., Desjardins’ website, Facebook pages, etc.), without any remuneration or compensation of any kind. The winner assigns the rights to use and reproduce, in whole or in part, the visual content captured by Desjardins and its partners for the purposes of the program.
Decisions. Any person participating in the Cooperathon agrees to comply with these rules and with the final and binding decisions of the organizers who administer the Cooperathon.

Note : This document has been translated from French to English. The masculine gender is used without discrimination and solely for the purpose of making the text easier to read. Only the French version of this document has legal effect. The English version (this version) is a translation provided for informational purposes.