Application Form

The Los Angeles office of the Trade Commissioner Service of Canada has developed the SoCal Black Tech Express, a program which will offer high-intensity services and programming to early-stage and tech-focused Canadian companies that are led by entrepreneurs who identify as visible minorities.

The SoCal Black Tech Express is designed to accelerate the growth of selected Canadian companies as they enter the Southwest U.S. market and navigate the local ecosystem of potential partners, investors, and customers. It is designed to increase the number of export-ready Canadian businesses operated by visible minorities and doing business in the U.S. The first cohort of the program will be dedicated to Black entrepreneurs. ​ 

Eligibility requirements:

• Participants must be registered Canadian companies looking for international market opportunities
• They must have a clear minimum viable product (MVP) or service relevant to the local SoCal ecosystem
• They are ideally revenue-generating and/or have previously secured some type of institutional funding (Angel, VC/PE, etc.) 
• They must have at least 1 Black Founder or Executive and be committed to investing time to participate in the program 
• Participants should be able to register as TCS clients before joining the SoCal Black Tech Express program. More information on the TCS ecosystem and how to register as a client here: 

We would like to hear from you and encourage your application even if the eligibility requirements are not all met. Note that the selection committee will base its selection on the information provided within this application form. Therefore, please provide complete responses to all questions. The selection committee reserves the right to conduct short interviews with some candidates should clarifications be needed to ensure a right fit for the program and for the SoCal region.

Please also note that a company deck and a brief video will be requested as part of the application form below. Candidates can savie the application and return at a later date to complete it before the deadline: September 15, 2021.

For more details on the SoCal Black Tech Express, please contact:

PRIVACY NOTICE

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is committed to protecting the privacy rights of individuals and safeguarding the personal information under its control.

"Personal information” is defined as any information, in any form, about an identifiable individual; refer to section 3 of the Privacy Act for further details regarding personal information. Personal information collected by GAC is protected from disclosure to unauthorized persons and/or agencies subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act. Individuals have the right to the protection of and access to their personal information and to request corrections where the individual believes there is an error or omission. For corrections the Department’s Access to Information and Privacy Protection Division can be contacted.

Information is being collected under the authority of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (now GAC), Section 10(2)(e). A completed application form is required by the Department for the purpose of assessing company eligibility for participation in the SoCal Black Tech Express program. Completion of all mandatory fields is required.

Personal information may be shared with Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) staff members, other Government of Canada contacts such as Export Development Canada (EDC), Business Development Canada (BDC) and NRC-IRAP, industry experts, local in-market contacts and in-market accelerators. 

Your personal information will be retained until we are advised of a change in company contact or you ask us to remove your name from our database. Personal information will be protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act and will be described in a DFATD Personal Information Bank (PIB) currently under development. When completed, the PIB can be viewed at Info Source. Individuals have the right to file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding the Department’s handling of their personal information.

By providing your personal information, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this statement and consent to the Department’s collection, use, disclosure, retention and disposal of your personal information. If personal information of another management team member has been included in this application form, you confirm it has been added with their knowledge and consent.*