First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) 

SVX advised the First Nations Technical Institute on their development of a new undergraduate program in Indigenous Sustainable Food Systems through understanding the current landscape of incubators, accelerators, and other entrepreneurship training programs. For this project, we conducted market research, organized curated study tours to learn from relevant stakeholders, and made recommendations on program design. 

In 2021, with the federally funded Investment Readiness Program (IRP) as an early stage innovator, First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) hoped to validate the construction of an on-site Indigenous Food Sovereignty Incubator to supplement their planned undergraduate degree program in Indigenous Sustainable Food Systems. Informed by its salient experience in investor and SPO education programming, bootcamps, accelerators, and incubators SVX acted as an ecosystem connector, consultant, and catalyst in service of FNTI and their goals. 

Throughout the length of their engagement, SVX worked to support FNTI in: 

• Conducting an environmental scan of the food system innovation landscape in order to determine which organizational model would be most appropriate for FNTI 
• Developing their understanding of the social finance ecosystem and associated opportunities. 
• Facilitating the networking, connection and in depth learning between FNTI and operational accelerators / incubators from across Canada. 
• Consolidating learnings and insights from FNTI Study Tours. 
• Surfacing relevant key findings and elements to support FNTI in the design and modeling of a tentative future food systems accelerator / incubator. 
• Supporting the ideation and development of a design process and implementation plan.