Pôle IDEOS

What Pôle IDEOS does

Pôle IDEOS is a university research and outreach center at HEC Montréal, founded in 2012, dedicated to social impact management education, research, and ecosystem support. Operating under a three-pillar model of awareness (sensibilisation), support (soutien), and knowledge dissemination (diffusion), the center delivers coaching mandates, customized training, student scholarships, and academic competitions to HEC Montréal students, social entrepreneurs, non-profits, cultural organizations, and enterprises operating in Quebec's social economy. Its product portfolio includes the Social Business Creation international competition (165+ teams), the SEED international development project (8,000+ micro-entrepreneurs across 20+ cities on three continents), an entrepreneurship accompaniment pathway integrated into HEC Montréal's La Base Entrepreneuriale incubator and accelerator programs, the annual Social Innovation Week, and a library of freely distributed management guides and video capsules built around proprietary frameworks such as the Social Business Canvas, Empathy Map Canvas, and Impact Gaps Canvas.

The center is governed and delivered by HEC Montréal faculty and a small administrative team (approximately 10 staff), with a director (Luciano Barin-Cruz) and associate director (Natalia Aguilar Delgado) drawn from HEC's management faculty. Its flagship differentiator is hosting the first Yunus Centre in Canada (established November 2016), anchoring the program in Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus's social business philosophy. Funding flows from HEC Montréal's institutional budget, Quebec government ministries (MEI, Ministry of Culture, MIFI), private foundations (Bougie, Claire-Léger, Ariane Riou and Réal Plourde, Atypic, Mirella and Lino Saputo), and corporate partners (Desjardins International Development, Scotiabank, KPMG). All programs are offered free to participants; IDEOS does not operate a commercial pricing model and does not generate revenue from participant fees.

Operationally, IDEOS distributes programs through on-campus delivery at HEC Montréal, digital channels (YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, email), and partner networks including BINAM, Humanov-is, Groupe 3737, Microcrédit Montréal, and Hoodstock. International reach is achieved through the SEED project and the international competition; Quebec and Greater Montréal remain the primary engagement footprint.

Name

Pôle IDEOS

Legal name

IDEOS - Pôle en gestion de l'impact social

Website

https://ideos.hec.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pôle IDEOS is a university research and outreach center at HEC Montréal that educates students, coaches social entrepreneurs, and supports non-profits on social impact management, funded by institutional budgets, government grants, and foundation donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Impact Management Education

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Social impact management
• Social entrepreneurship education
• Nonprofit coaching services
• Business incubation acceleration
• Social innovation research

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal, Québec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. University Institutional Funding & Grants: IDEOS operates as a university center at HEC Montréal, funded primarily through institutional budgets, private foundation grants (e.g., Bougie Foundation, Claire-Léger Foundation, Atypic, Ariane Riou and Réal Plourde Foundation, KPMG), and government funding from Quebec ministries (MEI, Ministry of Culture and Communications, Ministry of Immigration, Francisation et Intégration). Revenue is not generated from participant fees — programs are offered free of charge to organizations and students.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Pôle IDEOS is a university-based social impact management center at HEC Montréal that delivers free educational programs, business incubation and acceleration pathways, customized organizational coaching, an international competition, scholarships, and applied research to students, social entrepreneurs, NPOs, and cultural organizations. Its work is built around three axes — awareness, support, and knowledge dissemination — and includes the first Yunus Centre in Canada, the SEED international development project, and proprietary pedagogical frameworks (Social Business Canvas, Empathy Map Canvas, Impact Gaps Canvas).

Product overview

Pôle IDEOS is a social impact management center at HEC Montréal operating as a single integrated offering rather than a software platform. Its portfolio consists of educational programs, competitions, training, and knowledge resources: the Social Business Creation Competition provides international competition and training for social entrepreneurs; La Semaine de l'Innovation Sociale hosts annual awareness events; the IDEOS Scholarship Program supports student research; the Entrepreneurial Accompaniment Pathway offers incubation and acceleration services; Customized Trainings deliver organization-specific education; and various Video Capsules and Management Guides provide practical resources. The SEED Project extends international development work, while Centre Yunus connects to the global social business movement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Social Business Creation Competition An international competition and innovative training platform organized by HEC Montréal with Yunus Centre support, where participants learn to use market mechanisms to solve social challenges and create profitable businesses with high social impacts.
• Social Innovation Week (La Semaine de l'Innovation Sociale) An annual week-long event dedicated to the HEC Montréal community to raise awareness about social innovations and social and environmental issues through conferences, panels, and discussions.
• IDEOS Scholarship Program A scholarship program supporting HEC Montréal students to carry out projects in social organizations, with 97 scholarships awarded since 2012 totaling $322,500.
• Entrepreneurial Accompaniment Pathway (Social Impact Incubation and Acceleration) A social impact accompaniment pathway offered to entrepreneurs selected in HEC Montréal's Entrepreneurial Base programs (EntrePrism Incubator, Rémi-Marcoux pathway, National Bank Accelerator), providing workshops, coaching, and mentorship to integrate social impact into their ventures.
• Customized Trainings for Organizations

Quantifiable outcome

• 97 scholarships awarded, $322,500 total awarded since 2012
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• EntrePrism Incubator (HEC Montréal)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The EntrePrism incubator at HEC Montréal partnered with IDEOS in 2017 for a pilot project integrating 8 social impact workshops. The partnership was officially formalized in 2018 with 11 social impact workshops. The EntrePrism is part of La Base Entrepreneuriale at HEC Montréal.
• Yunus Centre (Bangladesh)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2016In November 2016, IDEOS, HEC Montréal, and the Yunus Centre agreed to create the first Yunus Centre in Canada. The centre is inspired by the philosophy of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank. One of its objectives is to work with Canadian companies on social impact projects. The centre is led by Professor Luciano Barin Cruz and hosts the annual Social Business Creation competition.
• Desjardins International Development (DID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDID, a component of the Desjardins Group since 1970, partners with IDEOS on the SEED project (Entrepreneurship and International Development). DID provides financial support and technical expertise to promote the autonomy of less privileged populations. IDEOS provides technical support to local organizations through the SEED project, which has reached over 8,000 entrepreneurs across 20+ cities on 3 continents.
• Bureau d'intégration des nouveaux arrivants à Montréal (BINAM) — Ville de MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBINAM of the City of Montréal partnered with IDEOS on the Pacte pour l'inclusion au travail des personnes immigrantes. IDEOS coordinates the project and brings its knowledge of management practices to maximize social impact. Three faculty members provide expertise to participating companies. The project is part of the City of Montreal's Inclusive Montreal strategy.
• University of Navarra (IESE Barcelona)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Navarra (IESE) is one of the academic partners of the SEED project alongside the University of Alberta and University of Michigan. Researchers from IESE (including Associate Professor Desirée Pacheco) mobilize research for the benefit of micro-entrepreneurs and micro-enterprise development.
• University of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Michigan is an academic partner in the SEED project, with Associate Professor Charlene Zietsma contributing research expertise. The university is part of a network of researchers mobilizing research for micro-enterprise development at Canadian and international levels.
• University of AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Alberta is an academic partner in the SEED project with Assistant Professor Angelique Slade Shantz and Ph.D. student Kylie Heales contributing to the research team. The university is part of the international research network supporting micro-entrepreneurs.
• Humanov-isminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHumanov-is, a social innovation liaison and transfer agency, mandated IDEOS to support the 'Communauté soignante' (Health Care Community) in identifying an organizational form and governance principles aligned with its mission and values.
• La Base Entrepreneuriale HEC MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Base Entrepreneuriale at HEC Montréal is the umbrella platform integrating IDEOS's social impact pathway across its three programs: entrePrism incubator, Rémi-Marcoux pathway, and National Bank Accelerator. As of 2023, social impact is integrated throughout La Base Entrepreneuriale's programming.
• Groupe 3737minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroupe 3737 is a community organization supporting entrepreneurs in underprivileged Montreal neighbourhoods and a partner in IDEOS's training program for entrepreneurship advisors in disadvantaged areas.
• Microcrédit MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrocrédit Montréal is a partner in IDEOS's training program for entrepreneurship advisors, supporting micro-entrepreneurs in Montreal's underprivileged neighbourhoods.
• HoodstockminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoodstock is a community organization supporting the Montreal North neighbourhood and a partner in IDEOS's training program for entrepreneurship advisors.
• City of Sainte-CatherineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Sainte-Catherine partnered with IDEOS to develop its first Sustainable Development Policy through a stakeholder consultation process using materiality assessment tools.
• Maison de l'Innovation Sociale (MIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Maison de l'Innovation Sociale is a partner of IDEOS, having co-authored a memo on embedding social innovation as a practice field for a resilient Quebec, submitted to the Quebec Research and Innovation Strategy (SQRI) consultation.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ashoka: Global network supporting leading social entrepreneurs and the issuer of the Changemaker Campus designation IDEOS holds via HEC Montréal. Comparable in its role as a network-builder and educator in social innovation.
• Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship: A global platform co-founded with the World Economic Forum that advances social entrepreneurship worldwide. Highly comparable in its focus on scaling social enterprises, ecosystem building, and cross-sector partnerships.
• Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship (Oxford Saïd): A leading academic center for social entrepreneurship embedded in a top business school (Oxford Saïd). Like IDEOS, it operates within a business school, funds scholarships and research, and incubates social ventures.
• B Lab Global: The non-profit behind the B Corp certification—a key topic in IDEOS's customized training offerings. Both organizations drive standards and frameworks for measuring and certifying social/environmental performance.
• Centre for Social Innovation (Toronto): A Toronto-based coworking and community space for social-purpose organizations. Comparable to IDEOS in fostering a community of social innovators and providing capacity-building resources for NPOs and impact ventures.
• Yunus Centre (Bangladesh): The parent organization behind IDEOS's Yunus Centre designation, founded by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. The two share the same social-business philosophy, mandate, and competition framework (Social Business Creation).
• Maison de l'Innovation Sociale (MIS): A Quebec-based social innovation hub and an active IDEOS partner (joint memo on Quebec social innovation strategy). Targets the same Quebec social-economy ecosystem with research, convening, and capacity-building services.

Broad incumbents

• Stanford Graduate School of Business — Center for Social Innovation: A flagship academic center for social innovation embedded in a leading business school. Closely parallel to IDEOS's HEC Montréal positioning but with significantly larger scale, faculty, and global MBA reach.
• MaRS Discovery District: Canada's largest urban innovation hub, with a significant social-impact portfolio. While much broader than IDEOS (it spans tech, health, cleantech), it competes for the same impact-focused entrepreneurs in the Toronto ecosystem and offers similar advisory/coaching services.
• INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Initiative: An academic initiative within INSEAD advancing social entrepreneurship research, teaching, and practice. Like IDEOS, it combines MBA-level pedagogy with entrepreneur support, but at a much larger global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLe2FegVxX4rx4ElA4xC8Jg
• Facebookfacebook.com/poleideos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/p%C3%B4le-ideos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pôle IDEOS