(Barrie, ON) – Do you know a Barrie business, individual or community group that has shown creativity, adaptability, leadership, or innovation? Nominations for the 8th annual Mayor’s Innovation Awards are now open. These awards recognize and celebrate the year’s most creative solutions from businesses, individuals, and community groups.
“Innovation is a driving force behind Barrie's success," said Mayor Alex Nuttall. "New ideas are attracting investment, creating opportunities, and helping our city thrive. The Mayor's Innovation Awards are an opportunity to recognize those whose leadership, creativity, and commitment are shaping a stronger, more prosperous future for Barrie."
The awards feature the following categories:
- Pivot Point: A company or organization that has discovered and pursued an opportunity to grow in unexpected directions when faced with market or operational challenges.
- Creative Collaboration: Two or more companies or organizations that have built an alliance and reached new heights or achievements that they could not have reached alone. Contributions may be across sectors, industries, geographies, products, services, or customer bases.
- Research & Innovation Contribution: This category recognizes industry and academic researchers, and entrepreneurs, whose innovative activities have had high impact on their individual business or sector, engaging knowledge users throughout the process.
- Youth Innovator: A youth under the age of 25, who is currently a full-time student or returning to school full-time in the next academic year, who has an entrepreneurial enterprise. A monetary award is available for the winner to put towards their business.
- Shift Disturber: An individual who has championed innovation in their organization or in Barrie’s community.
- Municipal Innovation: This award recognizes an individual, team, or department at the City of Barrie for their commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in public service.
Nominations are open to Barrie businesses, organizations, groups, and individuals from all sectors, stages, and sizes. The Municipal Innovation award is selected through a separate internal progress. Nominations are evaluated by independent panels of judges from across the region and the province, and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in spring 2027.
Last year, the Mayor’s Innovation Awards received over 80 nominations and recognized the following winners:
- Pivot Point: Canadoor Garage Doors
- Creative Collaboration: New Roots New Routes program created by the Sandbox Centre and Georgian College’s Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre
- Research & Innovation Contribution: SEAN.CA
- Youth Innovator: Omid Latifi, Latifi Digital Strategies
- Shift Disturber: Ryan Joyner, Victory Ridge Sports Distribution Inc.
- Municipal Innovation: Biosolids Pilot Project, led by the City of Barrie’s Infrastructure division
Nominations for this year’s awards will be accepted until November 18, 2026. Visit investbarrie.ca/InnovationAwards to learn more and submit nominations.
