frequently
Asked questions
Is ICUBE Studio a club?
No. ICUBE Studio is a university student life unit under the Institute of Management & Innovation at University of Toronto Mississauga—not a student club.
Who can use ICUBE Studio?
Anyone can use our paid services. To be eligible for free services, you must be an active member of ICUBE UTM’s business incubator program.
Does the studio take equity?
No. We do not take any equity. We are funded by the University of Toronto’s Entrepreneurship department.
Can I get a job at the studio?
Yes! We hire U of T students during the Fall/Winter and Summer terms. Watch for work-study postings under ICUBEUTM on CLNx.
Are the studio’s staff/students paid?
Yes. Every member of our team—students and professionals—receives an hourly wage for their work.
What happens when I run out of free hours?
You can purchase more hours, work with a partnered agency, or hire a freelancer. The choice is entirely yours.
What can I spend the studio hours on?
Hours can be used on virtually any digital service: branding, web/app/software development, and more. We encourage you to use these hours for areas where you lack resources or expertise.
Can I get a refund on purchased hours?
No. Once hours are used, they cannot be refunded because we pay our team for each hour worked. Unused hours can be applied within one year of purchase.
Why can’t you give me an exact quote?
Because projects always change, we provide a rough estimate only. No ethical agency can guarantee a fixed budget or limit on revisions without inflating costs or restricting your creative freedom.
Do I get a dedicated team or can I hire individual staff from ICUBE Studio?
ICUBE Studio is an agency—not a staffing service. We assign and manage the right mix of students and professionals behind the scenes, and team members may change as needed. Our staff also work on multiple projects at once, so there is no option to “hire” or keep a dedicated team solely for your venture.
How are your services so affordable?
Our rates are subsidized by the University of Toronto (no government grants), which allows us to offer below-market pricing. However, because we rely on part-time student talent, project timelines can be 1.5× to 2× longer than a traditional agency’s delivery.
Am I doing the studio a favor by using free hours?
We’re thrilled you’re interested in collaborating with us, but please know that our free hours are a courtesy we offer—not something we need to stay busy. These hours are meant to support your business in valuable ways and to give our student team hands-on experience working on real projects. We want to make the most of our time together, helping you grow and innovate.
