Startups in Montreal may still be able to win an invitation to SXSW 2017 in Austin, Texas after all.

Montreal NewTech and Cooperathon are giving away tickets (two) to SXSW Interactive and one spot to pitch on-stage for a local startup applying to be in the annual SXSW Accelerator. Originally the deadline was Sunday November 13, but a new deadline has been put in place for Tuesday (tomorrow) November 15.

“We worked hard to get this partnership and I really think it’s an awesome opportunity for the Montreal startup community to get to SXSW for free,” said ilias Benjelloun of Montreal NewTech, the non-profit organization dedicated to the success of Montréal startup entrepreneurs. Every month Montreal NewTech hosts a free event where between five to 10 new startups pitch their idea.

Not only is the base prize pretty great (two tickets to SXSW’s Interactive portion), but the festival will also throw in secondary entry to all Film and Music events (which is seriously great). For anyone who’s ever been to Austin in March, this marks a special opportunity.

And what if the winning startup selected by Montreal NewTech actually ends up winning the entire SXSW Accelerator contest?

The winning companies will receive premium prize packages containing valuable tech-related goodies. They will also be given photo and interview opportunities with the attending technology and venture press, placing them in the spotlight as leaders in the future of technology. The winning prizes include two (2) SXSW Interactive badges for the 2018 SXSW Conference and Festivals, various SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event sponsor gifts and, most importantly, the opportunity to receive exposure to the SXSW audience looking out for the latest in cutting-edge technology. Additional prizes will be announced as the event date approaches.

Those are some nice prizes.

To win Montreal NewTech’s contest, one needs to enter its Facebook contest, which is decided by a popular vote. One also needs to apply to the SXSW Accelerator. However, the cost to apply to the Accelerator isn’t exactly cheap: $220.

The SXSW Accelerator is returning for its ninth edition and provides an amazing opportunity for you to pitch to a panel of industry experts, early adopters, and reps from the international Angel and VC community. According to figures provided by SXSW, over the past eight years 353 companies have pitched and 71 per cent received funding, totalling $3.1 billion. An additional 14 per cent of those companies were acquired.

The next SXSW will feature 50 Interactive technology companies from 10 different categories to pitch in front of a “world-class panel.” Past judges include John Sculley of Apple/Pepsi, Tim O’Reilly of O’Reilly Media, Paul Graham of Y Combinator, Naval Ravikant of AngelList, Guy Kawasaki, Chris Sacca, Facebook, Andreessen Horowitz and more.

SXSW Accelerator is on March 11, 2017.

Some more helpful info about the SXSW Accelerator:

For the SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event, companies must fall within one of the category descriptions listed below:

Augmented & Virtual Reality
Technologies using augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and other novel visualization technologies, including applications for Cardboard, Oculus Rift, and other emerging offerings from industry giants. These applications may address such uses as gaming, entertainment, data visualization, education, medical care, warfare, transportation, and many more subject.

Enterprise & Smart Data
Technologies that facilitate the comprehension and application of informational data through workflows and analytics. These startups seek to improve productivity for businesses and/or individuals by using big data through a number of ways that include (but are not limited to) data collection, management, analysis, presentation, interpretation, and augmentation.

Entertainment & Content
Technologies and applications that are reinventing the ways in which we learn, relax and enjoy our time. Examples of included sectors include (but are not limited to) gaming, music, film, television, video, news and publishing, streaming and digital storytelling, as well as new and hybrid forms of entertainment.

Health & Wearables
Technologies focused on human-centric health applications that connect the “health optimizer” and those with illnesses, their care teams, primary and specialist clinicians, inpatient and outpatient facilities, benefit providers, and corporate wellness programs to share timely, relevant health data and drive better outcomes at affordable and sustainable cost levels.

Innovative World
Any creative and innovative technology that does not fit in another category is encouraged to apply here. Examples of technologies that are currently seeing innovation include (but are not limited) to the Internet of Things, energy, space, natural resources, agriculture, and robotics.

Payment & FinTech
Technologies relating to the consumer and business financial space that include delivering new payment methods, new forms of currency, extending credit and other lending processes, equities trading, transaction processing, asset management, insurance, and/or any other functions traditionally provided by banks and investment banks.

Security & Privacy
Technologies revolutionizing sectors related to data security and privacy on the consumer and enterprise level. With interests rising in this field, examples of innovations include (but are not limited to) cybersecurity, encryption, data storage, infrastructure protection, incident analytics, ad targeting, identity management, and many other forms.

Social & Culture
Technologies that push the boundaries on how we navigate and interact in life with ourselves, our community, and our world. Examples of such sectors include (but are not limited to) social media, networking, dating, travel & hospitality, food or dining, fashion, the environment and social good.

Sports
Technologies impacting the before, during, and after in the sports and athletics sector. Whether geared towards novices or elite professionals, innovations in this field include (but are not limited to) the way we experience, prepare for, and participate in sports and outdoor recreation by using hardware or software applications focused on data-centric intelligence, measurement, and other analytical forms.

Transportation
Technologies transforming and optimizing the transportation industry on a consumer and enterprise level. These innovations create efficiency in the way we move from point A to point B through (but are not limited to) the connected car, data routing applications, on-demand or ridesharing services, autonomous vehicles, and other new disruptive means.