Ontario entrepreneurs can apply for a grant ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 from the province’s Starter Company Plus program, which helps founders connect to training, mentorship, and funding resources.
Through the Starter Company Plus program, entrepreneurs can get access to one-on-one guidance from their local Small Business Enterprise Centre advisor, participate in business workshops that cover topics like building a pitch, and get access to experienced mentors.
In Toronto, Starter Company Plus is being carried out in streams to ensure that entrepreneurs get access to appropriate resources for their companies and sectors. Some streams are carried out in partnership with local organizations, such as Artscape and the Toronto Fashion Incubator.
Some of the streams include Toronto’s Digital Main Street, which helps main street business integrate digital practices into their day-to-day operations; Food Venture, which supports entrepreneurs looking to start or grow a food processing business; and Creative Arts, which helps entrepreneurs start or grow an arts-related business.
In April, the Founder Institute announced that it is working with the Startup Company Plus program to launch the Technology Startup stream to help early-stage tech companies develop their business ideas. The Technology Startup stream is meant for companies that have been accepted into and graduated from the Founder Institute’s 14-week training and mentoring program.
To apply for a grant from any of the Startup Company Plus program’s streams, startups must seek out their local business centre for access to the program.
