This week, Canadian startup organizations opened applications for pitch competitions and programs for entrepreneurs. Here’s a roundup of what’s happening.
SheEO accepting applications from women-led businesses for Radical Generosity Initiative
SheEO, which supports women-led businesses, has opened applications for its Radical Generosity Initiative.
SheEO said the Radical Generosity Initiative provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to market their ventures to women in the space, receive a low-interest loan for a five-year term, access an online community of women who can help grow their businesses, and receive one year of coaching and support from SheEO’s Guided Development Team.
To be eligible for the Radical Generosity Initiative, applicants must have a business that will exceed $50,000 in revenue in their most recent year, have a business that is majority women-owned and women-led, and operates in the United States, Canada, or New Zealand. Applications must also be able to answer how their venture is creating a new model or new solution to improve and benefit humanity.
Interested applicants have until November 1st to apply.
Spark Centre accepting applications for $80,000 Ignite Competition
For the fifth year in a row, Spark Centre, which supports startups in Durham Region in Ontario, is accepting applications for its Ignite Competition.
Spark Centre will award up to $80,000 to entrepreneurs across four categories, which include discovery, scale-up, Ontario power generation, and student entrepreneur. Winners in the discovery, scale-up, and Ontario power generation categories will receive $25,000 each, while the winner of the student entrepreneur category will receive $5,000. The scale-up category winner will also receive an in-kind prize of $5,000 in professional services from Bereskin & Parr law firm.
Spark Centre said these cash rewards are meant to help entrepreneurs launch or scale their startups “without adding any debt load or diluting the founder’s equity.”
“Ignite was an amazing opportunity for us to spread our message of a patient-centered healthcare system,” said Zack Fisch, CEO and co-founder of Dash MD, which won the Ignite Competition last year. “We were grateful for the opportunity to share our work with an amazing crowd of innovators, entrepreneurs, and change makers. The funds from Ignite helped us fuel major hospital-system implementations. Spark Centre and Durham Region have helped us play a pivotal role in improving the quality and reach of care that Ontario patients are receiving in the here and now.”
Interested applicants have until 5 p.m. on September 29 to apply.
