The Small Business Centre (SBC) welcomes the launch of a new grant program called Starter Company Plus. The grant is funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade in support of small businesses in the Province of Ontario.
The 2019 grant program will be accepting applications from all small businesses, but will be targeting four priority criteria that support the local and regional economic development needs. They are ‘Women in Business’, ‘Youth in Business’, ‘Innovation and Technology’, and ‘Skills & Trades’. Applications are open and will be accepted until October 4, 2019 at 4:30 pm. The application can be found at www.smallbusinessctr.com
“Although the grant is worth up to $5,000 in funding, the real value and the real purpose of the program is to offer mentoring and training opportunities to the successful applicants”, says Luc Fournier, Program Coordinator for the Small Business Centre. “The application process is simple but the competitiveness will be strong this year.”
“With only 14 grants available, we expect there to be more applicants than there are grants”, says Amber Darling, Executive Director for Trenval. “This program really does offer more than just grant money. The support that comes with it is invaluable.”
The program is designed to stimulate economic growth and create positive job impact for our communities. The SBC can accept applications from any business starting out or already located in the City of Belleville, the City of Quinte West, Hastings County, Prince Edward County, and Lennox & Addington County.
The SBC is a part of the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs. Any business, regardless of being accepted to the grant program or not, can access free start-up and business expansion counselling services provided all year long. This includes workshops, seminars, and everyday resources, as well as business plan writing, strategic development, and problem solving.
The Small Business Centre is managed by Trenval Business Development Corporation on behalf of the City of Belleville and is located at the Quinte Business Development Centre on Wallbridge-Loyalist Road, Belleville.
For more details about Summer Company please visit www.smallbusinessctr.com and follow on Facebook @smallbusinesscentre
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For further information:
Luc Fournier, Program Coordinator, Small Business Centre
613-961-0590 x420 luc@smallbusinessctr.com
