In 2013, the Accelerator Centre (AC) in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario piloted a program, called JumpStart, to mentor startups and entrepreneurs.This year, the program receives a full launch alongside $8M in funding. The AC JumpStart program is a four-year partnership between the Accelerator Centre and three post-secondary institutions: Conestoga College, the University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier…
The BDC Young Entrepreneur Award contest is presently accepting applications from eligible Canadian entrepreneurs. Applications are open to candidates aged 18-35 in Canada seeking to expand their business through innovation. Applications are now being accepted until March 18, 2015. Two prizes are available to the contest winners. Grand Prize: $100,000 towards implementation of the entrepreneur’s…
Investing in the growth and development of your labour force can require a significant financial investment. Thankfully, many Canadian SMEs are eligible to receive Canadian government grants and business funding to aid in their enterprise’s training activities. Ontario SMEs now have access to several Canadian government funding grants, including the newly released Canada-Ontario Job Grant….
In 2012, Statistics Canada compared Canadian business’ commitment to introducing new innovations within their organization between 2007-2009 and 2010-2012. When comparing these time periods, trends can be seen towards an increased focus on organizational innovation, as well as a dedication towards product innovation. These two metrics relate to productivity improvements throughout the organization, often carried…
Businesses in Leamington, Ontario have access to a complimentary information session on Ontario being held on Thursday, February 19, 2015 from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the Municipality of Leamington Economomic Development Office. The session will be led by Bernadeen McLeod, the Founder and President of Ltd. Bernadeen and Mentor Works are committed to researching and…
If you are interested in learning about Canadian business grants and loans to help grow and innovate, our Mentor Works team is quite active in the month of February. Bernadeen McLeod and Laura Hunter Mather will be presenting and attending events throughout the month. If you plan on attending any of these events, please be…
The Federal Government is continuing to assess barriers to inter-provincial/territorial trade to determine what influences a business’s ability to trade outside of their province or territory. In an earlier article on Canadian internal trade, we highlighted industries, goods, and job roles that were impacted by inconsistent regulation and legislation. This inconsistent policy framework limits Canadian…
Southern Ontario manufacturers focused on exporting outside of Canada should take note of a newly launched grant. The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) association is providing established manufacturing businesses with funding to support the assessment and adoption of advanced technologies. Interested in learning more? Register for our free upcoming informational CME SMART Advanced Technologies for…
Three medical companies located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will receive up to $2.2 million in investments in the year 2015. In an effort to continually advance and develop southern Ontario’s innovation sector, the Investing in Business Innovation (IBI) Initiative provides new entrepreneurs with a 0% interest business loan to support commercialization projects for…
Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) has announced the launch of their Western Diversification Program (WDP) Call for Proposals (CFP). The WDP is a business funding initiative dedicated to helping not-for-profit organizations seek and develop future project proposals in Western Canada. The WDP’s primary goal is to develop and support Western Canada’s economy through tactical investment…