At the 11th annual Ontario Centres of Excellence Discovery Conference, the province announced the successful Ontario Social Impact Voucher program will return for the second year. In partnership with the Ontario Centres of Excellence, the program will provide 200 vouchers worth up to $3,000 each to eligible social entrepreneurs across Ontario to access relevant training programs such as business planning or marketing to help scale up their business.
Last year, 125 vouchers were fully subscribed within the first six months of the program’s launch, allowing participants to grow their business in terms of both customers and partnerships through useful training programs. Participants in the pilot program include social enterprises across a range of sectors, including health, cleantech, digital media and information and communications technology and advanced manufacturing.
Ontario is also announcing the winners of the Young Entrepreneurs, Make Your Pitch competition. Six promising entrepreneurs will receive a reserved spot in Ontario’s Summer Company program, which provides mentoring and funding to help launch new businesses.
Supporting youth entrepreneurship opportunities and helping start-ups succeed is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its priority to grow the economy and create jobs.
The application process for delivery organizations is open from May 9, 2016 to June 13, 2016.
The application process for social entrepreneurs and enterprises will open from August 29, 2016 to July 31, 2017.
LEARN MORE
- Ontario Centres of Excellence
- Young Entrepreneurs, Make Your Pitch competition
- Social Enterprise Progress Report
SOURCE: Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure
