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Entrepreneurship Funding Programs

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Home/...Economic DevelopmentSmall Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC)Entrepreneurship Funding Programs

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Summer Company Spotlight

The 2024 Summer Company program has accepted 12 students aged 15-29 to help launch a summer business through hands-on business training, mentorship and grant funding up to $3,000. Last year eight students took advantage of showcase events that took place at Richmond Hill's Ribfest event and Hillcrest Mall. Both events gave students exposure to live events, meeting prospects and customers. 

Owen Knowles was the recipient of the William F. Bell Young Entrepreneur Award.  This 2024 Summer Company Program participant launched his own car detailing business. Read the press release. 

Meet our 2024 Summer Company students
2024 Participants
Participants and their Company
2024 Summer Company student Aidan Ma

Aidan Ma

Company: StealthTech

  • Website
2024 Summer Company student Amber Malhotra

Amber Malhotra

Company: Amber Small Biz Web Designs

  • Website
2024 Summer Company student Bhava Malik

Bhava Malik

Company: BAS Jewels

  • Instagram 
2024 Summer Company student Catherine Li

Catherine Li

Company: Piano Pathways Academy

  • Instagram 
2024 Summer Company student Hamza Ali

Hamza Ali

Company: ClearVue Cleaning Services

  • Pressure washing and window cleaning
2024 Summer Company student Hasan Abidi

Hasan Abidi

Company: SOHO Photography Solutions

  • Photography and social media content posting
2024 Summer Company student Maggie Ping

Maggie Ping

Company: Anon

  • Paper book covers
  • Instagram
2024 Summer Company Student Owen Knowles

Owen Knowles

Company: Owen Knowles Interior Car Detailing

  • Website 
  • Instagram
2024 Summer Company student Ruhan Surani

Ruhan Surani

Company: Razer Hockey

  • Instagram
2024 Summer Company student Saif Bayouq

Saif Bayouq

Company: Terraform Landscaping

  • Instagram
2024 Summer Company student Sanaz Amir

Sanaz Amir

Company: Prodigy Prep

  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
2024 Summer Company student Shaan Brown

Shaan Brown

Company: RH Aquatic Coaching

  • Instagram

 

Funding Programs

Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Growth, the Starter Company Plus and Summer Company grant programs are offered through the Richmond Hill Small Business Enterprise Centre to assist you in starting, growing, or purchasing your company.

Starter Company Plus 

Are you looking to start up, scale up, or buy a company? Get funded with Starter Company Plus!

The Starter Company Plus program provides entrepreneurs aged 18 and over with tailored advice, mentoring, and training to help you launch or expand your business. Additionally, you have the opportunity to receive a grant of up to $5,000.

 

Applications for the 2024 Starter Company Plus program are open now closed. Intake for 2025 will open in June 2025. 

 

 Eligibility

  • 18 years of age or older
  • A Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident 
  • Your business must be located within Richmond Hill municipal boundaries
  • Not currently enrolled in full-time education and not planning to return to school full-time 
  • Proposing starting a new company, expanding an existing company, or buying a business in Ontario (excluding franchises, distributorships, wholesale, trade, commissioned sales, multi-level marketing ventures, not-for-profit and/or charities, strictly pay-per-click businesses, and single events such as music concert, fundraiser, sporting tournament, etc.)
  • Not controlled directly or indirectly by an individual who does not meet the eligibility criteria for the Starter Company Plus program
  • Prepared to commit to a minimum average of 35 hours a week to run the business
  • Prepared to commit to the monthly mentorship requirements for a minimum of 3 months
  • Prepared to complete a mandatory Business Training program
  • Not currently participating in any other self-employment or entrepreneurship training or financing programs offered by government funded organizations
  • Can demonstrate 25% cash or equivalent commitment to the business

Virtual Information Session 

We will be hosting a one-hour Virtual Information Session at 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. on June 27. Hear from prior Starter Company Plus grant recipients who will share their personal experiences and offer tips on what to expect. Register for the information session using the info session link below:

Info Session

 

Summer Company

Do you have an idea that you are super excited to bring to life or a business you are inspired start? Are you a student who is interested in learning what it would be like to be your own boss?

Get funded with Summer Company! Successful applicants get business education, 2 months of mentorship and up to $3,000 in funding.

To apply, you need a launch-ready business idea, a free summer, and a short business plan. This program is available for full time students between 15 - 29 years of age. 

Application Process
  • Intake for 2025 Summer Company program is now open. Start your application below:

Application

  • Complete the Eligibility Application (if eligible, you will be invited to an interview)
  • Submit your application
    • Business Plan Template (PDF file, Microsoft Word file)
    • Budget and Cash Flow Template (Microsoft Excel file) 
Eligibility
  • Enrolled in an Ontario high school, college, or university
  • Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident 
  • 15 to 29 years old
  • Not currently running a business
  • Not currently employed and working more than 12 hours
  • Not enrolled in summer school for more than 12 hours per week
  • Not a past Summer Company grant recipient
  • Commit to an average of 35 hours a week to run your business
Centre for Local Innovation and Collaboration (CLIC)

The City of Richmond Hill has partnered with OCAD University to launch the Centre for Local Innovation and Collaboration (CLIC)! Funded by eCampus Ontario and Centennial College, this unique, design-driven centre for innovation is part of a broad-based approach to accelerating business growth and innovation.

CLIC exists to explore opportunities for local businesses to gain access to applied research and to leverage human-centred design expertise. 

For more information visit: Richmondhill.ca/CLIC

 Eligibility
  • 18 years of age or older
  • A Canadian citizen or permanent resident
  • An Ontario registered business
  • Under 500 employees
  • Over 50% of staff located in Ontario
  • Prepared to work with OCAD researchers
  • Intention to leverage creative technology, human-centered design, and applied research to create products/services that improve the lives of Ontario residents

 

My Main Street

My Main Street, a $15-million investment, supports main street businesses across Ontario. Funded by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), My Main Street is being delivered through two new streams:

  • Business Sustainability Stream
    • This stream will assist brick-and-mortar businesses located on main streets across southern Ontario. Funding will support productivity enhancements through direct-to-business non-repayable contributions of up to $20,000. Funding will be made available to businesses that employ between 1 and 50 staff and provide a solid business case describing how the funding will strengthen their existing capacity and support their growth.
  • Community Activator
    • This stream assists community not-for-profit projects focused on high-impact placemaking activities. Support is provided in the form of non-repayable contributions of up to $250,000. Funded projects will include initiatives such as events and festivals, community enhancements and streetscape improvements.

For more information, application guide, and to apply for any of these two programs, please visit MyMainstreet.ca page.

Digital Main Street

The Digital Main Street Program funded by the Province of Ontario in partnership with the Ontario BIA Association seeks to help small main street businesses across Ontario improve their adoption of technologies to better promote themselves online, sell online and even run back-office processes online. Every business that wants to participate in the grant must first take an online assessment of their current technology use. Based on the assessment, the business will then develop a Digital Transformation Plan based on a template that will be provided which will detail their goals and what technologies they need to achieve those goals. To help put the plan into action, the business can then apply for the following grants:

  • Grow Your Business Online Grant (CDAP) - up to $2,400 to help with the cost of adopting digital technologies;
  • CLOSED ShopHERE powered by Google - free .ca domain, $500 credit for eBay listing, free curated livestreams from General Assembly, Google's advertising spend match; 70% off QuickBooks online, free Neo Financial's loyalty program.

For more information, please Learn more about the Digital Main Street Program.

Digitalization Competence Centre

Digitalization Competence Centre (DCC) is a Government of Ontario initiative led by Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) to drive digital modernization of Ontario small and medium enterprises (SMEs). There are two program streams to support SMEs in the adoption and implementation of digital technology:

  • Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan (DMAP) - supports SMEs to understand and implement their organization's technology needs; up to $15,000 to develop a digital adoption plan.
  • Technology Demonstration Program - for companies that completed DMAP project and are looking to implement digital technology laid out in DMAP; up to $150,000 available.

For more information and to apply, visit Digitalization Competence Centre program page.

Freshworks for Startups

Freshworks is a leading maker of cloud-based customer and employee engagement software. With this innovative partnership, Richmond Hill startups can receive 90% off the first year on the Freshworks suite of products and priority access to the Freshworks startup program including events, resources, workshops, mentoring and much more. 

To learn more about the program and apply please email rhsbec@richmondhill.ca.

ONTARIO MADE Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit

The Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit is a 10% refundable Corporate Income Tax credit for eligible corporations on qualifying investments in buildings, machinery and equipment for use in manufacturing or processing in the province. An eligible corporation could receive a tax credit of up to $2 million a year.

Mentorship Opportunities

If you have business experience and expertise and a desire to help develop new and aspiring entrepreneurs, then we'd like to hear from you. Start mentoring with the Richmond Hill SBEC and you will have the opportunity to connect with entrepreneurs who are starting or scaling up their businesses.

Apply to become a mentor

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Contact(s)

Richmond Hill Municipal Offices

225 East Beaver Creek Road,

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4

905-771-8800

access@richmondhill.ca

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