Bruce County is receiving over $34,000 to continue offering its Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) programs.
The extension to the SBEC for the 2024/25 fiscal year will allow the Summer Company and Starter Company Plus programs to continue to operate and support local businesses.
This comes after the provincial government recently announced its budget, which resulted in the two programs receiving top ups, allowing them to continue to operate over the next two fiscal years.
The Starter Company Plus program provides training, mentoring and grants of up to $5,000 to entrepreneurs who are looking to start, expand or buy a small business.
A report from Commissioner of Community Development Claire Dodds says, “the county will be delivering four key components of the Starter Company Plus Program including: approved participant intake, training and skills development, mentorship, and micro grants.”
The Summer Company program also provides training, mentoring and grants of up to $3,000, but to youth entrepreneurs who aim to start a full-time business over the summer.
“The program delivery includes promotion and marketing to the youth, determination of eligibility of potential applicants, assistance in completing applications, assessing submitted applications to determine approved participants and training and mentoring of the approved participants and finally, grant funding upon completion of training and successful running of the summer business,” says Dodds in the report.
The county currently does not have an agreement to continue these programs for 2025/26. At the beginning of March, however, the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade informed the county it would be reviewing the SBEC program across the province.
Council will be reviewing this extension to the SBEC during its meeting on May 2 at 11 a.m.