Starter Company Plus is an Ontario-wide entrepreneurship program delivered through local Small Business Enterprise Centres. It supports early-stage and expanding businesses with training, mentorship, and the opportunity to qualify for non-dilutive funding through a grant component.
You can apply for Starter Company Plus through your local Small Business Enterprise Centre in the Ontario municipality where your business is physically located. The program is available across regions including Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon, York Region, Windsor and Essex County, Greater Sudbury and surrounding areas, Kingston, and Waterloo Region. Businesses must typically operate within the service area of the centre delivering the program.
Eligibility Criteria
Starter Company Plus eligibility focuses on Ontario residents starting, expanding, or buying small businesses under 5 years old.
Applicant Criteria
Must be 18+, Canadian citizen or permanent resident, Ontario resident, full-time on the business (often 35+ hours/week), not in school or other funded programs, and able to provide 25% matching funds.
Business Criteria
Ontario-registered for-profit businesses (sole prop, partnership, corporation) with local address, commercial bank account, proof of revenues/sales, year-round operations (not seasonal or pyramid schemes), and growth/job potential; prior recipients often ineligible.