July 12, 2024 – The St. Catharines Enterprise Centre’s Summer Company Showcase
will be returning to St. Catharines City Hall on Wednesday, July 17.
The showcase will be held in the Burgoyne Woods Room (third floor), from 10 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. It will feature nine new businesses, launched by entrepreneurs between the
ages of 15 and 29 as part of the City’s Summer Company Program. The public is
welcome to attend.
Services being showcased and available for purchase from this year’s participants will
include landscaping, pool set up / cleaning, drum lessons, photography, window
cleaning for homeowners, online marketing, a company which allows customers to
make their own plush toy, plus a business offering artisan pieces, accessories and
décor.
The Summer Company Program is made possible through funding from the Province of
Ontario. Successful applicants receive a $3,000 grant (covering $1,500 in start-up costs
and an additional $1,500 when the program requirements have been completed
successfully). They also receive dozens of hours of business training and mentorship
through the Enterprise Centre. Participants can start up almost any type of business
they wish, as long as it’s an independent business venture and not an extension of an
existing or family business.
The St. Catharines Enterprise Centre (SCEC) was created through a partnership
between Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and the
City of St. Catharines’ Economic Development and Tourism Services department. The
SCEC provides guidance and support to start-ups and works closely with local
entrepreneurs to help them get started and strive for sustained success.