Students in the Sarnia-Lambton area will be offered $3,000 grants to start and run their own business this summer through the Ontario Summer Company Program.
The Summer Company Program provides participants with a $1,500 grant to launch a business as well as mentoring and training in various aspects of entrepreneurship over the course of the summer. Upon successful completion of the program, students are eligible to receive another $1,500 for a $3,000 total.
This program is a joint initiative between the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership and the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade and has been running in Ontario for 21 consecutive years.
“The Summer Company Program has long been successful in the Sarnia-Lambton area, and we are eager to continue to foster youth entrepreneurship in our community through this offering,” said Stephen Thompson, CEO of the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership.
Following public health guidelines as a result of COVID-19, student entrepreneurs’ start-ups should not require direct interaction with customers. Interested applicants are encouraged to explore offering electronic payment options for traditional services or e-commerce business options.
“Through Summer Company, our team has worked with students in a variety of sectors, ranging from in-demand seasonal businesses such as landscaping and painting services to 3D printing businesses serving the local fabrication industry,” Thompson added. “Students are learning about new technologies as part of their formal education and this program offers the opportunity to apply those learnings and drive innovation in the Sarnia-Lambton area. We’re looking forward to hearing new and innovative ideas from students who see the current economic environment as an opportunity to offer new and creative products and services.”
In each of the last two summers, technology-based businesses have been successfully launched through the Summer Company Program with Radiant 3D Printing beginning operations in 2018 and Kember Web Development launching in 2019.
Recently, Radiant 3D Printing’s Jared Waller, a graduate of the 2019 Summer Company Program, made headlines by using his 3D printer to help manufacture medical-grade protective masks for frontline staff at Bluewater Health who are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program is open to students between the ages of 15 and 29 who are returning to school in the fall and have not received a Summer Company Grant in the past.
Interested students are encouraged to visit www.ontario.ca/summercompany and contact Chantelle at chantelle@sarnialambton.on.ca for more information.
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