LONDON, ONT. -- 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.
"It’s a provincial government program that gives students the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship with very minimal risk, as the government provides the seed money to start their own business for the summer," said Chantelle Lynne Core, the development coordinator with Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership.
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.
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.
"Businesses that provide services, and seasonal businesses are really successful in the program. However, this year presents a unique opportunity to really be creative and think outside the box when it comes to the goods and services that they can provide during this time of social distancing," said Core.
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.
