Eight-Week Program Helps Entrepreneurs Build Stronger Businesses
Entrepreneurs looking to start, grow, or acquire a business are encouraged to apply to Starter Company Plus, an intensive eight-week program designed to help participants ages 18 and older build the skills and confidence needed to move their business forward.
Delivered by the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre in partnership with the Province of Ontario, Starter Company Plus is designed to address local economic development needs and provide support to entrepreneurs at all stages of their business journey.
Through expert-led training, personalized mentorship, and hands-on business planning, participants will learn how to build or strengthen their business plan, develop marketing, sales, operations, and financial skills, and refine their business pitch.
At the end of the program, participants will submit their business plan and pitch their business idea to a grant committee of local business professionals and private-sector stakeholders for the opportunity to secure a grant of up to $5,000.
Applications close on September 17, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
To learn more, check eligibility and to apply, visit the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre website.
Land acknowledgement
The City of Kitchener is situated on the traditional territory of the Chonnonton, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee Peoples. We recognize our responsibility to act as stewards for the land and honour the original caretakers who came before us. Our community is enriched by the enduring knowledge and deep-rooted traditions of the diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples who live in Kitchener today.