Free from start to finish
From an idea to a real business.
A free entrepreneurship program for anyone in Ontario with an idea worth building. Learn the fundamentals, write a real plan, get help from people who've done it, and pitch to judges who tell you exactly what they think. Five stages. No fees, no equity, open from age 13.
You can start anywhere. Already know your idea cold? Go straight to the competition. Never thought about a customer before? Start at Business 101. The stages work in order, but nothing stops you from skipping ahead.
The five stages
Each stage stands on its own and each one is free. Together they take you from “I have an idea” to standing in front of judges with something real.
Business 101
The fundamentals nobody teaches you: finding a problem worth solving, understanding your customer, pricing, marketing, financials, and how to pitch. Self-paced, free, and useful whether you're 13 or 53.
- Finding a problem worth solving
- Understanding your customer
- Value proposition and pricing
- Marketing and first customers
- Business financials
- Pitching with confidence
Build a real business plan
Turn what you learned into a document you can actually take to a lender, a landlord, or a judge. The one-page builder is free and takes an evening. If you need a full nine-section plan for financing, the Elite Business Plan Maker is available separately.
- Free guided one-page plan builder
- Prompts tailored to your category
- Download or print when finished
- Optional full 9-section plan for lenders
Advisor network
Business owners, accountants, marketers, and operators across Ontario who volunteer their time. We are signing up founding advisors now, so this stage opens during the 2027 season — the other four are live today.
- Founding advisors being recruited now
- No fees, no commission, no equity
- Practical help, not a sales funnel
Enter the competition
Submit a written summary and three short videos: a 60-second elevator pitch, a five-minute plan briefing, and a walkthrough of your slides. A phone camera is genuinely fine. Everything is submitted online, so where you live never limits whether you can enter.
- 7 categories, open from age 13
- Three videos, submitted as links
- Judged on a published 100-point rubric
- A $9,500 target prize pool, raised from sponsors
Feedback, and the Awards Night
Every entrant receives written feedback from the judges — not just the winners. Winners are announced at a public Awards Night in Chatham-Kent on May 31, 2027, livestreamed across the province so anyone can watch. Attending is optional and never affects results.
- Written judge feedback for every entrant
- Scored against published criteria
- Awards Night, livestreamed province-wide
- Feedback delivered by June 15, 2027
What you leave with
Whether or not you win anything.
- A validated business idea you've pressure-tested against real criteria
- A written business plan you can take to a lender or investor
- Written feedback from experienced business people on your actual pitch
- Practice presenting your idea on camera and in public
- Connections to other founders across Ontario, and to advisors as that network opens
Start with the first module
It takes about eight minutes and it's the part most people skip — which is exactly why most ideas stall.
Running a chamber, economic development office, or school? Bring the program to your community.
Keep going
- Business 101 — free six-module courseIdea validation, customers, pricing, marketing, financials, and pitching. About 45 minutes.
- Enter a competitionFree to enter, no equity taken, and every entrant gets written feedback from a judge.
- Youth entrepreneurship programs in OntarioWhat's open at 13, 15 and 18 — and the eligibility catch on every funding program.
- Find a local advisorOntario business advisors by region, for the questions a template can't answer.