Free guide · Verified September 2026
Youth entrepreneurship in Ontario: what's open at 13, 15 and 18
Almost all youth business funding in Ontario starts at 18. One provincial grant starts at 15. Below 15 there is no funding program at all — but there are real competitions and courses, and no minimum age to start a business.
Every program below was checked against the organization that runs it, with the requirement most likely to disqualify you stated next to the headline number. Where a source doesn't state something, we say that instead of guessing.
Published Program details last verified How we research and correct this
The age wall, at a glance
Sorted by the youngest age each program will accept.
| Program | Age | What you get | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch League (ours) | 13+ | Free course, plan builder, provincial pitch competition, written feedback | Free program |
| Summer Company | 15–29 | Up to $3,000 — $1,500 up front, $1,500 on completing the program | Grant |
| Starter Company Plus | 18+ | Grant of up to $5,000 | Grant |
| Futurpreneur — Core Startup | 18–39 | Equity-free loan up to $75,000, plus a mentor | Loan |
| Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers | 18–39 | Recognition, alumni network and mentoring — not a cash prize for the main award | Recognition |
| Rise | Not stated on Rise's own site | Loans of $500–$10,000 | Loan |
| BDC Small Business Loan | No minimum age stated | Up to $350,000 | Loan |
What to do at each age
The funding wall is real, but there is a useful move at every age. This is the sequence that has you arriving at 18 with a plan, a record of sales and a competition behind you.
13 to 14
Learn, run a cash business under your own name, compete
- Take Business 101 (free, about 45 minutes) so the words customer, price, cost and margin mean something
- Run a service you can deliver yourself under your own name: no registration needed, no HST, no fees
- Keep a notebook or spreadsheet of every dollar in and out from the first sale
- Enter Launch League: open from 13, free, written feedback from judges whether or not you place
- Ask your school about Junior Achievement programs and whether a DECA chapter exists
15 to 17
Apply for Summer Company, take the courses, formalise if it grows
- Apply for Summer Company (up to $3,000 plus a mentor) through your local Small Business Enterprise Centre; the cycle usually opens in spring
- Take Entrepreneurship: The Venture (BDI3C) or the Grade 12 venture-planning course, and look at a Specialist High Skills Major in Business
- Join or start a DECA chapter and enter the written business events
- If revenue is growing, register a business name with a parent or guardian ($60) and open a joint account
- Pitch in Launch League again with a real year of numbers behind you
18 and up
The funding wall opens
- Starter Company Plus: a grant of up to $5,000 with training, if you are not returning to school full time
- Futurpreneur: loans of up to $75,000 with a two-year mentor, ages 18 to 39
- Sign your own contracts, hold your own accounts, and incorporate if liability or tax makes it worth it
- Enactus at college or university; Launch League's adult categories
The catch on each one
Headline numbers are easy to find. These are the conditions attached to them.
Summer Company
GrantGovernment of Ontario, delivered by Small Business Enterprise Centres
15–29 · Up to $3,000 — $1,500 up front, $1,500 on completing the program
You must be a student returning to school in the fall, and you cannot work or attend school more than 12 hours a week during the program. Applicants under 18 need parent or guardian consent. The 2026 general deadline was May 15 — confirm the current cycle with your local centre.
Official program pageStarter Company Plus
GrantGovernment of Ontario, delivered by Small Business Enterprise Centres
18+ · Grant of up to $5,000
You must contribute at least 25% of the grant amount yourself, in cash or in kind, and you cannot be attending school full time or returning to school.
Official program pageFuturpreneur — Core Startup
LoanFuturpreneur Canada, a national non-profit
18–39 · Equity-free loan up to $75,000, plus a mentor
It is a loan, not a grant — it is repaid with interest. You must show experience working in your industry, the business must already be at pre-startup or startup stage rather than an idea, and working with a mentor is mandatory.
Official program pageRise
LoanRise, a Canadian charity
Not stated on Rise's own site · Loans of $500–$10,000
For entrepreneurs facing mental health or addiction challenges. Rise describes these as loans to "loan-ready" entrepreneurs — some directories list this program as though it were grant money, which it is not.
Official program pageBDC Small Business Loan
LoanBusiness Development Bank of Canada, a federal Crown corporation
No minimum age stated · Up to $350,000
Frequently listed under youth entrepreneurship, but the stated criteria are at least $100,000 in annual revenue, 24 months in business, current profitability, and a personal credit score of 600+. In practice that rules out almost everyone starting out.
Official program pageCanada's Outstanding Young Farmers
RecognitionCanada's Outstanding Young Farmers Program
18–39 · Recognition, alumni network and mentoring — not a cash prize for the main award
You must already be a farm operator drawing at least two-thirds of your income from the farm. Separate memorial scholarships of $1,000 a year exist for post-secondary agriculture students.
Official program pageIf you're under 15
No funding program in Ontario will take you yet. These will, and none of them require you to have registered a business.
Launch League
FreeLaunch League — this is our own program
13+
A six-module business fundamentals course, a plan builder, and a province-wide pitch competition judged by local business owners against a rubric published in full before entries open. Every entrant gets written feedback whether or not they place. No equity is taken. Entrants under 18 need parent or guardian consent, and judging is remote so nobody has to travel.
How our program worksJunior Achievement Canada
FreeJA Canada, with four Ontario regional charters
School-age — JA does not state a single range
Free to students. Programs in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship, delivered in schools by trained volunteers from local businesses, plus JA Campus for self-directed learning online. Ontario is served by JA Central Ontario, JA Ottawa, JA Northern and Eastern Ontario, and JA South Western Ontario.
Official program pageOntario DECA
$50 CADOntario DECA
High school, through a school chapter
Business and entrepreneurship case competitions running from regionals to provincials to an international conference, including written Prepared Business Events. You join through your school's DECA chapter — if your school has no chapter, a teacher can start one. Membership dues are $50 CAD, covering DECA INC and Ontario DECA registration plus regional competition; individual chapters may collect more.
Official program pageShad Canada
Fees applyShad Canada
High school students
A residential summer program on university campuses built around real-world challenges in areas like artificial intelligence, energy and food security, with a stated focus on entrepreneurship, resilience and creativity. This one costs money, unlike the others here — Shad states that 1 in 3 students receive financial support, and has provided $5M in fee assistance. Check current fees and bursaries directly with Shad.
Official program pageEnactus Canada
FreeEnactus Canada, a national charity
College and university students
Student teams at Ontario colleges and universities run real community-impact and entrepreneurship projects and compete regionally and nationally. Join through your campus team; if there is none, Enactus helps students start one. Post-secondary only, so this is the step after high school.
Official program pageThe Knowledge Society (TKS)
Fees applyTKS, a private program founded in Toronto
13–17
A ten-month after-school program on emerging technology and building projects, with an explicit startup focus. It is one of the few programs that starts at 13, and it is paid; TKS states that financial aid exists. Check current fees and aid directly.
Official program pageHow to start a business as a teenager in Ontario
Seven steps, none of which need a registration, a bank loan or anyone's permission except the adult in your house.
- 1
Pick a service you can deliver yourself this month
Lawn care, tutoring, pet sitting, tech help, baking, reselling, small websites. A service needs no inventory and no permits in most cases, and the first sale can happen this week.
- 2
Talk to ten people who would pay
Neighbours, family friends, teachers, local shop owners. Ask what they do now, what it costs them, and whether they would pay you. Write the answers down; this is the market research every program later asks for.
- 3
Set a price and work out what one job costs you
Price per hour or per job, minus supplies and travel, is your margin. If the margin is thin, raise the price or change the offer before you start, not after.
- 4
Agree the rules with a parent or guardian
Who signs anything, where money is kept, what hours are allowed, how you stay safe visiting customers, and what happens to profits. Programs that take minors will ask for their consent anyway.
- 5
Trade under your own name at first
"Jordan Lee, lawn care" needs no registration, no Business Number and no HST while sales stay under $30,000 a year. Register a business name later if the business earns it.
- 6
Keep records from the first dollar
A notebook or spreadsheet with date, customer, amount and expenses. It is how you learn whether you are making money, and it is the proof every grant panel, bank and judge asks for.
- 7
Enter a competition, and apply for Summer Company at 15
Launch League is open from 13 and gives written feedback to every entrant. At 15, Summer Company adds up to $3,000 and a mentor. Both want the notebook from the previous step.
The adult version of this list, with registration fees and licences, is our starting a business in Ontario checklist.
Business ideas for teens, with what they cost to start
Services first: no inventory, no permits in most cases, and a first sale this week. The cost column is a realistic startup budget, not a minimum.
| Idea | To start | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Lawn care, snow clearing, leaf removal | $0–$300 | Use family equipment first; seasonal, so plan for the gaps |
| Tutoring or homework help | $0 | Younger students in subjects you have already passed; ask teachers for referrals |
| Pet sitting and dog walking | $0 | Insurance matters once you have several clients; start with people you know |
| Babysitting | About $60 | A Red Cross or St. John Ambulance babysitting course is the credential parents ask about |
| Tech help for seniors | $0 | Phones, printers, video calls; repeat customers and referrals |
| Baking and low-risk foods | $50–$200 | Ontario allows low-risk home-prepared foods; tell your public health unit and label ingredients |
| Reselling and thrift flipping | $50–$200 | Track cost per item; profit is the gap, not the sale price |
| Car washing and detailing | $100–$300 | Supplies plus water access; recurring monthly customers are the goal |
| Photography, video, editing | Own gear | Local sports teams, small businesses, family events |
| Websites and social media for local shops | $0–$50 | Fixed-price packages; ask for a testimonial after each one |
| Print-on-demand or handmade goods | $0–$100 | Marketplace fees eat margin; price after fees, not before |
| Seasonal services | $0–$150 | Holiday lights, garden prep, moving help; book next season before this one ends |
Forty more, by industry, in our small business ideas guide.
Money, tax and paperwork under 18
Six rules that answer most of the questions parents ask.
- There is no minimum age to start a business
- The limit is on contracts: agreements signed by someone under 18 are generally not enforceable against them, so a parent or guardian usually signs leases, supplier accounts and anything with ongoing payments.
- Registration is only needed when you use a business name
- Trading under your own legal name needs nothing. A business name costs $60 for five years on the Ontario Business Registry, and a parent typically completes the filing with you.
- HST does not apply until $30,000 a year
- Below that you are a small supplier. You do not charge HST and do not need to register; you also cannot claim HST back on purchases.
- Income is taxable, but usually no tax is owed
- Business income goes on a personal return using form T2125. Under the federal basic personal amount (roughly $16,000) there is no tax. CPP contributions start at 18 on business income above $3,500.
- Bank accounts under 18 are joint
- Most banks require a parent or guardian on the account. A youth chequing account works for a cash business under your own name; ask about a joint business account once a name is registered.
- Programs that take minors ask for consent
- Summer Company requires parent or guardian consent under 18, and so does Launch League. It is a signature, not an application.
What the law actually says about being under 18
There is no minimum age to start a business in Ontario. The constraint is contracts: you generally need to be 18 to sign a contract or other legal document, so someone over 18 may need to sign on your behalf. The federal government's own youth entrepreneurship guide says the same thing, and recommends talking it through with a parent or guardian first.
HST usually doesn't apply yet. Most businesses making under $30,000 in any 12-month period aren't required to register for or charge HST, though you can register voluntarily and claim input tax credits. Confirm your own situation with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Programs that accept minors ask for guardian consent. Summer Company requires it under 18, and so do we. That's normal and it isn't a barrier — it's a signature, not an application.
This is general guidance, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Program rules and deadlines change — every program above links to the organization that runs it, and that page is the one that counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Checked 5 September 2026. Program rules change; the official page always wins over this one. How we research and correct guides is described in our editorial standards.
Your next step
Under 18 and every program says not yet? We say yes.
Launch League is open from age 13, costs nothing, and takes no equity. Learn the fundamentals, build a real plan, and pitch to working business people who will write back. Parents or guardians consent once at entry; that is the only extra step.
Want the full plan written for you? The Elite Business Plan Maker drafts all nine sections for your industry, $79 once.
Keep going
- Enter a competitionFree to enter, no equity taken, and every entrant gets written feedback from a judge.
- Small business grants in Ontario: what's real in 2026Six non-repayable programs, the tax credits that pay cash, seven startup loans, and the closed programs still ranking in search.
- For educators: classroom entrepreneurship projectCurriculum fit, consent and safeguarding, a term plan, and the published rubric.
- How we research and correct these guidesOur sourcing rules, what our review dates mean, and how to report an error.