Summer Company

Program Description: 

Summer Company provides students aged 15 to 29 the opportunity to start their own full-time small business venture over the course of the summer.

Through this program, successful applicants will:         

  • Receive $3,000 to assist with start up costs associated with their new summer business ($1,500 at the beginning of the summer and $1,500 upon completion of the program)
  • Participate in mandatory educational workshops featuring local business leaders
  • Participate in professional development opportunities
  • Receive support from program coordinator throughout the summer

Requirements – You are eligible if you:        

  • Are a student returning to high school, college or university in the fall
  • Are an Ontario resident and Canadian citizen
  • Live in and plan to operate your business in the Nipissing or Parry Sound regions
  • Are between 15 to 29 years old  
  • Are not already running a business registered in Ontario  
  • Have not received a Summer Company grant in the past  
  • Are not working more than 12 hours per week at another job during the program
  • Will be operating the business as 1 sole owner, not a partnership

Program requirements - As part of the Summer Company program, successful applicants must:    

  • Attend all mandatory educational workshops, totaling 12 hours (dates TBD) 
  • Operate their business full-time for the summer (a minimum total of 280 hours for high school students and a minimum of 420 hours for post-secondary students; an average of 35h/week)
  • Complete and submit a "Business Plan" document due after the workshops
  • Complete and submit a "Cashflow" document at the end of every month during the summer to track business income and expenses 
  • Complete and submit an "Activity Log" document tracking their hours and a daily overview, to be submitted weekly

  *Note: all documents will be provided by the program coordinator upon acceptance to the program and students will receive guidance.  


Application process - What to expect: 

  1. Submit the initial application 
  2. Receive a follow up email from the program coordinator and use their booking link to schedule a virtual intake interview (average 30 minutes)
  3. Complete the intake interview
  4. Complete and submit the "Start Up Budget" document provided to you by the program coordinator after your virtual interview (detailing what start-up costs you plan to allocate the first grant installment of $1,500 to)
  5. Sign a legal participation agreement provided by the program coordinator (If under the age of 18, a parent or guardian must sign the agreement for the applicant)
  6. Receive a verdict

 Note that within 30 days of receiving the initial grant installment of $1,500, the student must provide the program coordinator with receipts to prove that the initial installment was spent on approved eligible start-up costs.
The second installment is received upon completion of the program. Any misuse of the initial $1,500 award may result in grant repayment. 

Summer Company is a competitive process, and not all applicants will be accepted into the program or approved for funding.

Applications are now OPEN for summer 2025. Please click here to apply: https://form.jotform.com/tbcnps/summercompany

This program is supported by: