Starter Company Plus Grant – General Business Stream provides businesses with further training to assist them to build and grow their businesses.

If you are a business in the City of Toronto, the Starter Company Plus Grant – General Business Stream can provide the following support:

• Up to 15 hours of business training,
• a micro-grant of $5,000,
• and up to three months of advisory and mentoring services.

Program Eligibility:

Please read the eligibility criteria below carefully. Decisions regarding eligibility and other program considerations are subject to final decision by the Manager of Entrepreneurship Services.

Applicant must meet the following criteria to be eligible for consideration for the Starter Company Plus Grant – General Business Stream.

Applicant Requirements:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident,
• Be 18 years of age or older,
• Not be attending school or planning to return to school while enrolled in the program,
• Be devoting a minimum of 35 hours per week to their small business and not employed anywhere else,
• Not be enrolled in any other government-funded employment program,
• Be a resident of Toronto with the ability to demonstrate proof of physical address.

Business Requirements:

Eligible entrepreneurs must also have small businesses that meet the following criteria

• Must be a registered business at the time of application (Sole Proprietor, Partnership or Corporation) and this business registration documentation (Master Business License or Articles of Incorporation) must show a Toronto address,
• Must have a commercial business bank account at the time of application which corresponds with Business Registration documentation,
• Must have been in operation for minimum 6 months and up to 10 years and be able to demonstrate financial activity statements for this period,
• Must have majority ownership and the ability to demonstrate proof of ownership and/or shareholder agreement,
• Must be located in Toronto with ability to demonstrate proof of physical address,
• Businesses that require certification and/or license must be current at the time of application,
• Must not be past recipient of the MRRI-Retail Accelerator Program and any stream of the Starter Company Plus Grant (including Retail Accelerator Program (RAP), Female Founders, General Business, etc.) from the City of Toronto Small Business Enterprise Centre or other Small Business Enterprise Centres within Ontario,
• Must be able to commit to in-person and/or virtual entrepreneurship training,
• Must have already invested 25 per cent of the grant amount ($1,250) into the business at the time of application (cash, marketing efforts, equipment, commercial rent, or other legitimate start up expenses).

Ineligible Businesses:

The Following Business Types will NOT be Eligible for the Starter Company Plus Grant – General Business Stream:

• Nightclubs, lounges, cabarets, discotheques, music festivals and events or other similar activities,
• Online businesses that are resellers of existing products from other manufacturers (e.g. resellers of beauty and/or fashion accessories, phones and phone accessories, tablets, computers, etc.),
• Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), retirement homes, and long-term care homes,
• Technology applications which are not market-ready,
• Student housing and other residential rental accommodation,
• Childcare centres, including daycares,
• Home care for elderly and/or vulnerable populations,
• Quasi-financial institutions or money service and money transfer businesses (including insurance companies and financial services companies),
• Cryptocurrency (e.g. Bitcoin) businesses and traders,
• Businesses brokering funds or taking on a fiduciary duty handling funds for clients (including investment, insurance, and real estate brokers who handle funds in trust for clients),
• Brokers (insurance, real estate, investment, etc.) who are working for an existing firm are not seen to be creating a new business,
• Businesses and platforms that raise funds for charities,
• Charities and non-profits,
• Franchises,
• Collection agencies,
• Businesses that raise investment capital for other businesses,
• Businesses that include or promote financing from equity crowd funding (share capital),
• Any businesses that produce and/or primarily retail products whose ingredients include any derivatives of marijuana/cannabis, psilocybin or any other substances included on Schedule I, II, III and/or IV of the Canadian Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (S.C. 1996, c. 19),
• Recording artists and other similar 'Self-promoting' artists and activities.

Toronto Small Business Enterprise Centre reserves the right to determine the nature of business types to be accepted into the Starter Company Plus Grant Program. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

Evaluation Process:

Applications for the Starter Company Plus grant will be evaluated by a review committee of experienced City staff based on the following selection criteria:

• The application should meet business and applicant requirements.
• Business viability will be assessed based on:
  • Proof of concept: showing evidence that your business product or service has been tested or demonstrated in a real-world scenario, indicating its feasibility and potential for market success.
  • Customer validation: demonstrating demand for your product or service in the market.
  • Clear revenue model: identifying one or more revenue/sales channels.
• Evaluation of the proposed business's potential for growth and its ability to create jobs.
• Assessment of the start-up budget and financing requirements of the business.
• Contribution of 25 per cent of the grant amount as monetary investment towards the business.

Application Processing Time:

• The program will acknowledge receipt of your application by email. It is your responsibility to contact the program provider if you have not received an acknowledgement receipt within 2 days of submitting your application.
• Applicants will also receive an anonymous survey after submitting the form. Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary and is intended for informational purposes only.

A few notes to consider before starting your application:

• Before preceding to the application form, please make sure to have the following documents ready:
• Business Registration Documents (all pages of Articles of Incorporation for Provincial and Federal Corporations; and/or Master Business License for Sole Proprietorship/Partnership)
• Proof of Business Address (copy of property tax, or water/hydro utility bill). All provided documents must display your business name.
• Pease note that additional documents or information may be requested if you are selected to proceed to the next stage of the application process.
• If you have any questions about this application or require accessibility support, accommodations, or an alternative format, please email smallbusiness@toronto.ca using your business email account.

Information collected on this application form is considered business information and will be maintained as a business record. Business information could be publicly available and/or disclosed upon request, unless an exception applies.