Summer Company
Looking for the best summer job in St. Catharines? Create one by starting your own business!
Summer Company provides students with mentorship, business skills, and startup money to have a successful summer as their own boss. Learn how to operate your own business while building skills in sales, marketing, customer relationship and networking.
Applications are now closed. Thanks to all those who applied.
- Go to high school, college or university
- Live in Ontario
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Be between 15-29 years old (if under 18: a parent or guardian must sign the agreement for the applicant)
- Not already be running a business
- Not be working at another job or going to school for more than 12 hours a week during the program
- Be returning to school after the program ends
- Not have received a Summer Company grant in the past
Acceptance to the program is based on:
- Completed application form.
- Interview with SCEC staff.
- Review of submitted business plan and cash flow forecast.
Once a student applies, they will be contacted by the St. Catharines Enterprise Centre (SCEC) to book an interview and templates for a business plan and cash flow forecast will be provided. Templates will be reviewed as part of the interview process. Students will then complete the business plan and cash flow independently and submit the completed documents to the SCEC before April 30, 2024. Once the submitted business plan and cash flow have been reviewed, student acceptance will be determined.
Acceptance to Summer Company will be on an ongoing basis until May 1, 2024 or until all program spots are filled.
Program Details
Program participants are expected to start their business between May and July 2024 and the program ends on Labour Day (September 2, 2024). Students can choose to keep running their business while back at school.
The Summer Company program requires students to commit to:
a minimum of 280 hours for high school students
a minimum of 420 hours for post-secondary students
Students can choose to start almost any type of business, as long as it is a sole proprietorship or corporation and is an independent business venture, not part of an existing or family business.
Once accepted and approved, program participants will need to:
- Sign an agreement with the program provider (SCEC)
- Agree to follow program guidelines.
- Verify you’ve registered the business name.
- Provide any other required licensing documents.
- Have a bank account for the business.
- Agree to at least one site visit from your program provider.
- Meet your program provider and business mentor for a minimum of four meetings, over the program period.
Funding
Successful Summer Company Applicants can receive up to $3,000. Grant recipients will receive up to $1,500 to help with start-up costs and an additional $1,500 when the program requirements have been completed successfully.
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