SPARC Entrepreneur Challenge is a unique opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to showcase their new business ideas.  Entrepreneurs will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges who are successful local business owners, and compete for cash and prizes in an open and friendly competitive environment.  Prizes awarded will assist the winners with starting their new business initiatives.  The event is a celebration of local entrepreneurship and an opportunity to encourage business development in the area.

The competition will be similar in format to CBC’s Dragons’ Den© and will be open to all new and existing business based out of one of the following four regions:

• Town of Collingwood
• Town of The Blue Mountains
• Clearview Township
• Town of Wasaga Beach

This will be a ticketed event with proceeds from the ticket sales going toward local youth entrepreneurship programs, such as the Secondary School Business Plan Competition.

The Small Business Enterprise Centre is a premier resource centre helping local enterprising people start and grow their businesses, and meet their entrepreneurial aspirations.  Small businesses and entrepreneurs play a major role in the region’s economic development in terms of jobs, investment, trade, innovation and prosperity.   The Small Business Enterprise Centre wants to celebrate local entrepreneurship by hosting SPARC Entrepreneur Challenge.

Partial funding for the Business Plan Competition is provided by the Bridges to Better Business Program.  Bridges to Better Business is an initiative of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and Canada Business Ontario and is offered in partnership with the Small Business Enterprise Centre. 

This unique forum brings together local business in various stages of development for the purpose of exchanging and promoting business ideas, and to make valuable business connections.

For more information, visit www.enterprisecentre.ca/sparc.html.