Ask The Expert
The Ask The Expert program is designed to support small businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Through the program, small businesses will be able to have 1 on 1 sessions with local experts on one of many subjects including legal, bookkeeping, social media, and more.
Go Digital
There are many ways to sell your products and service online. Strategies for how to get started will vary based on your industry and products. We’ve listed some resources below to help get you started, and invite you to call on us for advice as you need it. We’re here for you Kingston.
WE-CAN
Kingston Economic Development Corporation is pleased to be partnering with Queen’s University, the recipient of funding from the federal Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Ecosystem Fund.
Futurpreneur
Provides pre-launch coaching, business resources, start-up financing and mentoring to help 18-39 year old entrepreneurs start their own business. Character based loans of $15,000 and more are available.
Rise
Rise provides new business start-up support services for people who have experienced barriers to employment from mental health or addiction challenges.
There are 4 programs included in the Rise project, either facilitated or self-directed, with different eligibility requirements and areas of focus.
All four programs require that participants:
- Have a practical idea for starting or growing their own for-profit small business;
- Self-identify as having experienced mental health and/or addicition challenges;
- Are unable to access traditional bank financing.
Registration for the Fall 2021 Training Programs will be on-going until August 12th.
Starter Company Plus
If you’re starting, expanding or buying a small business, apply for training, mentoring and a grant through Starter Company Plus. If you are an Ontario resident aged 18 and over and not attending school full time, you may be eligible to apply for funding of up to $5,000 to start or expand your business.
Queen's Carreer Apprenticeship: Kingston Program (QCA:K)
The Queen's Career Apprenticeship: Kingston connects new graduates from the arts, humanities and social science disciplines within the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen's University with a Kingston employer. Employers who find the right fit through the program and commit to a 12-month contract, are reimbursed for 4 months of the gross salary to a maximum of $4,000 per month.
Social Enterprise Fundamentals
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As the world looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time for the entrepreneurially-minded to step up to address pressing social and environmental challenges, and to develop the 21st century skills needed to succeed.
Kingston Pandemic Business Recovery Fund
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The City of Kingston and Kingston Economic Development Corporation have partnered together to provide a funding program to support small to medium sized businesses in the City of Kingston that have been negatively affected by COVID-19. Kingston Economic Development Corporation will be administering the program with the overall objective to support business recovery and transformation.
Business Grant Support Program
The intent of the Business Grant Support Program to assist businesses access funding programs and assist with the cost of hiring a grant writer. The program will offer 50% up to $2000 to be used to cover costs associated with writing a grant application.
Summer Company
The Summer Company program, funded by the Ontario government, has been helping students, aged 15 to 29, start and run their own businesses since 2001. As a Summer Company entrepreneur, participants receive hands-on business mentoring from local business leaders and up to $3,000 to make their dream job a reality.
Queen's Innovation Center Summer Initiative (QICSI)
QICSI is for pre-formed teams and individuals with a capacity for creativity, a tolerance for risk, and a desire to build a venture that creates an impact.
The Trade Accelerator Program (TAP)
The Trade Accelerator Program (TAP) is an innovative initiative, designed to accelerate the strategic development of businesses and to better prepare them for expansion into international markets.
Workshops + EventsView All
As a follow-up to the successful Pitch Preparation workshops, we are pleased to present Pitch Practice.
The From Lab to Fulfillment workshop is a purpose-driven workshop teaches women researchers, engineers, scientists and innovators how to transform research and discoveries into
Starting a small business? Learn how Kingston Economic Development can help!
In this workshop you will start to craft your enterprise vision.
How to prepare your e-commerce store for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and more.