Fast facts
- Amount
- Up to $5,000 CAD
- Type
- Grant — no repayment
- Intake
- Cohort-based; dates set by the SBEC
- Funded by
- Province of Ontario
- Delivered by
- Richmond Hill Small Business Enterprise Centre
- Extras
- Training, mentorship, pitch coaching included
About the program
Starter Company Plus is funded by the Government of Ontario and delivered through municipal Small Business Enterprise Centres across the province. In Richmond Hill, the SBEC runs the local intake: participants complete business training, work with a mentor, refine their business plan, and pitch for a grant of up to $5,000 CAD.
The money matters, but the structure is the real prize — by the end of the program you hold a reviewed business plan, a cash-flow forecast, and a pitch you've defended in front of a panel. Those assets carry directly into loan applications (CSBFP, BDC, Futurpreneur) if you need larger financing later.
Who is eligible
- 18 years of age or older
- Resident of Ontario (local SBECs typically prioritize their own service area — for this intake, Richmond Hill)
- Starting a new business, expanding an existing one, or buying a business
- Not attending school full-time and not returning to full-time studies
- Able to commit to the training sessions and to matching contributions where the local intake requires them
Each SBEC sets its own intake schedule and local criteria. Neighbouring residents can look at the parallel intakes in Markham, Vaughan, Northern York Region (YSBEC) and Toronto.
What the funds can cover
- Startup and launch costs: equipment, inventory, initial marketing
- Expansion costs for an operating business
- Costs tied to the plan you present — the grant is released against your approved business plan and budget
How to apply
- Register with the Richmond Hill SBEC. Express interest and confirm the next intake window.
- Complete the training component. Workshops cover business planning, marketing, and financials.
- Build the business plan and cash flow. This is the document the grant decision rides on.
- Pitch to the review panel. Approved applicants receive the grant and continue with mentorship.
Richmond Hill SBEC program page ↗
How VIC2RY helps you win this grant
The panel funds plans, not ideas. VIC2RY — based right here in the GTA — builds your business plan and financial projections to the standard the SBEC panel expects, rehearses your pitch with you, and times your application to the next open cohort. Clients who complete Starter Company Plus with us leave with a plan that's ready to reuse for CSBFP or BDC financing.
Book a funding consultationProgram details reflect Ontario's Starter Company Plus framework and Richmond Hill SBEC's published materials as of July 2026. Intake dates, grant caps and local criteria are set by the Province of Ontario and the delivering SBEC and can change; the official program page governs. VIC2RY Consulting is not affiliated with the City of Richmond Hill or the Province of Ontario, and this page is not legal or financial advice.