Eight New Starter Company PLUS Grant Recipients
December 17, 2025Cornwall Ontario – Eight local entrepreneurs have been selected to receive funding from the Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre under the popular Starter Company PLUS program.
“I was very impressed by the engagement and passion shown by all participants in this year’s program,” says Mireille Lemire of the Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre. “With our largest cohort to date, we’re seeing a surge of entrepreneurial energy that will shape the future of Cornwall, SDG, and Akwesasne. These businesses represent the next wave of growth and innovation, and we’re excited to help them succeed.”
The 2025 fall session was very competitive, with an initial enrollment of 88 entrepreneurs – the most ever. Following weeks of hard work, 12 participants were selected to pitch their business idea to the grant panel, with eight participants each receiving a grant of $5,000.
Congratulations to the Fall 2025 Starter Company PLUS Recipients:
- Akshu Sarkaria – Glengarry Consulting
- Carley Snair – The Noveltea Company
- Cindy Black – Kid Focused OT
- Jess Levasseur – Nurtured Holistics
- Julie Bellavance-Caron – Secrecy Vaults
- Matys Rivet – Rivet Masonry
- Sara MacDonald – Sunshine Studio Moose Creek
- Sarah Good – SDG Solutions
About Starter Company PLUS
The Starter Company PLUS program has been offered through the Business Enterprise Centre since late 2013. To date, the program has assisted 210 businesses and awarded $827,000 in grants.
The Starter Company PLUS program provides free hands-on training for new entrepreneurs interested in start-up support for their business. The 12-week program is open to Cornwall, SDG, and Akwesasne residents in the spring and fall. Funding is provided by the Province of Ontario and administered by the Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre.
Participants receive assistance to start, grow, or buy a small business, which includes training, mentoring, and support provided by CBEC with help from local industry experts. A limited number of participants are invited to pitch their new business to a grant panel in order to qualify for the grant. Applicants with the highest scores are eligible for the grant, which can be spent on equipment, supplies, marketing, and a number of other business growth initiatives.
Next Intake
The application period for the next session of Starter Company PLUS will open on January 26th, 2026 and will close on February 27th, 2026 at 4:00 pm. Visit the Business Enterprise Centre website for eligibility requirements, waitlist registration and other general information on the program:
About the Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre
The Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre helps small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed in Cornwall, Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry & Akwesasne by offering information, tools and support during the start-up and growth stages of business operation. This includes administration of the Summer Company and Starter Company PLUS programs. The Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre is operated by Cornwall Economic Development and funded in part by the Government of Ontario.
The Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre is located at 100 Water Street East (Cornwall Civic Complex):