{"id":"u116","name":"Summer Company (Ontario)","type":"opportunity","typeLabel":"Opportunity","what":"An Ontario government program that helps students start and run their own summer business. You get up to $3,000: up to $1,500 at the start for start-up costs, and up to $1,500 more when you finish the program. You also get business training and mentoring from local business leaders. In Toronto, the City of Toronto runs the program.","forWhom":"Students aged 15 to 29 who live in Ontario, are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, go to high school, college or university (homeschool, e-learning, part-time study and apprenticeships also count) and will return to school after the summer. You must be starting a new business of your own (not part of a family business), not already run a business, never have received Summer Company before, and not work or study more than 12 hours a week during the program. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must sign the agreement. High school students must work at least 280 hours on the business, and college or university students at least 420 hours.","cost":"Free","tags":["Summer Company","student business grant","summer business","Enterprise Toronto","mentoring","up to $3,000"],"topics":["students","youth","business","founders","money"],"place":{"country":"Canada","region":"Ontario","city":null,"label":"Ontario-wide","cc":"CA","scope":"region"},"website":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/start-summer-company-students","sources":["https://www.ontario.ca/page/start-summer-company-students","https://www.ontario.ca/page/summer-company-program-guidelines","https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-small-business-advisory-centre-locations","https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-help-finding-youth-or-student-job","https://www.toronto.ca/business-economy/business-operation-growth/business-incentives/summer-company-grant/"],"checked":"2026-10-04","added":"2026-10-04","verified":"checked","checkEvery":30,"deadline":null,"deadlineNote":"The 2026 intake closed on May 15, 2026. Dates for 2027 were not posted yet on 2026-10-04. In 2026, businesses could run from April 1 to Labour Day. Space is limited and fills quickly, so apply early when the next intake opens.","status":"between cycles","routes":[{"kind":"Organization email","url":null,"value":"summercompany@toronto.ca","seen":"2026-10-04","source":"their own site"},{"kind":"Contact page","url":"https://www.toronto.ca/business-economy/business-operation-growth/business-incentives/summer-company-grant/","value":null,"seen":"2026-10-04","source":"their own site"},{"kind":"Outside Toronto: find your local Ontario Small Business Advisory Centre","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-small-business-advisory-centre-locations","value":null,"seen":"2026-10-04","source":"their own site"}],"primaryRoute":{"kind":"Organization email","url":null,"value":"summercompany@toronto.ca","seen":"2026-10-04","source":"their own site"},"routeCount":3,"channels":[{"kind":"website","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/start-summer-company-students","label":"Website","reach":null,"unit":null,"seen":"2026-10-04","source":"their own site"}],"spaceCount":1,"spacesSeen":"2026-10-04","phone":null,"contact":{"email":"summercompany@toronto.ca","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/start-summer-company-students","route":"Organization email"},"steps":["Watch for the 2027 intake: subscribe to the City of Toronto BusinessTO newsletter or email summercompany@toronto.ca to hear when it opens.","Plan a new summer business that you will own and run yourself, and write a business plan.","If you live in Toronto, apply through the City of Toronto. Elsewhere in Ontario, apply through your local Ontario Small Business Advisory Centre.","If you are approved, take the training, work with your mentor and run your business all summer to get the second payment."],"languages":[],"welcomes":[],"reachNum":null,"reachUnit":null,"reachKind":"none","reachSource":null,"reachSeen":null,"intents":{"reach":false,"grow":null,"job":false,"volunteer":false,"specialist":null,"opps":true,"housing":false,"money":true,"info":false,"marriage":false},"stale":false,"staleDays":0,"checkedNote":"Facts read from the source pages on 2026-10-04; spaces read from their site on 2026-10-04; re-checked every 30 days.","spaces":[{"kind":"website","label":"Website","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/start-summer-company-students","reach":null,"unit":null,"seen":"2026-10-04","note":null}],"missing":["office phone (not published on the pages we read)","follower or subscriber counts (platform pages do not expose them to readers; ask the organization or check the platform)","what they welcome from outside parties (their pages do not say)","audience number for the organization as a whole (not public)"]}