Bioenterprise Corporation is pleased to announce the inaugural round of successful applicants for the SmartGrowth Program! Ten companies have been selected to receive funding and support to accelerate their business growth and profitability while strengthening the regional economy for southern Ontario’s food and agri-technology sector.
The Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), is providing Bioenterprise with nearly $6.3 million to deliver the SmartGrowth Program and lead the creation of a food and agri-tech hub in southern Ontario. The SmartGrowth Program provides up to $100,000 in non-repayable acceleration financing (to be matched by the recipient company) as well as coaching and mentorship services. There will be a total of four open calls for proposals with the next call scheduled for Winter 2021.
As Bioenterprise expands Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine, its national membership program, key regional projects like the SmartGrowth initiative will drive connection between industry, funding, and SMEs. Round one recipients are using the funds to advance their companies in areas such as: product demonstration and marketing; intellectual property (IP) protection; and regulatory compliance. These projects are intended to act as a catalyst for economic growth and advance scale-up activities to improve productivity, global competitiveness, and market expansion through the adaption and adoption of highly innovative agri-technologies.
“We are really impressed with the first round of SmartGrowth recipients,” says Alexandra Coccari, Program Manager at Bioenterprise. “Some of these companies have worked with Bioenterprise from a very early stage, while others are new to our network and are equally dynamic. The support from FedDev Ontario is crucial to these companies as they scale. I applaud and congratulate each of our successful applicants!”
“Innovative companies are the engines of our future growth and now, more than ever, we need to help local businesses scale up, create jobs and bring their solutions to the world. I want to congratulate Bioenterprise and the 10 companies in the first round of the SmartGrowth Program on the important work they are doing to boost not only southern Ontario’s food and agri-technology sector, but the regional economy as a whole,” says the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario.
Join our mailing list for updates on this program or contact Bioenterprise today to explore the other commercialization support services and programs offered by Bioenterprise.
We would like to offer our congratulations to the following companies
- A&L Laboratories Canada Inc.
- FireRein Inc.
- FreshSpoke Inc.
- The Growcer Inc.
- Henry’s Tempeh Inc.
- Planet Shrimp Inc.
- Savormetrics Inc.
- Transport Genie Ltd.
- Ukko Agro
- Vive Crop Protection
Media Contacts
Alexandra Burdett, Director of Programs, Bioenterprise Canada, alexandra.burdett@bioenterprise.ca
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