This Barrie 360 feature is brought to you by the Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre
It's no secret that Simcoe County is a mecca for inventive ideas, small business spirit, and creative thinking and the 12-week Food Venture Program is the latest way entrepreneurs are being supported to launch their creative culinary dreams.
We’ve all heard the adage “You are what you eat”. Now more and more consumers are shifting towards healthier, authentic, local and sustainable choices. Big brands aren’t having the same impact on consumers as they used to
The Food Venture Program is an In-Market Special Project Fund, to support 25 participants spanning Simcoe County. The program has a target audience of food and beverage innovators with a food or product idea, restaurant owners seeking to turn recipes into packaged goods, early-stage entrepreneurs with a product in small-scale distribution, and entrepreneurs with business ideas in the nutrition and health sector.
“This unique program aligns with the County’s goals and commitment to building healthy, sustainable communities and supporting our businesses. As an innovative region, Simcoe County is home to a wide variety of local producers with many outstanding examples of small businesses offering sustainable products from within our area. We thank our partners for joining us in supporting this Food Venture Program, and ultimately assisting aspiring entrepreneurs, in improving our food security and growing our economy,” said the County of Simcoe Warden George Cornell.
Since partnering with Georgian College's Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre and launching the program in January 2020, it has provided entrepreneurs with the tools that will help them learn and apply critical resources to their product development process. Enabling local food entrepreneurs to support a variety of community-based food security initiatives.
“As we strengthen partnerships across Simcoe County and build the food entrepreneurial network, we foster safe landing opportunities for local high-quality, sustainable and consumer packaged goods in stores. Together we are promoting healthy eating, food security and awareness around the county, across Central Ontario and throughout Canada.” Sara Bentham, Director, Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre.
The program is currently accepting applications for a November 1 deadline, so if you think you have the next big idea and are seeking an opportunity to prepare your product for distribution success, apply now!
Featured image: Viktoria Slowikowska via pexels.com
