About

What is FastStart?

FastStart is an entrepreneurial training partnership aimed at university and college students. FastStart is designed to increase entrepreneurship skills and awareness and help students create solid business plans that take their products and services to market – quickly and successfully.

FastStart’s partners include four academic institutions and two community entrepreneurship groups:Trent University/Trent University Durham, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Durham College, Fleming College, Spark Centre, and the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster.

FastStart is available to students at the four academic institutions in all fields of study. The partnership also welcomes other youth in the community who possess an entrepreneurial spirit.

FastStart offers:

• Events that help stimulate student’s understanding of, and interest in, entrepreneurship as a career option.

• Customized services to help participants refine their ideas, build teams and prepare solid business plans to deliver products and services to market

• Programs such as boot camps and student incubators

• Progressive, focused programs for students with demonstrated interest and ability

• Prepares students to transition through FastStart to the Spark Centre, the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster or to other local business access development centres where they can find additional services to help them quickly advance and launch their businesses.

For more information, visit the FastStart website

FastStart is funded through an $800,000 Government of Ontario grant being shared equally among all four post-secondary institutions under the province’s $5 million On-Campus Entrepreneurship Activities (OCEA) program, managed by the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).

The OCEA program is part of Ontario’s Youth Jobs Strategy, which is seeing the province invest $295 million over two years to help 30,000 more youth from across the province connect with the tools, experiences and entrepreneurial support they need to find employment or start their own businesses.

Funded by the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs (ONE) is Ontario’s innovation system. The ONE is made up of regional and sector focused organizations designed to help Ontario-based entrepreneurs rapidly grow their companies, and create jobs. For more information visit the ONE website.