If you’re thinking about starting a business (especially a home-based business) in Ontario, a Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) could be an excellent source of guidance, contacts, and startup funding.
In this guide you’ll learn what SBECs are, how they can help you start a business, and where SBEC offices are located in Ontario.
What is a Small Business Enterprise Centre (and How You Can Use Them)
Think of an SBEC as a publicly funded concierge for new and early‑stage entrepreneurs. Each of the 54 offices is jointly financed by the Province of Ontario and its host municipality, so the core advice and training you receive are free of charge. Walk in (or book online) and you’ll come out with clearer next steps, a business‑plan template, and contacts you didn’t know you needed.
In the last fiscal year, Ontario’s SBEC network logged nearly 30 000 advisory meetings and helped clients secure more than $5 million in combined grant funding. Even if you walk away without a cheque, the planning discipline alone can prevent costly missteps.
Core SBEC Services at a Glance
Most entrepreneurs visit for one of three reasons:
- Business‑plan feedback – advisors review your draft, flag gaps, and point to market‑research tools.
- Skills development – lunch‑hour webinars on tax basics, pricing, digital marketing, HR compliance, and more.
- Market validation – help refining your value proposition and testing it with real customers.
Behind the scenes, SBECs also run networking mixers, pitch nights, and sector roundtables—opportunities that rarely make it onto big government websites but can be priceless for local exposure.
Core Micro‑Grants Provided by SBECs
Two programs run province‑wide and are delivered by every SBEC:
| Grant Program | Eligibility | $ Amount | When It’s Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Company Plus | Ontario residents 18 + launching, buying, or expanding a business | Up to $5,000 (non‑repayable) | Varies by SBEC |
| Summer Company | Students aged 15–29 operating a full‑time summer venture | Up to $3,000 | Applications open early spring; due by mid-May |
Each grant comes bundled with mandatory training and up to six months of one‑on‑one mentorship. The money is nice, and the coaching can also be very valuable.
Additional Programs Provided by SBECs
Beyond the flagship pair, some centres secure their own pots of money—sometimes in partnership with local BIAs, tourism boards, or Community Futures offices. A few examples:
- Foodpreneur Advantage: a food‑focused program which includes a 10-week program of training, mentoring, and coaching
- New Start: a mentoring program for newcomer founders
- Booster Loan: microloan up to $10,000 with simplified application process
- Momentum Business Mentor Program – matches small‑business owners and non‑profits with an expert business advisor and specialists to help them develop and execute strategies.
- Launch Local – a training and mentorship program provides early‑ and growth‑stage business owners with group sessions on business planning and other topics and includes individual mentoring from successful entrepreneurs and retired executives
- She Means Business – a success‑pod program for women entrepreneurs, offering weekly 90‑minute pod sessions, ongoing support through a private online hub, and access to tools and templates.
- Common House Café – an artisan food incubator that invites licensed food businesses in the start‑up or expansion phase to access kitchen equipment, showcase products, receive training and mentorship, and network with fellow foodpreneurs.
- E.R. Monaco Young Entrepreneurs Awards – a business plan competition that challenges high‑school students (ages 15–20) to develop professional business plans; the top plans receive cash prizes
- Facade‑improvement grants tied to downtown revitalization in multiple Southwestern communities
These niche funds open and close quickly, so ask your advisor during the very first meeting.
Do You Qualify for SBEC Funding?
In most cases, to qualify for funding provided by Small Business Enterprise Centres, you need to:
- Live or operate within the centre’s catchment area.
- Show that your idea is new (or that expansion will create jobs or revenue).
- Provide a modest cash or sweat‑equity match.
- Commit to the training hours and produce progress reports.
If you’re under 29 and targeting the Summer Company grant, be prepared to run the business full‑time between June and August.
Finding Your SBEC Centre – Every SBEC Office in Ontario
In the tables below we’ve grouped the 54 Small Business Enterprise Centre offices into four regions of Ontario: Southwest; Central; Eastern; and Northern. We also list the funding programs they offer.
Southwest Ontario: SBEC Offices & Programs
| SBEC Office | Funding Programs |
|---|---|
| Brantford‑Brant Business Resource Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage |
| Business to Bruce – Bruce County (Port Elgin) | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Spruce the Bruce Ontario Tourism Innovation Lab: Spark Program |
| Chatham‑Kent Small Business Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage Community Improvement Plan |
| Windsor-Essex Small Business Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company New Start Booster Loan |
| Huron Business Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage |
| Guelph‑Wellington Business Enterprise Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage Momentum Business Mentor |
| London Small Business Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage New Start |
| Niagara Falls SBEC | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage |
| St. Catharines Enterprise Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company |
| Sarnia‑Lambton Business Enterprise Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage |
| Stratford Perth Centre for Business | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage |
| Elgin‑St. Thomas SBEC | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage |
| Waterloo Region SBC – Cambridge | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Early Sparks Program Digi Sparks Program |
| Hamilton Business Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage Launch Local Common House Café She Means Business E.R. Monaco Young Entrepreneurs Awards |
| Small Business Centre – Oxford County | Starter Company Plus Summer Company |
| Grey County Business Enterprise Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company |
Central Ontario (GTA + Simcoe/Dufferin): SBEC Offices & Programs
| SBEC Office | Programs Offered |
|---|---|
| Small Business Centre of Barrie, Simcoe County & Orillia | Starter Company Plus Summer Company |
| South Georgian Bay SBEC (Collingwood) | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Digital Service Squad Virtual Service Advisory Program |
| Brampton Entrepreneur Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company |
| Mississauga Business Enterprise Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company EmpowHER Tech Launchpad IDEA Step-Up Program |
| Halton Region Small Business Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company |
| Markham Small Business Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company |
| Richmond Hill SBEC | Starter Company Plus Summer Company |
| Vaughan Business Enterprise Centre | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Mobility Demonstration Zone |
| York SBEC (Newmarket) | Starter Company Plus Summer Company |
| Toronto Small Business Enterprise Centres (Scarborough Civic Centre and North York Civic Centre) | Starter Company Plus Summer Company |
| Business Advisory Centre Durham | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Foodpreneur Advantage Start Smart |
| Orangeville & Area SBEC | Starter Company Plus Summer Company Concept to Commerce Start-up Program Forum Program |
Eastern Ontario: SBEC Offices & Programs
| SBEC Office | Programs Offered |
| Small Business Centre – Belleville & Quinte | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyEnabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) |
| Leeds & Grenville SBEC (Brockville) | Starter Company PlusSummer Company |
| Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyFoodpreneur Advantage |
| Prescott‑Russell Entrepreneurship Centre (L’Orignal) | Starter Company PlusSummer Company |
| Invest Ottawa – Small Business Services | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyE-Commerce Accelerator |
| Small Business Advisory Centre (Smiths Falls/Lanark) | Starter Company PlusSummer Company |
| Enterprise Renfrew County – Pembroke | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyBusiness Coaching |
| Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland (Cobourg) | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyKids Business Start-Up ProgramFaster Forward CoachingFood and Beverage Development GroupWomen’s Program |
| Community Futures Peterborough | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyCommunity Advancement ProgramSOAR |
| Kawartha Lakes SBEC | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyDevelopment Concierge ProgramInnovation HubMillion Dollar Makeover |
| Kingston Small Business Development Centre | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyBusiness Grant Writing SupportHelix Funding |
Northern Ontario: SBEC Offices & Programs
| SBEC Office | Programs Offered |
| Muskoka Small Business Centre (Bracebridge) | Starter Company PlusSummer Company |
| Northwest Business Centre (Kenora) | Starter Company PlusSummer Company |
| Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyCEDC Tourism Event FundAirport Development Incentive Downtown Financial Assistance |
| Millworks Centre for Entrepreneurship (Sault Ste. Marie) | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyBusiness CounsellingStart-Up VisaIncubation ServicesCoworking SpaceMentorship Program |
| The Business Centre – Nipissing Parry Sound | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyFoodpreneur AdvantageNewcomer Entrepreneurship Program |
| Enterprise Temiskaming (Haileybury) | Starter Company PlusSummer Company |
| Regional Business Centre (Sudbury) | Starter Company PlusSummer CompanyIncubator Program |
| Timmins Business Enterprise Centre | Starter Company PlusSummer Company |
Where SBECs Sit in the Bigger Funding Ecosystem
Your advisor’s job is to keep you moving. Once you outgrow SBEC programming you may be referred to:
- Community Futures for larger rural loans
- Regional Innovation Centres (RICs) for tech acceleration
- Audience-targeted funding: Futurpreneur Canada for under‑40 financing
- Export Development Canada, WEtech Alliance, or sector‑specific incubators
A single warm introduction can shave months off your funding hunt.
Maximising the SBEC Experience—Five Quick Tips
- Arrive prepared. When you meet with an advisor for the first time, bring a sketch of your idea and real questions.
- Follow through. Treat each task from your advisor like a deadline.
- Network intentionally. The person beside you in an SBEC webinar could be your first customer—or supplier.
- Stack funding. Pair a Starter Company Plus grant with a downtown facade fund or low‑interest Community Futures loan to stretch your cash.
- Keep them updated. Success stories help the centres justify new grant budgets; timely updates keep you top‑of‑mind when fresh programs launch.
What to Do Next:
- Use the tables above to find the SBEC office nearest you;
- Book your first appointment;
- Before your appointment, follow our tips to prepare
- The meeting is free; the clarity you’ll gain could easily be worth thousands!
And explore other types of business funding support in Ontario: