This Black-woman founded non-profit helps Black entrepreneurs to start their food business
Foodpreneur Lab is the only Canadian Black-woman founded and led non-profit with a fierce national mandate to advance racial and gender equity in the food sector.
Where food dreams grow
Foodpreneur Lab is a federally-funded, Black woman led, non-profit organization founded by Janice Bartley in 2019. Their mission is to help Black entrepreneurs who are looking to start-up and scale-up a food business.
Why is this important? Simply, they are in a unique and more importantly, informed position to help food entrepreneurs from underserved communities realize their small, large, short term or long term business goals. If you are a Black foodpreneur in the regions we have identified for Cohort 4, are a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident, and need individualized support to launch a new or scale an existing food product, then this project, funded by the Government of Canada is for you!
Foodpreneur Lab has an open call for applications for Cohort 4 of Advisor-Led Start and Scale Paths where they will be accepting Black food entrepreneurs from across Southwestern Ontario. Cohort 3 will prioritize applicants from the following regions: Brant, Bruce, Chatham-Kent, Dufferin, Durham, Elgin, Essex, Frontenac, Grey, Haldimand-Norfolk, Haliburton, Halton, Hamilton, Hastings, Huron, Kawartha Lakes, Lambton, Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Lennox and Addington, Middlesex, Niagara, Northumberland, Ottawa, Oxford, Peel, Perth, Peterborough, Prescott and Russell, Prince Edward, Renfrew, Simcoe, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington, York. Applications from the GTA will also be accepted.
The deadline is March 1, 2024. The Black entrepreneurs who want to benefit from food industry-specific guidance and expertise can apply at https://www.foodpreneurlab.com/start-scale-path through email.
Foodpreneur Lab’s Advisor-Led Start and Scale Paths is a 9-month project that helps Black food entrepreneurs start and scale a food product and bring it to market.
Selected participants will receive:
Expert 1-1 individualized support for every stage of development
- Hands-on experience in a commercial production space
- Access to industry events and opportunities
- And peer and community support
This entire program is provided free of charge to selected applicants through the Government of Canada’s Black Entrepreneurship Program. Here is the Application Timeline:
- January 29, 2024 - Applications open
- February 12, 2024 - English Info Session 6:30 to 8:30 pm
- February 15, 2024 - French Info Session 6:30 to 8:30 pm
- February 21, 2024 - English Info Session 6:30 to 8:30 pm
- March 1, 2024 - Applications close at 11:59 am EST
- March 5 - 11, 2024 - Participants notified
- April 2, 2024 - Path kickoff
- December 15, 2024 - Path ends
Please check AfroBiz Events section to register for a free session on February 12, February 15, February 21, when you will learn more about this unique opportunity to grow your dream food business.
