Entrepreneurs vie for $25,000 prize
WELLINGTON — RDÉE Prince Edward Island said it is impressed with the quality of submissions received for its Francophone Ignition Contest, the new version of its entrepreneurial startup competition.
There are eight contestants vying for the $25,000 prize.
The proposed entrepreneurial projects touch on a wide variety of fields, such as agriculture, ecology, new technologies, communications, transport and health care.
From Feb. 9-10, all contestants will be invited to participate in a weekend of intense training on finances and on the pitching of their project before a panel of judges.
Ron and Connie Robichaud from C&R Care and Consulting of Nova Scotia will deliver the training.
The Collège de l’Île will also delivery an Insights Discovery session on knowledge of self and communication styles.
On March 2, contestants will participate in a pre-selection competition where they will present their project to a panel of local judges.
These judges will pick the top three projects.
Those finalists will get to compete in the competition finals, being held jointly with the Acadian Entrepreneurs’ Gala March 16 at 5 p.m. at the Centre BelleAlliance in Summerside.
They’ll again give their sevenminute pitch but this time before the public and an Atlantic Canadian panel of judges.
These judges will identify the project that has the most potential for success; at the end of the evening, this person will receive the championship prize of $25,000 as well as free memberships to
the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of P.E.I., as well as to the Summerside and Charlottetown Chambers of Commerce.
The cash prize comes from Innovation P.E.I.’s Ignition Start-Up Fund.
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is funding the coordination, training and administration for this initiative.
The Francophone Ignition Contest replaces the former “Dragons’ Contest” that RDÉE Prince Edward Island held four times over the years.
Both versions take place in exactly the same way.