The Ontario government will allocate an additional CAD 15 million to the Indigenous, Black, and other racial minorities entrepreneurs training and funding program, so that people in these groups interested in starting a business can receive free guidance, training, and job opportunities.

The project plans to train more than 1,200 entrepreneurs from Indigenous, Black, and other minority groups over the next three years to help them successfully establish and operate businesses.

For his part, Michael Ford, Ontario's Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, said that many still face systemic barriers to starting a business. The provincial government wants to help the new generation of multi-ethnic entrepreneurs gain the tools, resources, and capital they need to start their own businesses.

The provincial government is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 period. The application deadline is December 8, where accepted applicants will receive online training, culturally based mentorship, and a one-time support of CAD 10,000.

Ontario allocated CAD 5 million for the first time last year to conduct a pilot training project, which trained more than 400 entrepreneurs from Indigenous, Black, and other minorities.