MEDIA RELEASE  (pdf version)

For Immediate Release

 “Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition”

Wins Community Economic Development Award

The Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition has received the prestigious Community Economic Development Award of Excellence out of many nominations from across the province at Community Futures Ontario’s 24th Annual Conference.

The Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition is in the style of CBC’s The Dragons’ Den. This is the seventh year for the event which has grown exponentially. All six finalists were clients of Community Futures Peterborough…a testament to the coaching that they received during the loans process.

This initiative was brought together in a truly collaborative sense with partner organizations all with a unique role in supporting entrepreneurs in their business ventures. This included Community Futures Peterborough, Peterborough Economic Development, The Innovation Cluster of Peterborough and the Kawarthas, Peterborough Regional Angels Network, the Chamber of Commerce and the Workforce Development Board.

“Why are we doing it? It’s to help entrepreneurs understand that each individual community partner in Peterborough has a role to play to help them be successful whether it’s raising money, creating their business plan, workshops. That’s what it’s really all about” said Sophie Andreou a social media entrepreneur. “Every year we get stronger and stronger entrepreneurs. We’re bringing the benchmark up every year because of this large competition we have in town. We want Peterborough to be the place people think of when they want to start a company or grow their company”.

“The Bears’ Lair Competition is basically a collaborative effort to give the entrepreneurs and start-ups a stage, a format to learn how to pitch, learn how to cash flow, and learn how to market”, says Jeff Day Executive Director of Community Futures Peterborough. “It basically stems from Sir Sandford Fleming, to Trent University, to our innovation cluster, to our economic development, to our local chamber, to Startup Peterborough, to us [Community Futures Peterborough]”.

The Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition team was honoured at the annual Awards Gala dinner that was recently held at the Four Points by Sheraton in London. Over 250 delegates and guests from Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) came together to help celebrate their win. They were nominated for the award by the Community Futures Peterborough.

Watch the Bear’s Lair winning video at https://youtu.be/6G2PG82mh4U

About Community Futures Ontario (CF Ontario):

Community Futures Ontario represents 61 Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs)- 37 in southern Ontario and 24 in the north - that offer free business counselling, loans for start-up and expansion of small business, strategic planning on local projects and community economic development in rural areas. CFDCs provide flexible, repayable loans to small and medium sized businesses and are locally managed by a volunteer Board of Directors and funded with federal government support.

For more information about Bear’s Lair Entrepreneurial Competition and Community Futures Peterborough, contact:

Jeff Day
Executive Director of Community Futures Peterborough
Phone: 705.745.5434
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://communityfuturespeterborough.ca/

For more information about the Community Futures program or Community Futures Ontario, contact:

Diana Jedig
Executive Director
Community Futures Ontario
300 South Edgeware Road, St. Thomas, ON   N5P 4L1
519-633-2326 ext.123
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.cfontario.ca