Investments announced during official opening of Vennture Garage
June 19, 2015 – Saint John – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Enterprise Saint John is undertaking two projects that will benefit New Brunswick companies and entrepreneurs looking to further their productivity and commercialization opportunities, thanks to investments by the Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick. The investments were announced as part of a special event to mark the opening of a new entrepreneurship centre in uptown Saint John called the Vennture Garage.
Rodney Weston, Member of Parliament for Saint John, on behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for New Brunswick, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency), Hon. Ed Doherty, Minister of Government Services, on behalf of Hon. Victor Boudreau, minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation, joined Enterprise Saint John staff and program participants in Saint John today to make the announcement.
The first initiative involves the creation of a garage-style entrepreneurship centre, the Vennture Garage, which offers a dedicated space where new entrepreneurs can develop ideas and opportunities more rapidly and effectively. This will be the province’s second Vennture Garage, and is being opened in collaboration with the VennCentre in Moncton. The Government of Canada, through ACOA’s Business Development Program, is investing $97,561 and the Province of New Brunswick is contributing $30,000.
The second investment supported the development of the Catalyst Innovation Pilot Project aimed to increase the adoption of creative practices among New Brunswick companies and improve their productivity and competitiveness. The Government of Canada, through ACOA’s Business Development Program, is providing $86,644.
Quick Facts:
- Vennture Garage Saint John complements the community’s existing entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing a place where entrepreneurial people can come together to develop and validate ideas for commercialization.
- Vennture Garage Saint John is located at ConnexionsWorks on 1 Germain Street.
- The Catalyst Innovation Program supports the development of new products, services or methodologies in existing companies by solving problems.
- The Catalyst will help companies participate more actively in the innovation pipeline, using a method of creative problem-solving to help participating companies generate ideas.
Quotes:
“Our Government is pleased to support projects like these that help local entrepreneurs succeed and businesses prosper. Funding announced today helped Enterprise Saint John create a centre to foster greater entrepreneurship, as well as undertake a project to help build business capacity and increase company competitiveness.”
- Rodney Weston, Member of Parliament for Saint John, on behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for New Brunswick, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
“Our government’s investment will assist in the creation of an acceleration and commercialization centre with services to assist start-ups and new businesses right here in Saint John.”
- Dr. Ed Doherty, Minister of Government Services on behalf of Hon. Victor Boudreau, minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation
“Innovation, research and related entrepreneurship are important drivers of a city’s prosperity, which is why it is one of the key objectives of True Growth 2.0. The Vennture Garage and Catalyst programs will support innovators and entrepreneurs in solving problems that will lead to new products, and services that can then be exported from our region. These projects help companies at the stages where they might not traditionally have support. The federal and provincial governments have stepped up to the plate and are really helping to prove that job creation, through innovation, is their top priority.”
- Steve Carson, Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Saint John
Associated Links:
Contacts:
Kelsie Corey
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
613-941-7241
Paul CJ LeBlanc
Senior Communications Officer
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
506-452-3310
Heather Desserud
Communications
Enterprise Saint John
506-658-4591
Bruce Macfarlane
Communications
Regional Development Corporation
506-444-4583
