NCFDC

NCFDC invests in innovation and entrepreneurship as pathways to future prosperity, with core operational funding from FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada. Headquartered at Venture13 in Cobourg, Ontario, just over an hour East of Toronto, NCFDC delivers local, regional and national initiatives. Throughout the latest five-year period, from 2018-2023, these initiatives delivered over $35 million in impact for innovative and growth-oriented start-ups and SMEs.

Let’s start a conversation about your organization’s strategic objectives and the resources you need to grow.

Current Programming

Community Futures

Loans (up to $250K) for
Northumberland-based ventures.

thriveFORWARD

thriveFORWARD innovation funding for Start-ups ($25K) and SMEs ($100K) in southern Ontario. Intake Closed

DELIA

$15K DELIA microloans for women-owned businesses across Canada.

StrikeUP

StrikeUP Canada digital conference for women entrepreneurs.

Venture13

VentureZone memberships for entrepreneurs and innovators at our centre in Cobourg, Ontario.

V13 Policetech Accelerator

A community safety innovation joint initiative with the Cobourg Police Service for Start-ups and Scale-ups.

Project Partners

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Upcoming events at Venture13 | Multiple dates
DELIA Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, Info Sessions | 2024 dates TBA
StrikeUP Connects Webinars + Archive | Ongoing monthly
Pitch to the Chief™ – Youth Edition | May 14
Forging the Future Leadership Workshops with the NMA | Sep 11 | For NCFDC clients, by invitation

The Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast

Listen to Braden Kemp (NCFDC, Bioenterprise Canada) and Tracy Morningstar (Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business) in conversation with entrepreneurs who are pushing beyond the limits of creativity and innovation. Season 1 brings you start-up Founders from across southern Ontario, venture-backed by NCFDC’s thriveFORWARD initiative (with the support of FedDev Ontario). Learn more.

Latest News

Register Now for StrikeUP 2024

Jan 11, 2024

Registration continues for Canada’s flagship digital conference dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs and their entrepreneurial development. Set to take place on February 29, 2024, StrikeUP 2024 is a free and accessible program that will showcase the diversity and ambition of Canada’s women entrepreneurs.

Inscrivez-vous à Une coche plus haut 2024

Jan 11, 2024

Les inscriptions se poursuivent pour la conférence virtuel phare du Canada dédiée au soutien des femmes entrepreneurs et à leur développement entrepreneurial. Une coche plus haut 2024, qui aura lieu le 29 février 2024, est un programme gratuit et accessible qui mettra en valeur la diversité et l’ambition des femmes entrepreneurs du Canada.

Frontier Entrepreneurship Podcast Episode 7 – Jetsplitz

Jan 3, 2024

Episode 7 of Season 1 of the Podcast brings you to the frontier of air travel with Sarah Paterson, Founder & CEO of Jetsplitz. Jetsplitz is an online marketplace for empty legs and empty seats on private jets anywhere in the world, making it possible to share a plane while materially reducing the cost. Backed by thriveFORWARD and CCAB, Paterson’s start-up is a proudly Canadian-based, female-led and Indigenous-owned-and-operated venture