Hey students! Got an innovative business Idea? Pitch It!

Oshawa, Ont. – Have you envisioned a way to help combat the climate crisis? Do you have a beef with the state of the industrial agriculture? Maybe you’ve dreamed up an innovative technique to enhance a trade or brainstormed a new IT or media technology. If you’ve spent time thinking about any of these topics, then it’s time to take your ideas and Pitch It! in FastStart’s second annual entrepreneurship initiative.

Running for four weeks, Pitch It! culminates on Wednesday, October 5 in a Dragons’ Den-style pitch competition to a panel of industry judges. This is your chance to win $500, meet others like you, and get help to bring your innovative idea to the marketplace.

Students enrolled at Durham College, Fleming College, Trent University, and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) are eligible. You can enter Pitch It! as a team or an individual at your home academic institution.

Applications can fall into one of four categories: Agriculture and Food; Information Technology and Media; The Environment; The Trades. A judging panel of top-notch industry leaders will review all submissions. Up to five submissions in each industry area will be selected to “pitch” their idea to the panel to win one of four $500 prizes.  

“FastStart is helping establish a culture of entrepreneurship on all partner campuses. PitchIt! is just one of the many exciting opportunities available to students to nurture their business ideas.” 
- David Pamenter, UOIT’s Executive in Residence and FastStart lead

The Pitch It competition is sponsored by FastStart, an entrepreneurial training partnership designed to increase the entrepreneurship skills and awareness of university and college students and help them develop solid business plans and take products to market. FastStart enables students to apply entrepreneurial thinking to their future careers, whether they are in startups, established businesses, social innovation or public service.

For more information about Pitch It! or to download a submission form, visit faststartfs.ca/pitchit2016.

About FastStart

FastStart is funded by the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Centres of Excellence.  FastStart is part of the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs (ONE) Ontario’s innovation system. The ONE is made up of regional and sector focused organizations designed to help Ontario-based entrepreneurs rapidly grow their companies, and create jobs. For more information, visit onebusiness.ca.

Media contacts:

University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Bryan Oliver
Bryan.Oliver@uoit.ca

Durham College
Allison Rosnak
Allison.Rosnak@durhamcollege.ca

Fleming College
Drew Van Parys
Drew.VanParys@flemingcollege.ca

Trent University
Kate Weersink
kateweersink@trentu.ca