Young Entrepreneur Bursary Program

The Young Entrepreneur Bursary Program provides $5,000 grants to 57 eligible young entrepreneurs across Saskatchewan to support business expenses and offer access to mentorship and networking opportunities.

Who is eligible to apply?
To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 35

• Own a for-profit business located and registered in Saskatchewan

• Have a business that has been operating for 10 years or less (preference given to those under 5 years)

*Note: To be eligible, applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old as of July 14, 2025. If you are currently 35, you are still eligible as long as you do not turn 36 before July 14, 2025.

Funds may be used for eligible business expenses that support business growth and development. A full list of eligible expenses can be viewed below or downloaded here.

Business Development

• Market research or business planning services
• Branding or logo design
• Website development or upgrades
• Marketing and advertising campaigns
• Photography or videography for promotional purposes

Operations and Equipment

• Office supplies or technology (e.g., laptop, printer, software subscriptions)
• Business tools or equipment essential to daily operations
• Point-of-sale systems or e-commerce platforms
• Safety or compliance-related upgrades

Product or Service Expansion

• Raw materials or inventory purchases
• Prototyping or product development
• Packaging and labelling costs

Skills, Training, Professional Services

• Professional development courses or certifications
• Business workshops, webinars, or training events
• Consulting services (e.g., business coaching, strategic planning)

Note: Personal expenses, debt repayment, or non-business-related costs are not eligible. All recipients will be required to submit a breakdown of how the funds were used in their final report.

To be eligible, applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old as of July 14, 2025. This means you must have been born between July 15, 1989, and July 14, 2007, inclusive.

If you are currently 35, you are still eligible as long as you do not turn 36 before July 14, 2025.

Applications for the 2025-26 cohort can be submitted through the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce website here. The application form is available starting May 21, 2025 and will close on July 14, 2025.

Applicants must provide proof of age (e.g. government-issued ID) and a valid business number to complete their application.

Note: Your business must be registered within 3 months to receive the bursary.

Yes. All bursary recipients are required to submit a final report one year after the bursary is awarded. This report helps us measure the impact of the program and includes updates on your business progress, how the bursary funds were used, and the outcomes of your mentorship experience. It will include questions about business growth, key performance milestones, and a brief breakdown of how the $5,000 bursary was or will be spent.

Failure to meet this requirement may result in the bursary being withdrawn. Additional details about the final report will be shared with recipients in the coming months.

Yes, as part of the bursary requirements, recipients are expected to attend at least two mentorship sessions. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the bursary being withdrawn. Five sessions will be held between October 2025 and May 2026—two in person and three online. Recipients will be notified of the session dates in advance.

Successful applicants will be announced publicly on September 30, 2025.

We encourage you to find the chamber nearest you by visiting our online chamber directory.

In regions where no applications are received, bursaries will be reallocated to nearby areas with high applicant volume.

If your region does not have a chamber, please identify the chamber nearest you by visiting our chamber directory.

No, membership is not required. However, applicants must identify their regional Chamber as part of the application. You may view chambers across Saskatchewan here.

The program spans one year. Bursary recipients will be announced in fall 2025, with five mentorship sessions taking place before May 2026. A final report is required one year after receiving the bursary funds (fall 2026). A new cohort of 57 recipients will be selected through an annual application process in 2026.

Applications are evaluated based on:

• Business viability

• Clearly defined business goals

• Sales projections

• A clear plan for how the $5,000 will be used to support business development

• Potential impact on the local economy

All applications are adjudicated by a third-party accounting firm to ensure fairness and transparency.

The Young Entrepreneur Bursary is a one-time opportunity and past bursary recipients are not eligible to apply again in future years. If you are not successful in 2025, you may apply again in 2026.

Only successful applicants will be contacted. However, those who were not selected may request feedback by emailing programs@saskchamber.com.

No. The bursary is only available to for-profit businesses that meet the program’s eligibility criteria.

Yes, you are eligible as long as your business meets the other eligibility criteria.

While you are welcome to apply, your business must be registered within 3 months to receive the bursary amount in full.

Yes, eligibility for businesses that are registered but not yet operating are eligible to apply, but will be scored lower than operating businesses.

No. You must be an owner of the business. Even if you manage the operations, you are still considered an employee if you do not have ownership.

Yes. As long as you meet all the eligibility requirements—including the age criteria—you may apply, even if your co-owner does not. The bursary is awarded to the individual applicant, not the business as a whole.

Yes. As long as you are the new owner and the business has been under your ownership for less than 10 years at the time of application, you meet the eligibility criteria.

A total of 57 young entrepreneurs, one from each participating Chamber region, will receive funding.

Please reach out to us at programs@saskchamber.com for any further questions on the program.