This year’s edition of the SOAR Indigenous Entrepreneurship Competition will be delivered in partnership with the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies.

The partnership sees SIIT bring the prize fund up to $50,000 for this year because of its 50th anniversary.

SOAR is a competition where applicants receive workshops that blend business training and mentorship up until the SOAR Finale on October 21. During the Finale finalists will pitch their business idea using their new training for a cash prize. The SOAR Finale is open to the public with tickets expected to go on sale in mid to late September.

Stéphane O’Reilly, Director of Entrepreneurship at SREDA, says applications to compete have closed.

“SOAR is designed to support the growth and scalability of Indigenous owned businesses, build that entrepreneurial capacity and confidence, and really strength connections in the Indigenous business ecosystem.”

Originally the competition was only offered to entrepreneurs in the Saskatoon area, but SREDA’s entrepreneurship program, SK Startup Institute, has helped to expand the competition province wide.