Our sponsorship levels consist of 5 tiers of support to accommodate your goals: Title Sponsor, Advocate, Partner, Supporter, and Friend. If you, as an individual, or your company is interested in being a ‘Pitch’ sponsor, please reach out to us for more information. Contact Felicia Brice, [email protected] 519-633-7597 ext 324.

The Pitch is an annual Dragons’ Den-Style business plan competition and exciting event in which 5 local Elgin County businesses or aspiring entrepreneurs compete for a chance to win a grand prize package of cash and in-kind prizes to support their venture.

The Pitch will be in-person and presented live February 3, 2027.

Existing businesses or aspiring entrepreneurs of any age in Elgin County, including St. Thomas, can submit their submit their application form. If you submitted a business plan before but were not a past winner or finalists, you may resubmit an updated application form.

EBRC staff, Board of Directors including immediate family members, businesses outside of Elgin County and past winners are not eligible to enter The Pitch. If you have been a finalist in the past, you must wait one (1) consecutive year from date of participation to be eligible to enter The Pitch again. Anyone who doesn’t have true intention to execute their business plan are not eligible to enter.

To enter, businesses or aspiring entrepreneurs will be required to submit their application form, by 4:00pm November 2, 2026. Enter here!

Application forms will need to be submitted by 4:00pm November 2, 2026.

Other important dates to remember
November 24, 2026 – Finalists selected
November 24, 2025 – Finalists will be notified and provided presentation tips
February 3, 2027 – The Pitch Finale – Live & In-Person

It’s free to enter.

Cash and in-kind prizes, of which 100% goes towards the winner. The entire prize package is announced at the grand finale along with the sponsors who made the contribution.

The business plan application forms are read and evaluated by the entire Elgin Business Resource Centre staff to determine the top 5 finalists, who will then go on to the gran finale.

Yes, please contact our business advisors, Tanya Wilson, [email protected] 519-633-7597 ext 335 or Jennifer Grigg, [email protected] 519-633-7597 ext 323 to arrange a meeting with one of our business advisors.

The advisors can assist in reviewing the application form and make suggestions you can implement before submitting your final application plan. Please note, we assist clients on a first come, first served basis and cannot provide constructive advice on the business plan deadline date.

A workshop is provided with tips on writing a business plan for the The Pitch September 15, 2026.

No. If you are not able to present at The Pitch, please contact Jennifer Grigg at [email protected] 519-633-7597 ext 323, as soon as possible, so we can let another business present their business at the finale.

Everyone is welcome to attend the in-person, live presentation of the grand finale. The audience consists of EBRC staff, Board of Directors, local businesses, the general public, media, family, and friends of the finalists.

The grand finale consists of a public speaking presentation element live and in front of an audience. Finalists will be given additional information prior to the event and advice and support on how to enhance their presentation, and create a one page executive summary for the judges.

Yes, finalists can bring family and friends with them to The Pitch Finale. Limited tickets are available due to the capacity of the venue. Tickets are free through Eventbrite. Everyone is invited to attend.

5 finalists are selected.

The 5 finalists will present their business at The Pitch in front of a live audience February 3, 2027. A panel of judges will each ask finalists questions based on their presentation. The judges will then deliberate and vote for the winner.

The panel of judges are made up of non-biased professionals and/or sponsors.