Registration deadline of Feb. 1 approaching quickly

CHARLOTTETOWN – Jan. 21, 2016 – Two more sponsors have just confirmed their financial contributions to help the francophone Dragons’ Contest present a $10,000 first prize to the contest champion.

Jeannette Arsenault, president of RDÉE Prince Edward Island, announced that this economic development council will contribute $5,500 while Mike Bradley, owner of Mike Bradley Insurance Services Ltd. (The Co-operators), will contribute $1,000.

These amounts will be added to the already confirmed $2,500 from Innovation PEI and the $1,000 from RDÉE Canada. The total will be invested into the contest champion’s entrepreneurial project. As well, this person will get free businesses courses from the Collège Acadie Î.-P.-É., a $200 gift certificate from the University of Prince Edward Island and free one-year memberships both the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI and the Greater Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce.

Contest coordinator Rachel Chappell sincerely thanks all the sponsors for their contributions.

At the same time, she launches a last call for applications from French-speaking people who wish to start a new business, expand an existing business or launch a new product or service. Those who are interested in participating in the contest, which is comparable to the TV show « Dragon’s Den », have until Feb. 1 to sign up.

All those who meet the criteria will have to participate in two obligatory days of training (Feb. 5-6 at Centre Belle-Alliance in Summerside) to learn how to effectively pitch their entrepreneurial project to a panel of judges or « dragons ». Business experts will provide them with group sessions as well as individual consultations.

Then, on either Feb. 11 or 12, the contestants will get seven minutes to present their project to an Island panel of judges. The dragons will pick the top three projects.

During the contest finals, in the early evening of March 12 (right before the Acadian Entrepreneurs’ Gala, also in Summerside), the three finalists will once again pitch their project, but this time before a national panel of judges as well as the public. Then at the end of the Gala, the name of the $10,000 winner will be announced.

« We’ve already received a few interesting applications but we still have room for several more so don’t hesitate to sign up for the contest, » says Chappell. « To learn more about the competition, you can call me at 902-370-7333, Ext. 401, or send me an email at dragons@rdeeipe.org. Or, you can check out our web site at www.rdeeipe.net/dragons/ to fill in the registration form. »

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CUTLINE: Jeannette Arsenault, left, president of RDÉE Prince Edward Island, confirms a $5,500 contribution towards the $10,000 first prize for the francophone Dragons’ Contest while Mike Bradley from Mike Bradley Insurance Services Ltd. (The Co-operators) contributes $1,000. Contest coordinator Rachel Chappell graciously accepts their sponsorship.

 

For more information:
Rachel Chappell
Coordinator
Dragons’ Contest
902-370-7333, Ext. 401
dragons@rdeeipe.org