Young entrepreneurs compete for $1500 in Portage la Prairie business challenge – PortageOnline.com

Thirty-two high school students in Portage la Prairie are gearing up to pitch innovative business and product ideas on February 27 as part of the third annual Entrepreneur Challenge, hosted by the Prairie Project Studio (PPS).

The program, supported by local partners like Arrowhead Development Corporation (ADC) and Community Futures White Horse Plains, offers $1,500 in prize money to winning teams.

Hands-on learning for aspiring entrepreneurs

The challenge began with a kickoff event at Red River College Polytechnic’s Portage campus on Tuesday, where students attended workshops led by community partners. Topics ranged from idea generation (Portage Regional Economic Development) to prototyping (PPS). Over 10 hours of class time, and two mentor sessions, participants refine their ideas before pitching them to the judges.

“The whole initiative behind this is just to show that regular people, even high school students, have the ability to start a business or to create a product,” says Guy Moffat, program coordinator at PPS. “It’s trying to think of something that others would be interested in having. Maybe it solves a problem.”

Funding, impact, and alumni success

The prize money is funded by partners, including ADC and Community Futures White Horse Plains. While not all ventures continue long-term, Moffat shares examples of past participants turning ideas into reality.

“One of the individuals who won some of the prize money took that money to publish a book they had written. From last year’s competition, two of the winners took their products to market and were actively selling. One team that didn’t win still made over $300 profit selling clothing.”

Moffat emphasizes the program’s focus on lifelong skills: “Even if these businesses don’t continue after graduation, we’re hoping those lessons—like teamwork and confidence—will inspire them later.”

How the community can engage

The public is invited to attend the final pitch event on February 27 at Portage Collegiate Institute from noon to 2 p.m. Judges will evaluate ideas based on feasibility and creativity, though Moffat clarifies that judges are selected by partner organizations, not necessarily representing them.

“I’m very thankful to the partners that have helped PPS put this competition together,” Moffat says. “Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do this.”

Residents and business owners are encouraged to attend the event or follow updates on the PPS website.

As Moffat notes: “If anyone is interested in hearing the business and product pitches, they are welcome.”