Plans for the proposed BWG Catalyst Centre are starting to take shape.

Six months after John Pickard, founder and managing director of consulting firm Accolade Innovations Inc., last reported on the matter to council, he was back to explain the recommended path forward as laid out in the draft business plan, which committee of the whole recommended council adopt and staff begin implementing, during the regular meeting of council on Tuesday evening, Dec. 5.

Planning has been underway since September 2022 for the centre, which is intended to help grow, fund and attract businesses and business activity in Bradford.

Pickard explained that business training “doesn’t really exist” in Bradford and emphasized that mentorship is “the most important help you can give an entrepreneur.”

According to a report by Michael Disano, manager of economic development for the town, and Pickard’s presentation, the centre is now expected to use a hybrid model that provides co-working space in which people can rent desks, cubicles or private office space and have access to high-speed internet, meeting rooms, reception, etc. — all combined with an entrepreneurship hub to help plan, start and grow businesses by offering programs, mentorship, networking and access to funding for entrepreneurs.

Ward 4 Coun. Joseph Giordano supported the idea of the project, calling the centre “that missing artery we need to connect our business community,” and said there are many home-based businesses in town that started during the pandemic, but owners not know how to take the next steps.

Ward 1 Coun. Cheraldean Duhaney echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the need for programs geared towards youth entrepreneurs.

A final location has yet to be determined, but the centre is still expected to be located somewhere in Bradford’s downtown, and governed by a board of directors with the co-working portion managed by a professional operator.

The target audience for the centre includes: business start-ups, the self-employed, micro-enterprises with one to four employees, small businesses with five to nine employees and hybrid workers. In total, the report expects more than 14,000 people in Bradford fall into those categories.

Hub programming would be provided by Georgian College’s Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre, with the Office of Economic Development hiring a small business co-ordinator to promote and operate the centre, while a director, client service co-ordinator and mentors are expected to be employed.

The plan also proposes an online platform such as Nexudus to consolidate programming, contacts, and office space management.

All of that comes at a price though, and the first-year start-up costs are estimated to be $413,540, with a total of $663,000 after adding operating costs.

To provide a cushion, a total of $746,500 in funding is planned, with the town expected to provide $200,000 per year along with other five other funding sources broken down as follows:

• Town of BWG — $200,000
• Co-working space partner — $180,000
• Private sponsors and donors — $150,000
• Trillium fund — $150,000
• County of Simcoe — $50,000
• Anchor tenant — $16,500

“What we’re looking for is a bit of an ante from the town,” Pickard said, explaining that in order to get funding from other sources, the town needs to demonstrate its commitment as “the first domino to fall.”

However, as use of the centre increases and brings in more revenue, the financial commitment from the town is expected to decrease.

“I’m not going to say it’s ever going to go to zero, but it’s not going to be $200,000 forever after,” he said.

Assuming funding and space can be found and contracts with partners established throughout 2024, Pickard estimated the centre could open as early as early 2025, but some councillors seemed to have sticker shock.

While Ward 3 Coun. Ben Verkaik said he supports the project, he worried about what might happen if the town can’t secure other funding sources, and Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Scott also supported the concept, but said it’s “less a business plan and more a hope.”

Pickard explained “there’s a pretty lengthy list of potential funders,” for the centre, estimating that even if they could only attract three of the ten he could think of off hand, the project should have enough funding.

“We’ve got to knock on a lot of doors — no question,” he said, and Disano added there were no plans to “break ground” or enter into leases until all the funding is confirmed.

Ward 6 Coun. Nickolas Harper was pointed. “I see expenditures for a town that’s already hurting,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Raj Sandhu countered some of the criticism, claiming that tough times are when municipalities most need to help out residents and compared the centre to other town services like transit.

“I believe in this plan,” he said. “You have to spend money.”

Mayor James Leduc agreed, expressing excitement over the centre, calling employment the “No. 1 driver” of the community, and suggesting the centre could be the “missing link” to help create the next Microsoft.

“I have full faith in you, John,” he said.

All councillors in attendance voted in favour except for Harper.

Ward 5 Coun. Peter Ferragine was absent.

Recommendations from committee of the whole are considered for approval at the next regular council meeting.