Upon renewal of the DMZ Innisfil Partnership Agreement, undertake a review of the program, program facilities, and staffing and develop a 5-year strategic approach for Innisfil’s incubator and accelerator programming.

• Timeline: 2024
• Status: Complete
• Progress: A new 5-year partnership agreement was negotiated between TMU and the Town of Innisfil. This forward-looking agreement will allow the Town and TMU to continue to deliver programming to entrepreneurs while exploring new opportunities to support each other on housing and transportation-oriented solutions
• Impact: A new 5-year partnership agreement was negotiated between TMU and the Town of Innisfil. This forward-looking agreement will allow the Town and TMU to continue to deliver programming to entrepreneurs while exploring new opportunities to support each other on housing and transportation-oriented solutions.

Develop a marketing plan to promote the DMZ Innisfil program and build awareness. This would include refining DMZ Innisfil’s pitch (who we are, who we serve, our goals and aspirations) in order to promote the incubator on a local and regional level and may also include exploration of new tools which may include, but is not limited to, a business ambassador program.

• Timeline: 2024
• Status: Complete
• Progress: A new video success story campaign was implemented to showcase DMZ Innisfil services through the perspective of founders who have participated in programming. A new DMZ Innisfil pitch deck was created and comprehensive marketing plan was implemented to further generate leads for this program.
• Impact: As a result of the marketing plan, 78 entrepreneurs submitted applications for the DMZ Innisfil program in 2024. While the implementation of a marketing plan and pitch deck in 2024 are now complete, promotion of the DMZ Innisfil program is ongoing.

Increase engagement with minority business leaders, entrepreneurs and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) industry experts to help shape DMZ Innisfil and economic development programming to foster an inclusive and welcoming entrepreneurial ecosystem.

• Timeline: Ongoing
• Status: In Progress
• Progress: In 2024, the Economic Development team explored new opportunities to ensure Town programming is welcoming an inclusive. This included a review of event attendance, venue accessibility and speaker/panel composition.
• Impact: As a result of this work, a DMZ Female Founders Panel was hosted at the Collision Conference featuring 1 woman moderator and 4 women founders. The team ensured there was representation of various genders, backgrounds and ages in the recent Shop Innisfil video, and a new lift/elevator was negotiated into the new lease agreement for the DMZ Innisfil second floor offices to improve accessibility.

Explore opportunities to diversify revenue generation for DMZ Innisfil. This may include grants, development of a sponsorship partnership prospectus, equity-based programming fees, etc.

• Timeline: 2024
• Status: In progress
• Progress: Staff successfully achieved a grant of $8,975 through the County of Simcoe Entrepreneurial Innovation Fund for delivery of the new Launchpad online programming. A new sponsorship prospectus is expected to be completed in early 2026.
• Impact: Staff successfully achieved a grant of $8,975 through the County of Simcoe Entrepreneurial Innovation Fund for delivery of the new Launchpad online programming.

Explore new programming which provides greater support to target sectors.

• Timeline: 2026
• Status: Complete
• Progress: In 2026 staff expanded programming options by adding a new online Launchpad program to better serve home-based entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs who are otherwise unable to take part in the comprehensive DMZ Innisfil program.
• Impact: In 2026 staff expanded programming options by adding a new online Launchpad program to better serve home-based entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs who are otherwise unable to take part in the comprehensive DMZ Innisfil program. This allowed more than 40 new participants to enroll in programming that they could undertake at their own pace. A total of 527 mentorship hours were provided to Innisfil businesses and entrepreneurs, through the DMZ Innisfil program (498 hours) and the Innisfil Business Mentorship Program offered in partnership with Nottawasaga Futures (29 hours).

Explore funding opportunities for start-up and scale-up businesses, including community improvement programs, technology adoption, connection with other available organizations and funding.

• Timeline: Ongoing
• Status: In Progress
• Progress: The Economic Development team facilitated a number of referrals to support founders in achieving grants and investments.
• Impact: Cumulative funding secured by founders totaled $31.3 million by the end of December 2024, representing an increase of $6.6M increase over 2023 (26.7%)

Continue to position the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library as a community-hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. Actions and outcomes could include:

1. Partnering with Georgian College to expand the annual Maker Event to add additional programming for home-based and small-scale entrepreneurial endeavours.
2. Leveraging programs such as the Digital Media Lab, the Hacker Lab and technology training classes and workshops.

Continue to promote the services of the Small Business Centre for Barrie, Simcoe County and Orillia, Cookstown Chamber of Commerce, Futurpreneur Canada, Nottawasaga Futures and other partners by supporting opportunities to host business events in Innisfil’s key locations (DMZ Innisfil and Innisfil ideaLAB & Library).

• Timeline: Ongoing
• Status: In Progress
• Progress: The Innisfil Economic Development team continues to support referrals to business support partners and recently developed the new Entrepreneurial Journey Map to further facilitate referrals to partner agencies.
• Impact: A total of 237 referrals were provided to local businesses and entrepreneurs to connect them with the servicing and resources of regional business support partners.

Map the existing ‘high-growth’ Innisfil businesses within each target sector to better understand the support they require to grow and provide more effective support for these companies.

• Timeline: 2025
• Status: In progress.
• Progress: Through the Innisfil Economic Impact Study and Sub-Sector review, high-growth businesses will be identified across 6 key sectors. The RFP for this project was issued in early 2025 and this project is expected to be complete by mid-2026.
• Impact: Impact to be presented on project completion.

Develop programming to educate intrapreneurs within the Town of Innisfil on innovative approaches and best practices for achieving continuous improvement. Explore opportunities to work with local entrepreneurs to pilot new programs, services and technologies through the Town of Innisfil, municipal partners and regional businesses and institutions.

• Timeline: 2026
• Status: In progress.
• Progress: In 2025 Economic Development staff supported strategic innovation for InnTerprises.  A tour of DSV was facilitated for senior staff to learn more about the evolution of new manufacturing developments from site selection to operations.
• Impact: Impact to be presented on project completion.

Undertake an entrepreneurial ecosystem mapping exercise and develop an online database of information for start-ups, entrepreneurs and small business operators. The database will provide information on:

1. government programs, grants, or other funding sources, mentors or other support networks
2. consumer needs and preferences, as well as identify areas where there may be unmet demand
3. programs and services offered regionally
4. business success stories and profiles 

• Timeline: 2024
• Status: In Progress
• Progress: An Entrepreneurial Journey Map was established to support entrepreneurs in accessing support from regional business supports and to support regional business support partners in providing referrals to entrepreneurs in their community. The map and associated website was finalized in November and distribution of printed materials is expected to be complete by the end of January 2026.
• Impact: Impact to be presented on project completion.

Position and market Innisfil as a partner within the ‘regional health cluster’ through development of health care focused webpages and resources. Opportunities exist to continue to attract a range of health care related uses that could include a long-term care facility, supportive community housing, research, education and training facilities, community health uses and related medical office space.

• Timeline: 2026
• Status: In progress.
• Progress: A new commercial land inventory is currently in progress to support the Town in connecting new health care focused leads with land/buildings which align with their needs.
• Impact: Impact to be presented on project completion. 

Explore new partnerships with key partners in the health and wellness sector to take a collaborative and cohesive approach to investment attraction and innovation in health care.

• Timeline: Ongoing
• Status: In Progress
• Progress: A new commercial land inventory is currently in progress to support the Town in connecting new health care focused leads with land/buildings which align with their needs.
• Impact: Impact to be presented on project completion.