Where Innovation Meets Opportunity
The City of Barrie’s innovation economy is a curated network of programs, facilities, and partners that empower businesses to innovate, grow, and succeed. Invest Barrie’s innovation branch is designed to support businesses that have moved beyond the ideation stage and are ready to scale and commercialize, by providing access to world-class resources, strategic partnerships, and a vibrant talent pool.
Innovation Concierge: Your Personalized Guide to Barrie’s Business Resources
Barrie’s Innovation Concierge service is your personalized entry point to the city’s vibrant business community. Designed for entrepreneurs at every stage, this service provides tailored guidance, connections, and navigation to help you explore opportunities, access resources, and integrate seamlessly into Barrie’s innovation community. From prototyping spaces and mentorship programs to investment opportunities, intellectual property support, and connections to local accelerators, the Innovation Concierge helps entrepreneurs turn ideas into action.
Whether you’re a startup looking to establish your first location, a growing business seeking local partnerships, or a curious entrepreneur, the Innovation Concierge connects you with the right people, programs, and spaces to help your business thrive. With hands-on assistance, introductions to industry experts, and access to tools that support product development, funding, and commercialization, Barrie ensures every entrepreneur has a clear, confident path to success.
Reach out today to start creating your personalized guide to Barrie’s ecosystem.
Meet Barrie
Discover why Businesses Choose Barrie
It’s hard to capture what makes Barrie’s innovation community so special—it’s something you have to experience for yourself. From our growing post-secondary campuses and thriving business landscape to our collaborative culture, Barrie is a city where ideas evolve into impact.
Let us help you experience it for yourself. Invest Barrie can coordinate a customized tour of Barrie’s innovation and business districts, including introductions to local entrepreneurs, industry leaders, researchers, and strategic partners. See firsthand why companies are choosing Barrie to launch, grow, and innovate.
Pictured: Ontario Centre for Innovation, Toronto Business Development Centre and over 15 founders exploring the City of Barrie's innovation community in summer 2025.
Find Resources and Support
Entrepreneurial Journey
The Entrepreneurial Journey Map is a roadmap to entrepreneurship with key milestones and business support resources across Simcoe County. Developed by Innisfil Economic Development, in collaboration with ecosystem partners including Invest Barrie and the Small Business Centre of Barrie, Simcoe County and Orillia, this resource helps you navigate the world of entrepreneurship and find assistance along the way.
Connect with Business Leaders
Invest Barrie acts as a connector across the region’s innovation landscape—linking industry, academia, funders, and support organizations to ensure businesses have access to the right resources at every stage of growth. We help companies navigate opportunities, build strategic partnerships, and tap into the talent and expertise that drive success.
Meet the Organizations that can help your Company Drive Innovation
Georgian College Research & Innovation Department
The department of Research & Innovation (R&I) is the hub for research, development, and innovation at Georgian, focusing on product design, prototyping, market research, analysis, testing, and e-business solution development. Georgian College’s R&I Department offers:
- Applied research partnerships
- Industry 5.0 sandbox and advanced tech hub through their Centre of Industrial Simulation and Prototyping, which has been officially designated as a Technology Access Centre
- Strong funding & programming support including their very own Research, Innovation and Scholarship Fund
- Student-centered innovation
Lakehead University Research & Innovation
Through the department of Research & Innovation (R&I), Lakehead serves as a catalyst for businesses seeking to leverage cutting-edge research, access specialized expertise, and transform ideas into impactful solutions. Lakehead University’s R&I Department offers:
- Industry-academic collaboration
- Intellectual property support
- Access to 14 research centres and institutes
- 23 Research Chairs, including 12 Canada Research Chair
- Funding and grant navigation
- Start-up and scale-up assistance
"Our relationship with Georgian College’s scientific research and testing groups results in great benefits as we seek to produce more efficiently and to bring to market innovative and useful glass products. We find the scientifically trained specialists to be diligent, focused, responsive and most importantly their practicality towards our work is a big asset to us. Working with a post-secondary R&I Department yields real, tangible, salable and practical results."
– Mike Weiner, President, Accurate Glass
Meet the Service Providers who are Experts to help with Mentorship, Funding and Business Support
Sandbox Centre
The Sandbox Centre is Ontario’s 17th Regional Innovation Centre, dedicated to helping businesses with a focus in technology scale and thrive in today’s competitive landscape. The Sandbox Centre offers:
- Expert mentorship
- Commercialization-focused programming
- Collaborative workspace
- Community networking
Georgian Angel Network
The Georgian Angel Network connects early-stage companies with accredited investors, facilitating the commercialization of innovations and fostering economic development. The Georgian Angel Network offers:
- Angel investment
- Investor and investee education
- Mentorship
- Networking opportunities
"We created Sandbox Centre to give entrepreneurs a place to connect, collaborate, and discover what’s possible when a community truly comes together. When new founders meet seasoned leaders, those interactions create the kind of momentum that helps businesses scale—and strengthens Barrie’s entire innovation ecosystem."
– Craig Busch, Founder, Sandbox Centre
Meet the People who have Built Businesses in Barrie
Businesses choose Barrie for its strategic location, skilled talent pool, and supportive network that fosters growth and innovation.
