Grade 6 and 7 students from across school district 58 are encouraged to put their business ideas to the test this holiday season.

The City of Merritt is offering startup seed funding and resources for Nicola Valley youth looking to start a business or make holiday products to sell this winter through the Merritt youth entrepreneur program.

Following the inaugural summer entrepreneurship program that ran from June to September, the city’s economic development and tourism manager said they are using leftover funds received from the province’s rural dividend fund to support a new batch of budding businesses.

“This is an opportunity for students to receive some funding for starting their own winter businesses, to create products for Christmas and to be able to sell them in the numerous craft fairs and shops that we have here in town in that lead up to Christmas,” Will George said.

The summer youth entrepreneurship program was open to students in Grades 8 to 12. The city saw a variety of different projects from the students, George said, including lawn maintenance, photography and graphic design.

“We feel that it was a success to be able to offer it during the summer and it will be very interesting to compare the interest levels winter to summer, and between the Grades 8 to 12 group and the Grade 6 to 7 group.”

The deadline to apply for the winter youth entrepreneurship program is Nov. 9. Successful applicants will receive a week of business training provided by Community Futures Nicola Valley. The program will run through November and December.

“It is not only providing the opportunity for students to learn about entrepreneurship, but also to work together in collaboration with other organizations such as [Community Futures Nicola Valley] and the school district and really to provide a support network for youth in our community to expand their wings into entrepreneurship,” George said.