Quebec Entrepreneurship Contest celebrates winners at 14th Desjardins Provincial Grand Prize Gala

42 prizes awarded to dynamic, ambitious young entrepreneurs across Quebec

QUEBEC CITY, June 20, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The Quebec Entrepreneurship Contest announced the big winners for 2012 at the Desjardins Provincial Grand Prize Gala, under the honorary presidency of Sophie Brochu, president and CEO of Gaz Métro, and attended by Sam Hamad, Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade. For the 14th edition, a total of 3,490 projects and 46,988 participants competed in two divisions: Business Creation and Student Entrepreneurship. Over the course of the evening, more than 42 prizes were awarded, with a total value of $230,000. The finalists already shared $319,000 in the regional finals this past May.

The event's honorary president, Sophie Brochu, spoke of her respect and admiration for the new generation of entrepreneurs. "Thank you for your fearless leadership, which creates jobs and enriches Quebec. You are a great source of inspiration to us all."

Representing Mouvement Desjardins, a partner of the Contest since its inception, was Liliane Laverdière, vice-president, business development, for eastern Quebec. "Mouvement Desjardins is proud to support the development of entrepreneurial culture in the next generation, which we believe is vital to Quebec's continued prosperity. As well, we're especially pleased with the new partnership between the Contest and the Desjardins Foundation, which offers scholarships to the winners in the Student Entrepreneurship section in each of the province's 17 regions."

Natacha Jean, the contest's president and general director, was highly impressed with the quality of this year's finalists and winners. "In recent months, I've had the good fortune to meet hundreds of entrepreneurs over thousands of square kilometres. They made me realize the degree to which Quebec is a hotbed of creativity and ambition, imbued with admirable values. Recognizing the players who are developing Quebec and those who will do so in future makes me very proud of the role we play."

BUSINESS CREATION DIVISION
This year, 1,689 entrepreneurs submitted 1,108 projects to the Contest. Here are the overall winners in the various categories of the Business Creation section.

Quebec Government Défi de l'entrepreneuriat jeunesse Grand Prize: Novothermic Technologies Inc. (Montreal)

Biofood - presented by Saputo

• First prize: Procédé Natur+L XTD (Montérégie)
• Second prize: Le Ruisseau Gourmand Inc. (Laval)

Commerce - presented by Deloitte

• First prize: Minuscule (Mauricie)
• Second prize: Roguewave (Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine)

Social economy - presented by La Capitale Financial Group

• First prize: Création Goéland (Montérégie)
• Second prize: Houblon Québec, coopérative de solidarité (Chaudière-Appalaches)

Business operation, processing, production - presented by Gaz Métro

• First prize: Corner Cast Construction (Montreal)
• Second prize: Systèmes R-secur-T Inc. (Lanaudière)

Technological and technical innovation - presented by Rogers

• First prize: GCS Medical inc. (Eastern Townships)
• Second prize: Plaquettes de frein haute performance B.B. (Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine)

Services to companies - presented by the Fondation de l'Ordre des CMA du Québec

• First prize: Squeeze Studio Animation (Quebec City region)
• Second prize: LightFactor (Laval)

Services to individuals - presented by the Quebec Bar

• First prize: Croque Paysage (Laurentians)
• Second prize: Domaine l'autre monde (Quebec City region)

Business transition - presented by Fonds de solidarité FTQ and the Ministère du Développement économique, de l'innovation et de l'Exportation

• First prize: Structure d'acier B.R.L. 2000 Inc. (Centre-du-Québec)
• Second prize: Mer et Monde Écotours (Côte-Nord)
• Third prize: Équipement Gilles Bellemare Inc. (Laval)

Sustainable development - Réseau des SADC et CAE et Entrepreneuriat Québec: Les Ami(e)s de la Terre de l'Ardoise (Eastern Townships)

Offices Jeunesse internationaux du Québec prize: Société Orignal (Montreal)

Place aux jeunes en région and Canadian Youth Business Foundation prize: Les Industries Flexpipe (Montérégie)

Association des centres locaux de développement du Québec prize: Machinerie Des Chenaux inc. (Mauricie)

Research and Development prize - presented by Ingenio, a subsidiary of Loto-Québec: Tactus Scientific (Montreal)

Women's Entrepreneurship prize - presented by the Réseau des femmes d'affaires du Québec and the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine

• Alpagas de la Mauricie (Mauricie)

Young Women's Entrepreneurship prize - presented by the Réseau des femmes d'affaires du Québec and the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine

• Hopla! (Lanaudière)

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STUDENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP DIVISION
This year, more than 1,000 educational institutions, from elementary schools through universities, submitted 2,382 projects to the Contest. Here are the 2012 winners in the Student Entrepreneurship division.

Elementary Cycle 1: T'E Dans mon école !, École Notre-Dame-du-Sourire, CS des Hautes-Rivières (Montérégie)

Elementary Cycle 2: RecyVermico Express : On va de l'avant, pour l'environnement !, École Clotilde-Raymond, CS des Grandes-Seigneuries (Montérégie)

Elementary Cycle 3: Des Pépins dans le cœur, École des Sources, CS des Phares (Bas-Saint-Laurent)

Secondary Cycle 1: Rimouski book fair, École Antoine-Roy, CS des Chic-Chocs (Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine)

Secondary Cycle 2: Le Rococo student café, École secondaire du Transcontinental, CS du Fleuve-et-des-Lacs (Bas-Saint-Laurent)

Secondary, Special programs: Vélo maniac jeune COOP, École Paul-Hubert, CS des Phares (Bas-Saint-Laurent)

Vocational training and adult education: La Fée Laine, Centre d'éducation des adultes Asbestos, CS des Sommets (Eastern Townships)

College - Individual and small group: Coopérative Aliment Technomer, École des pêches et de l'aquaculture du Québec (ÉPAQ), Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles (Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine)

College - Group: Coopérative Guidon-Ville, Cégep de Saint-Jérôme (Laurentians)

University - Individual and small group: CamioGestion, Sous-Poste de camionnage en vrac, Abitibi-Ouest, Entrepreneuriat Laval/Université Laval (Quebec City region)

University - Group: Clinique Podiatrique Communautaire, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (Mauricie)

Fondation pour l'éducation à la coopération et à la mutualité prize:

• Coopérative Les Jaguars, École secondaire La Rencontre, CS de la Côte-du-Sud (Chaudière-Appalaches)
• Vélo maniac jeune COOP, École Paul-Hubert, CS des Phares (Bas-Saint-Laurent)

Staying in School - Réseau des carrefours jeunesse-emploi du Québec prize: Les ateliers PCR (Persévérance, Compétence, Réussite), École secondaire Amik-Wiche (Abitibi-Témiscamingue)

Association des clubs d'entrepreneurs étudiants du Québec-Rogers prize: Benefit dinner for cystic fibrosis, Collège François-Xavier-Garneau (Quebec City region)

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Lastly, the Fédération québécoise des municipalités et Fonds locaux de solidarité FTQ Regional Commitment prize was awarded to the Côte-Nord region.

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About the Québec Entrepreneurship Contest
The Quebec Entrepreneurship Contest is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to support the development of Quebec's entrepreneurial culture by rewarding entrepreneurial initiatives throughout Québec. The Student Entrepreneurship section encourages the creation of projects that contribute to the development of entrepreneurial values in the schools. Through its Business Creation division, the Contest encourages entrepreneurs who are just starting up a business. Over the past 12 years, the Contest has attracted more than one million participants. This initiative was made possible by more than 40 partners, including the Desjardins Group as presenting partner, the government of Québec, Rogers, Deloitte, Gaz Métro, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Journal les affaires, the Quebec Bar, Fondation CMA, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Ingenio (a subsidiary of Loto-Québec), La Capitale Financial Group, SAJE accompagnateur d'entrepreneurs, Saputo and the Association des CLD du Québec.

and INTERVIEWS:

Sophie Côté Laplante
514-843-2376
[email protected]