24th Gala des Grands Prix Desjardins du Défi OSEntreprendre: together to honor the national winners!

Press Release - Nearly 500 guests gathered at the Palais Montcalm for the Grands Prix Desjardins du Défi OSEntreprendre Gala that the national winners were unveiled yesterday - students, educators and entrepreneurs from across Quebec selected among the 49,210 people registered for this 24^e edition! The moving exchanges of this evening, animated with a touch of humor by Anaïs Favron, are available on osentreprendre.quebec.

"By sharing with passion and authenticity the human values and convictions that motivate them, by testifying to the efforts they have made to adapt, the pleasure they have had in achieving their goals and their perseverance over the past few months, the winners bring to those who have discovered them this evening an enormous dose of energy, pride and inspiration," mentioned Manon Théberge, President and CEO of OSEntreprendre.

A total of 37 national awards were given in the following categories School, Creation of a company, Success Inc. and Doing business together (list attached), for a total amount of 224,000 $, in addition to the scholarships awarded at the local and regional finals of the edition.

The event was co-chaired by Zakary Pilote and Serge Beauchemin, with the participation of François Legault, Premier of Quebec, Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy and Innovation, Lucie Lecours, Minister for the Economy, Jean-François Roberge, Minister of Education, as well as Guy Cormier, President and CEO of Desjardins Group, and Jean-Yves Bourgeois, Senior Vice-President, Business Services, Desjardins Group.

About the OSEntreprendre Challenge

OSEntreprendre's mission is to inspire the desire to undertake in order to contribute to building a proud, innovative, committed and prosperous Quebec. Its main activity, the Défi OSEntreprendre, is a great Quebec movement that promotes the entrepreneurial initiatives of thousands of participants annually; young people from elementary school to university and entrepreneurs. This large-scale initiative is made possible by the commitment of loyal partners: Desjardins, presenting partner, the Quebec government, title partner, Québecor, Vidéotron Affaires, the Ordre des CPA du Québec and Spektrum.

School component

From elementary school to university, these young people have developed their entrepreneurial spirit by carrying out their project. Entrepreneurial experimentation, one of the four levers of entrepreneurship education, contributes to many success factors: identity building, a sense of competence and belonging, motivation, academic success, and career orientation for older students. Thousands of school stakeholders have enabled young people to grow on multiple levels!

National Award, Primary 1 category^er cycle (1^st and 2^e years) 

• Bike to School, Sutton School, CSS du Val-des-Cerfs (Montérégie)

National Award, Primary 2 category^e cycle (3^e and 4^e years)

• Ready for adventure, École Centrale, CSS de l'Énergie (Mauricie)

National Award, Primary 3 category^e cycle (5^e and 6^e years) 

• Under the spotlight, École Saint-Joseph, CSS du Littoral (Côte-Nord)

National Award, Secondary 1 category^er cycle (1^st and 2^e years) 

• Les paniers du jardinier, Paul-Le Jeune High School, CSS de l'Énergie (Mauricie)

National Award, Secondary 2 category^e cycle (3^e, 4^e and 5^e years) 

• Chalzo, the pizzeria, Gabriel-Dionne School, CSS du Littoral (North Shore)

National Award, Secondary Special Education Category 

• Une patte sur le cœur, Polyvalente des Baies, CSS de l'Estuaire (Côte-Nord)

National Award, Professional and Adult Education Category 

• Distributors of P'tits bonheurs, CFP de La Côte-de-Gaspé, CSS des Chic-Chocs (Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine)

National Award, College category (individual and small group) 

• Vintage Closet Online thrift store, Cégep Garneau (Capitale-Nationale)

National Award, Collegiate (Group) Category

Cooperative Coup de Coeur Award - Fondation pour l'éducation à la coopération et à la mutualité 

• O' Bonne heure étudiant (student café), Institut de technologie agroalimentaire du Québec, Saint-Hyacinthe campus (Montérégie)

National Award, University category (individual and small group) 

• APF Clinic, Entrepreneurship and Spin-off Centre, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean)

National Award, University category (collective) 

• Website of Du Fjord au Lac, Centre d'entrepreneuriat et d'essaimage, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean)

Company shutters

Supported by regional players, these entrepreneurs have passed the local, regional and national selection stages while living formative experiences with the juries. By contributing to the development of their region, these people make a difference and are real sources of inspiration!

Business Creation Component

Bio-food category

• National First Prize: BeLOV Company Inc (Laurentians)
• National runner-up: Lyoterra (Montérégie)

Commerce category, presented by Spektrum

• National First Prize: Vélo Conversio inc (Montérégie)
• Second National Prize: Zébulon Pastry (Montreal)

Social Economy Category, presented by the Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins

• First National Prize: Coopérative de solidarité | Flottille artisan-e-s libraires (Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine)
• National Runner-up: PAX Habitat Corporation (Lanaudière)

Category Operation, transformation, production

• National First Prize: Constellations (Laurentides)
• Second national prize: RM éco (Laval)

Technological and technical innovations category, presented by Vidéotron Affaires

• National First Prize: Désherbex inc (Eastern Townships)
• Second National Award: PLAKK (Montreal)

Business Services category, presented by the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec

• National First Prize: Halte gestion et construction inc (Outaouais)
• Second national prize: Expertise Kändea (Montérégie)

Category Services to individuals

• National First Prize: Clinique psychosociale Novæ s.e.n.c. (Montérégie)
• National runner-up: Yawinonh (Capitale-Nationale)

Grands prix de l'entrepreneuriat jeunesse, in partnership with the Secrétariat à la jeunesse

• BeLOV Company Inc (Laurentians)
• Vélo Conversio inc (Montérégie)

Coup de cœur Female Entrepreneurship Award, in partnership with the Secrétariat à la condition féminine

• Yawinonh (Capitale-Nationale)

Ingenuity Coup de Coeur Award, in partnership with Loto-Québec 

• Désherbex inc (Eastern Townships)

Chief Scientist's Favourite Award, in partnership with the Fonds de recherche du Québec

• Désherbex inc (Eastern Townships)

Volet Réussite inc.

National Award

• Hélio (Lanaudière)

Doing Business Together Component

National Award

• Repère Boréal inc (Capitale-Nationale)

Special Awards

National Public Award, powered by Vidéotron Affaires

• Depanord Inc (North Shore)

Local Involvement Award School

• Discoverers in ACTION (Capitale-Nationale)

Local Commitment Award Company

• Capitale Entrepreneur (Capitale-Nationale)

Regional Commitment Award - Fonds locaux de solidarité FTQ and Fédération québécoise des municipalités

• Nord-du-Québec Region