Free rent! Edmonton company doesn't need its office, so it could be yours
Some prime office space is available on Jasper Avenue and the rent will be free for the next two years.
A local business owner will even throw in free internet, furniture and a printer, also each for two years, to a small business that wins his contest.
"There is no strings attached. Don’t be afraid, there’s no hidden agenda, this is just turn the key. You get the key, kick butt and take on the world," Tim Carwell told CTV News Edmonton.
Carwell doesn't need his office anymore.
When the pandemic hit, he sent his CommAlert employees home to work, and he has no plans to bring them back.
"I challenged the team to ask, "What do you want to do with this office? And we thought, why not create a new opportunity for a small business and give them a leg up," he explained.
The lease isn't up until January 2024. The contest winner will be responsible for other costs, and renewing a rental agreement with the property owner if they want to.
The application process opened Tuesday, and the official rules are posted online.
The top five entries will be invited to "live pitch" their business plan, and the winner will be chosen by a panel of local leaders.
Carwell said he wants to award a dynamic company that values diversity.
"We’re looking to understand how they’re going to change the world. There are 61,000 First Nations people in Edmonton, of which I’m one, who probably aren’t getting the same amount of access as other businesses," he said.
One of the judges is a former mayoral candidate, who believes the space is a great spot for collaboration.
"It really contributes to being able to build relationships. To build trust and know your team members in very deep ways," Cheryll Watson said.
The winner gets to move in Jan. 1, the application deadline is Dec. 10.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Touria Izri
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.