Business advisers Polson Higgs and co-working space Petridish will provide Co.Starters with a workplace for the course it runs and free business advice to a winning candidate.
Co.Starters is run by Startup Dunedin after the city won the Gigatown competition in 2014.
It is a nine-week course during which a group of 10 people work with two facilitators — in this case Jamie Reidie and Donna Hall, of Polson Higgs.
They will spend three hours a week with the Co.Starters cohort as well as having a Tuesday night dinner with them.
The cohort also listen to a guest speaker from the local business community each week.
"One of the strengths of the programme is the experience of the facilitators and the guest speakers,” Startup Dunedin general manager Rachel Butler said.
“It allows people to meet other business owners and founders and connect about all the ins and outs and challenges in getting a new business off the ground."
Partner at Polson Higgs Jamie Reidie described the Co.Starters sessions as being "hands on".
“The aim is not to teach you how to start a business, it’s to enable you to start one in just nine weeks.”
Mr Reidie and Polson Higgs business development manager Donna Hall will deliver the programme and the participant who demonstrates the most effort will have their fees reimbursed at the end of the programme.
Petridish will host the programme at its Stafford St co-sharing space.
“It’s a great opportunity to give people the chance to get an idea off the ground and turn it into self-employment and another great Dunedin business,” Petridish co-founder Jason Lindsey said.
