CIRANO and its partners are launching the 2021 Bourstad Challenge registration campaign.

From February 16 to April 15, 2021, novice and seasoned investors will have the opportunity to participate in the 2021 Bourstad Challenge and will be vying for more than $30,000 in prizes. The Bourstad Challenge is held online (www.bourstad.ca) and welcomes high school and community college students, and participants from the general public, including university students. Participants manage a $200,000 virtual portfolio. There are three components to the Challenge: financial performance, portfolio management and sustainable investment. The most successful participants will be honored at the awards ceremony in May 2021. Among these awardees, there will be the first winners of three new Grand Prizes introduced in the 2021 Bourstad Challenge: best overall performance by a student of each of these Canadian regions: Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Western Canada. These new prizes, with awards of $1000, are sponsored by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC).

Bourstad simulations use a very innovative platform: real-time transactions, daily dividend payments, mobile compatibility. For the 2021 edition, the simulation offers a choice between two selections of eligible securities: a) the Bourstad Portfolio, consisting of 576 securities comprised of shares of Canadian, US and other countries' companies, and investment funds, or (b) the Bourstad Plus Portfolio, which offers 100 additional securities, mainly stock options.

"The Bourstad financial education program is part of CIRANO's projects on economic and financial literacy. This initiative improves the knowledge and skills in economics and finance of young people and the general public. Great success to this 34th edition of the Bourstad Challenge. Thanks to our partners."

Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin, President and Chief Executive Officer of CIRANO

"In a changing world, people are called upon to make increasingly important and complex choices about consumption and savings, and financial literacy is more essential than ever. We are very excited to be working with Bourstad again to foster learning opportunities in this area and to enable everyone to have greater confidence in their financial capabilities."

Cathy Sleiman, Senior Manager, Eastern Canada, TD Direct Investing, and Honorary Chair of the 2021 Bourstad Challenge

"The Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) is pleased to support CIRANO in its efforts to popularize the bilingual Bourstad Program across Canada and more specifically in the Atlantic Provinces, Ontario and Western Canada."

Claudyne Bienvenu, Vice-president for Quebec and Atlantic Canada, Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada

The Bourstad program is a financial education activity of CIRANO which is supported by many partners: Autorité des marchés financiers, its principal partner, the TD Bank, Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), CFA Montreal, Finance Montreal, TMX Group, Hyprasoft, Croesus and QuoteMedia.

Information: Paul Bourget, Bourstad's project director at CIRANO (bourgetp@cirano.qc.ca or 514 985-4000, poste 3006)