Business Retention & Growth

Economic diversification in British Columbia depends upon the creation of opportunities for communities and regions to gain direct advantage to grow their business. The following links provide more information for local governments and First Nations about business retention and growth.

Please note that the Province of British Columbia is not responsible for the material and/or content presented on any non-provincial government site listed below.

Resources

Canadian Rural Partnership
Is intended to provide communities and governments with consistent, reliable and accessible information on economic and demographic factors at the community level.
http://www.rural.gc.ca

Columbia Basin Trust Community Development Program
The Community Development Program responds to project proposals or ideas from Basin communities, groups and organizations that build capacity within the Basin in ways that are consistent with the Columbia Basin Trust’s mandate of supporting the efforts of the people of the Basin to create a legacy of social, economic and environmental well-being and to achieve greater self sufficiency for present and future generations.
http://www.cbt.org

Community Development Trust
Launched in 2008, this initiative includes three programs: the Transitional Assistance Program supports older workers as they move towards retirement; the Tuition Assistance Program helps forestry workers upgrade skills; the Job Opportunities Program creates short-term job opportunities for forestry, fishing, agriculture, mining or manufacturing resource workers.
http://www.cd.gov.bc.ca/cdt

Community Economic Development, Western Economic Diversification Canada
By using knowledge and resources resident in the community, this department identifies and capitalizes on local opportunities to stimulate economic growth and employment.
http://www.wd.gc.ca/eng/106.asp

CommunityFutures.com
Lists over 200 community programs that are searchable by category, sector, and organization. These pages provide information on sources of funding and support primarily for social, economic, and environmental community development initiatives in rural areas, however the programs are not necessarily exclusive to rural.
http://www.communityfutures.com/cms/Funding_Sources.2.0.html

Connecting Citizens Grant Program
Provides funding for infrastructure required to deliver Internet connectivity to homes and businesses in rural and remote areas of British Columbia.
www.network.gov.bc.ca/grant_form.htm

Enterprising Non-Profits
Is offering 17 communities across British Columbia Social Enterprise workshops for those interested in starting or new to social enterprise, and a Strengthening Social Enterprise workshop for those operating more than three years.
http://www.enterprisingnonprofits.ca/projects/grant_program/.../

Island Coastal Economic Trust
The Island Coastal Economic Trust provides funding to create new and sustainable regional economic growth through strategic investments in targeted “sectors” with the north Island, coastal and Sunshine Coast regional economy.
http://www.islandcoastaltrust.ca/index.php

LiveSmart BC
Profiles leading-edge communities, and provides them with the funds to invest further in initiatives that make their environment even greener and healthier for their citizens.
http://www.livesmartbc.ca

Nechako-Kitamaat Development Fund
The Nechako-Kitamaat Development Fund Society is a grant-making agency that assists the people of North West British Columbia, and in particular the Nechako region and Kitamaat Village, by sponsoring sustainable economic and social projects in the area most affected by the Kemano project and the creation of the Nechako Reservoir. The NKDF will invest in community economic development projects and/or programs that are supported by the community, as long as they do not subsidize private business.
http://www.nkdf.org/

Northern Development Initiative Trust - Community Foundation Funding Program
The Northern Development Initiative Trust's Community Foundation Funding Program assists all municipalities and regional district electoral areas in the Northern Development Initiative Trust region of central and northern British Columbia in building an endowment fund that supports local social, cultural and environmental needs via local decision-making.
http://northerndevelopment.bc.ca/community-funding...

Northern Development Initiative Trust - Economic Development Capacity Building
The Northern Development Initiative Trust's Economic Development Capacity Building Program funding provides $30,000 annually from the Cross Regional Account to ensure stable economic development funding for municipalities and regional districts. An additional $5,000 is available to each eligible local government, specifically for a collaborative project with another local government, regional economic development alliance, or another group, with outcomes that deliver measureable economic benefits to the area.
http://northerndevelopment.bc.ca/community-funding...

Northern Development Initiative Trust - Economic Diversification Infrastructure Program
The Northern Development Initiative Trust's Economic Diversification Infrastructure program provides municipalities, regional districts, First Nations and non-profit groups funding via Northern Development’s six (6) principal Trust Accounts: the Regional Development Accounts (Cariboo-Chilcotin/Lillooet, Northeast, Northwest, and Prince George), the Pine Beetle Recovery Account, and the Cross Regional Account. As Northern Development’s primary community economic development funding program, projects that serve to diversify local and regional economies are eligible for infrastructure and capital investment funding.
http://northerndevelopment.bc.ca/community-funding...

Northern Development Initiative Trust - Feasibility Studies or Marketing Program
The Northern Development Initiative Trust's Feasibility Studies or Marketing Program provides municipalities, regional districts, First Nations and non-profit groups such as industry associations with a grant up to a $20,000 for: a feasibility study that will demonstrate a strong business case for an infrastructure project that is aligned with Northern Development’s Economic Diversification Infrastructure funding program that will diversify and provide direct measurable economic benefits to the local or regional economy, or; development and implementation of a marketing program that will increase revenues within the region.
http://northerndevelopment.bc.ca/community-funding...

Northern Development Initiative Trust - Industry Attraction Rebate Program
The Northern Development Initiative Trust's Industry Attraction Rebate Program provides up to $20,000 in matched funding from the Cross Regional Account directly to communities in central and northern British Columbia to hire appropriate resources to create jobs through industry attraction. As an output from this work, communities will: understand the needs of the target industry; how they can meet those needs; and implement focused marketing and discussions with senior executives at target companies.
http://northerndevelopment.bc.ca/community-funding/industry-attraction

Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust
A $50-million Southern Interior Development Initiative will give communities the funding and ability to create new opportunities for sustainable economic growth and more jobs. The mission of the Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust is to support regionally strategic investments in economic development projects that will have long-lasting and measurable regional benefits for the Southern Interior.
http://www.sidit-bc.ca/

Volunteer Futures
Is an annual training event for boards of directors from around the province, a forum where board members come together to learn, grow their organization and draw energy and inspiration from interacting with other volunteer leaders from BC’s voluntary sector.
http://www.volunteerbc.bc.ca/volbc/documents/flyer.pdf (PDF, 100KB)

Volunteer Vancouver Leaders Forum
Has now opened registration for their Leaders Forum 2009, which will include a full day training session looking at building better boards, staff management, the wired not-for-profit, mission-based marketing, financial empowerment, planning, and social entrepreneurship.
https://www.netforumondemand.com/eWeb/...