Community Economic Development and Diversification in B.C. - Who can apply

2. Who can apply

The following legally incorporated organizations can apply for funding:

• Not-for-profit organizations including:
  • industry associations
  • economic development organizations
  • Indigenous-led not-for-profit organizations
  • post-secondary institutions
• Indigenous governments in B.C.
• Municipal and regional governments in B.C. and their organizations
• Provincial government departments, agencies, crown corporations and their organizations^{Footnote *}

Projects

To qualify for funding, your project must focus on one or both of the following:

• Community economic research, analysis and planning: Activities to identify and assess economic opportunities in order to inform community planning and economic development, diversification and resilience. This includes assessing economic needs and planning to respond to them. Community planning can be done by government organizations, including Indigenous government organizations, or by community, regional or industry organizations with demonstrated local/regional support. It does not include advocacy or proposals for public funding.
• Community economic development, diversification and resilience: Activities that encourage lasting economic growth by using the community’s or region’s strengths and opportunities. This includes attracting investment and talent and developing or expanding sectors, including through connections to other supply chains and markets. It also includes increasing or maintaining economic activities in communities seeking to grow and diversify, or facing challenging economic circumstances.

Expected economic benefits

All applicants must explain the expected economic benefits of their proposed projects. These could include:

• the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs created
• the number of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) assisted
• the number of partners involved in advancing community-based projects
• revenue growth
• the number of clients receiving business services
• the number of participants trained
• the number of economic analyses
• the number of communities benefitting from infrastructure projects
• the number of businesses created, maintained or expanded
• the number of businesses with new export sales
• foreign direct investment growth

Successful applicants will be required to report periodically on the impact of their projects.