Ottawa invests two million in collective entrepreneurship

Photo: Justin Tang The Canadian Press The envelope of $2,350,000 was announced Monday by the Minister of Tourism and head of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec (DEC), Soraya Martinez Ferrada.

Marc-Antoine Franco Rey

Published at 0:00

• Canada

Ottawa is financing the development of collective entrepreneurship in the province by granting two million dollars to the Chantier de l’entreprises sociale, an organization which brings together actors from different sectors and which aims to strengthen them as a whole. An investment that its general director, Béatrice Alain, sees as “recognition from the federal government of the importance that the social economy plays in Quebec's economy.”

“The social economy is at the heart of certain sectors which are important for the development and well-being of Quebec: agriculture, housing, services for vulnerable people,” explained Ms. Alain in an interview with Devoir.

The envelope of $2,350,000 announced Monday by the Minister of Tourism and responsible for Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec (DEC), Soraya Martinez Ferrada, must allow the non-profit organization to support these businesses.

According to Ms. Alain, this amount will be complementary to front-line resources that already support individual businesses, such as those working for example in self-sufficiency and food security in Quebec.

“We see social economy businesses committed to strengthening territorial food systems, that is to say, to being able to produce, transform and consume more locally,” she described. These businesses require second or third line support “to see if there are regulatory barriers or opportunities to be seized to strengthen our territorial food systems”.

“Economic vitality and dynamism rely on strong, resilient and innovative businesses and organizations, with a positive impact in their community,” Minister Martinez Ferrada said in a press release. This is the case of the Social Economy Project, which supports businesses in the ecosystem to enable them to innovate and grow with a view to sustainable development. »

This funding comes at the right time, especially since a social economy summit, which will bring together companies in the sector, support actors and all levels of government, is scheduled for May 2025, said Ms. Alain.