In this funding stream, we prioritize collaborative/regional industry partnership projects with industry groups that are established or emerging in the Southern Interior region. We hope to serve as a catalyst for new economic development initiatives supporting industry cluster development, research and adaptation of innovative technologies, industry wide collaboration to address business challenges or opportunities, reduce environmental impacts, such as waste or energy utilization and improve sustainability. Our goal is to:
- Improve the competitiveness of key industry sectors in the Southern Interior
- Encourage and create opportunities for industry sector collaboration and strategic partnerships
- Support the creation and growth of industry clusters
- Stimulate the research and adaptation of innovative technologies and business practices
- Support initiatives which focus or reducing environmental impacts i.e., waste, energy reduction
- Support sector initiatives aimed at transitioning to and achieving a Net Zero economy
We do this by:
- Providing funding to industry or community groups in emerging or established sectors (examples: manufacturing, aerospace, innovation, cleantech, agri-food, forestry), to support:
- Bringing players in a sector together to explore common needs and interests
- Helping new and emerging industry sectors to organize
- Encouraging sector collaboration regarding areas such as sales, procurement, etc.
- Providing seed funding to support industry or community groups (working with a sector group) to solve/address a common challenge or opportunity. Example projects could include attracting and retaining employees, joint marketing initiative, or joint R&D project
- Providing grant funding to industry or community groups to undertake activities such as research, planning, and strategic partnerships that will assist their sector in reducing energy use and/or repurposing waste
- Support networking between key sectors and the clean-tech sector
- Provide meaningful information that assists businesses in achieving the Province`s and federal government`s carbon and energy reduction targets
- Exploring ways and options to help expand local investment options
- Linking traditional and non-traditional lenders with each other and with industry groups
- Review and download the application guide here.
- Review and download the Fall Funding Intake Info Session Presentation here.
- View the recorded presentation here.
Connect with Our Experts:
- Paul Wiest (Columbia-Kootenay): CLICK HERE
- Renata King (Thompson-Okanagan): CLICK HERE
