Rural Opportunities Fund Virtual Showcase Event!

Economic Diversification and Energy Transition in the West Yellowhead
CF West Yellowhead, Alberta

Project Total: $103,909.00

Contact: Nancy Robbins, General Manager | nrobbins@albertacf.com

Project Description: Funds will be used to implement a plan to assist in recovery and transition natural resources affected communities. The coaching and training will be expanded around entrepreneurship opportunities, business retention/succession and regional diversification focusing on tourism, renewable energy and advancing new opportunities with the new Canadian population.

Business Recovery and Retention (BRAR)
CF Highwood, Alberta

Relief and Recovery COVID-19 Project Total: $120,000.00

Contact: Ursula Sherwood, General Manager | ursulas@cfhighwood.net

Project Description: The Business Recovery and Retention (BRAR) Project is being created as a direct response to the impact of COVID-19 on the many small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This project is a collaboration between three Community Futures offices as well as many local stakeholders and a specially created task force. The goal of this project is to provide much needed mental health, educational and coaching support to aid the recovery needs to the affected business owners. The project consists of three main components that will be delivered in a fluent and not necessarily sequential format. Mental Health, Education, Coaching.

E-Commerce Marketplace (#ShopYXH)
CF Entre-Corp, Alberta

Project Total: $174,230.00

Contact: Sean Blewett, General Manager | sblewett@albertacf.com

Project Description: Community Futures Entre-Corp Business Development and Community Futures Chinook have partnered with Invest Medicine Hat (City of Medicine Hat), the Medicine Hat and District Chamber of Commerce, Community Futures Chinook, and the Brooks and District Chamber of Commerce to fund and build  e-commerce (shopify) websites for independent businesses in Southeast Alberta and to create a multi-vendor marketplace for the region that will house only local vendors.

Alberta Marketplace Project
CF St. Paul – Smoky Lake Region, Alberta

Relief and Recovery COVID-19 Project Total: $158,000.00

Contact: Penny Fox, General Manager | penny.fox@cfspsl.ca

Project Description: This is an on-line project to enhance the shop local concept, which sets up a platform for Alberta made products, stores and entrepreneurs to sell their products and service in a bilingual format (english, french). The marketplace provides a large platform (Amazon style) so that entrepreneurs can list their products on the site and sell directly to their customers from the site. Each business is trained by the administrator to photograph and list their product without the need of the entrepreneur to have to set up, create and manage their own website.

Thrive – A Business Legacy Initiative
CF Central Island, British Columbia

Relief and Recovery COVID-19 Project Total: $94,250.00

Contact: Jolynn Green, Executive Director| ed@cfnanaimo.org

Project Description: This project proposes to build an online capacity building model focused on community acquisitions, embed into the Thriving Non-Profits Program, raise awareness of social acquisition as a strategy, develop criteria and identify core community businesses, and support identified pilots to move through the acquisition process. By the end of the project, they will have built enterprising capacity in 16-20 Social Purpose Organizations (SPOs) (attending the online Thriving Non-Profits Program), developed the appropriate tools and resources for business acquisition, and tested business acquisition incubator approach in partnering communities.

West Kootenay Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot
CF Central Kootenay, British Columbia

Project Total: $261,179.10

Contact: Andrea Wilkey, General Manager | awilkey@futures.bc.ca

Project Description: The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) is a community-driven program designed to spread the benefits of economic immigration to rural communities by creating a path to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers who want to work and live in the regions. The Pilot will support immigration into rural and Indigenous communities and match new immigrants with permanent full-time job vacancies while promoting a welcoming community, connecting newcomers to members of the community and settlement services.

E-Commerce Shop Local Website
CF Southwest, Saskatchewan

Project Total: $25,496.00

Contact: Kara Thompson, General Manager | kthompson@scfdc.com

Project Description: The aim of this project is to mirror the approved ROF project Virtual Moose Jaw Marketplace This Project, E-Commerce Shop local Website will be an enhancement from the shared information from CF South Central. 
The intent is to create a digital solution to help businesses generate more revenue so they can pay their bills and stay open.  The online marketplace is a collaborative means for businesses to continue during these challenging times and also to position them for growth for the future.

Succession Matching and Planning (SMP)
CF Highwood, Alberta

Project Total: $285,000.00

Contact: Ursula Sherwood, General Manager | ursulas@cfhighwood.net

Project Description: The focus of this Project is the need for succession planning education and resources.  It aims to raise awareness of the issue and educate business owners and their ‘circle of influence’. (Different professions that need to be engaged throughout the succession planning process including CF staff, bankers, accountants, business valuators, lawyers, economic development, etc.)  and to provide access to additional resources through succession planning vendors with workshops and training supports to understand the transferable value of their business and have resources and training for buyers of business as well.