Regional Development Fund — Community Capacity Building

• The applicant must be a not-for-profit economic development organization (such as a regional economic development association, municipality, industry or sector group, educational institution, or other community-based organization involved in economic development).
• The proposed activities must focus on building skills and capacity related to regional economic and business development (e.g., planning, strategy, industry development).
• The project must support the organization’s role as a partner in regional economic development and community-building.
• The organization must submit the official application form following the guidelines provided on the Regional Development Fund page.

Who is eligible?

• Not-for-profit economic development organizations
• Regional economic development associations
• Municipalities
• Industry and sector groups involved in economic development
• Educational institutions involved in economic development

Who is not eligible

This grant is specifically designed for not-for-profit economic development organizations and specifies no particular exclusions for certain types of companies or industries. Therefore, without more detailed information, we cannot provide a list of those who cannot apply.

Eligible expenses

This grant supports projects and activities that build capacity within community-based economic development organizations, enabling them to effectively contribute to regional economic planning and development. Eligible activities focus on enhancing crucial business skills and fostering collaborative partnerships.

• Capacity building modules designed for strategic planning and proposal writing.
• Project management sessions tailored for opportunity identification and management.
• Workshops on relationship building and public participation to strengthen community involvement.
• Training in conflict management and group dynamics to improve organizational environment.
• Developing organizational skills through governance and board orientation seminars.
• Sessions on leadership, motivation, and effective interpersonal communications.
• Financial management and risk management workshops to ensure organizational sustainability.
• Co-operative development sessions to promote collaborative economic models.

The evaluation and selection of projects for the Community Capacity Building Program grant focus on the ability to meet the program's objectives and areas of strategic economic development.

• Alignment with regional economic development and planning goals.
• Engagement and strength of partnerships and collaborations proposed.
• Effectiveness in addressing capacity building areas like strategy development, project management, or financial management.
• Demonstrated need and potential impact on the community or sector.
• Comprehensive approach towards community engagement and participation.

• The program supports capacity building through structured modules, planning sessions, and industry development sessions.
• Participating stakeholders must demonstrate a clear link to economic and business development.
• The initiative emphasizes collaboration and broad-based partnerships among community-based organizations.
• Areas of focus include strategy and planning, relationship building, organizational skills, communications, risk and financial management, and co-operative development.