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 the Quebec economy”.
“The social economy is at the heart of certain sectors that are important for the development and well-being of Quebec: agriculture, housing, services for vulnerable people,” explained Ms.me Alain in interview at Duty.
The envelope of $2,350,000 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, should allow the non-profit organization to support these businesses.
According to Mme Alain, this amount will be complementary to front-line resources that already support individual businesses, such as those working for example in autonomy and food security in Quebec.
“We see social economy companies committed to strengthening territorial food systems, that is to say, to be able to produce, transform and consume more locally,” she described. These businesses require second, third line support “to see [s’]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 is timely, especially as a social economy summit, which will bring together companies in the sector, supporting players and all levels of government, is planned for May 2025, said Ms.me Alan.