Small Community Opportunity Program

Business Size: small

Industries: agriculture, small business, economic development, tourism, skills development

Region: Alberta, rural areas

Demographics: Indigenous communities, Métis Settlements

Other Criteria: Applicant is an Indigenous community, Métis Settlement, or a small community (population less than 20,000), Communities must be 100 km or further from population centres with more than 25,000 people, Communities may be remote or surrounded by nature, natural resources, agricultural land, wilderness areas, Communities must have a workforce largely focused on primary economic activity (oil and gas, agriculture, forestry), Non-profit partners must be incorporated under Part 9 of the Companies Act or the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act with an economic development mandate, Federally incorporated non-profits must partner with a provincially registered non-profit, Non-profit partners can be a legal non-profit entity located in Alberta, owned/controlled by an Indigenous community with at least 51% ownership, Non-profit partners can be an agricultural society organized under the Agricultural Societies Act (Alberta) or similar ordinances, Projects must align with strategic directions in the Economic Development in Rural Alberta Plan, Projects must address priority areas such as entrepreneurship, mentorship, skills development, small business supports, partnerships, interconnectivity, and collaboration, Projects must be completed within 2 years from grant agreement signing, Projects must be sustainable beyond the 2-year funding period, Projects must have a measurable impact supporting, improving, or enhancing rural/Indigenous communities, local economic development, or the agriculture sector