Economic Development Initiative
The Economic Development Initiative (EDI) provides financial support to projects that encourage economic diversification, business development, innovation, partnerships and increased support for small- and medium-sized enterprises in official language minority communities (OLMCs).
In 2018, the Government of Canada announced its Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023: Investing in Our Future. The Plan comes with a budget of $2.7 billion over 5 years and is allocated among 15 federal departments and agencies. CanNor is responsible for delivering EDI funding across Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.
Every year, the Agency, through the EDI, invests in projects that help develop capacity, expertise and partnerships. All projects are for economic development of businesses and communities, and the sustainable growth of Francophone communities across the territories.
How to apply
If you have a project idea and would like to submit an application for funding under the EDI, please fill out the Application Form.
Upon receipt, projects submitted are reviewed by regional economic development officers, and applicants may be invited to submit a full application. At that time, a generic application and any program specific applications may be provided.
Project examples
- Providing Francophones in the territories with entrepreneurial capacity-building tools and training, in order to attract investment from key francophone markets and undertake tourism promotion activities.
- Increasing accessibility to French language entrepreneurial training materials, and raising awareness of the Northern context in terms of its labour market and as a place to invest.
- Attracting Francophones with the goal of filling job vacancies in the territories.
For more information about CanNor programs, please contact your regional office.