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Increase the Number of Social Enterprises in Newfoundland and Labrador

Implemented

Way Forward Commitment:

To increase the number of social enterprises in Newfoundland and Labrador and enhance services for existing social enterprises, our Government will develop a Social Enterprise Action Plan, including long-term strategic goals supported by an annual work plan. Social enterprise development is another innovation tool for advancing regional growth opportunities to benefit the economy, support rural sustainability and encourage entrepreneurial governance models and service delivery. Our Government will release a social enterprise action plan by May 31, 2017.

What We’ve Accomplished:

  • The Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation (TCII) completed a public engagement process and identified areas where trends emerged in the document, “What We Heard: Social Enterprise,” released in November 2017.
  • A total of 129 stakeholders participated and provided input on ways to address social enterprise development.
  • The Social Enterprise Action Plan was released on May 30, 2018 and outlines 25 actions to be implemented over the next three years.
  • TCII has worked with existing partners to ensure a collaborative approach to training and development. For example, TCII has helped to support Smallwood Crescent Community Centre Inc. with its capacity building and marketing goals. This support demonstrates how effective partnerships can assist organizations in achieving their social enterprise developmental needs in a systematic and deliberate way.
  • TCII has increased awareness of the provincial research activities and invested in skills and development training sessions for social enterprise through TCII’s Community Capacity Building Program. For example, TCII partnered with Shorefast Foundation to support a workshop on Fogo Island that focused on social enterprise development in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • TCII has worked with the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Co-operatives to implement the delivery of joint co-operative/ social enterprise development training. This has included training sessions in Corner Brook and Port aux Basques in October 2018 and upcoming sessions in St. John’s, Clarenville, and Gander.
  • TCII has increased awareness of existing financing available for social enterprises and demonstrate how it meets the needs of social enterprise. TCII has partnered with other lending organizations such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency  to support social enterprises. Through the Regional Development Fund, TCII has invested in a number of social enterprises such as O’Brien Farm Foundation Inc., SmartICE Inc., TheGreenRock.ca, Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, Smallwood Crescent Community Centre, St. John’s Farmers Market, and Jimmy Pratt Memorial Outreach Centre.
  • TCII has connected with the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ad Hoc Working Group on Social Innovation. This will assist in the overall goal of working with partners to help social enterprises explore new approaches to financing, specifically Action 4 “Access to Financing and Capital” pillar. TCII will continue to monitor and explore commonalities, opportunities, barriers and solutions as it relates to the new Federal fund.

News Releases

Supporting Social Enterprise Development

Provincial Government Releases Social Enterprise Action Plan