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Theme 1: Increasing or Strengthening Economic Opportunities for Entrepreneurial and Professional Women
Project Objective
The purpose of this theme is to engage women and community stakeholders in developing and implementing strategies to diversify and strengthen economic and business opportunities for women.
Project Description
Projects will address institutional barriers that limit the economic prosperity of women in Canada. Specifically, the projects will engage women, especially entrepreneurial and professional women, and stakeholders to tap into existing or emerging economic opportunities. Projects will build strategic partnerships and implement innovative approaches to increase access to economic opportunities for women, particularly in entrepreneurship and professional occupations where women are under-represented.
Funding Available/Duration
| Funding Available | Duration | |
|---|---|---|
| Projects at the local level | Up to $250,000 | Up to 30 months |
| Projects in multiple communities across Canada | Up to $300,000 | Up to 36 months |
Mandatory Key Activities
a) Partnerships
- Throughout the duration of the project, women, women’s and other community organizations, and stakeholders (such as professional and business associations, and economic development agencies) will work in partnership.
b) Examine Context
- To inform the planning and development of the project, an assessment of the current situation of women professionals or entrepreneurs will be conducted to identify needs and barriers. Using a gender lens, the assessment will:
- Consider the current contribution of professional/entrepreneurial women to employment and prosperity in the community.
- Consult with local women, partners, and stakeholders to identify barriers, priorities and opportunities.
- Identify existing policies, services, decision-making processes, etc., and determine their effectiveness.
c) Determine and Choose an Option
- Through a collaborative process with partners/stakeholders, choose an option for implementation taking into consideration community assets, strengths and opportunities.
- For example:
- Capitalize on a local economic opportunity created by a new enterprise in the region by proposing strategies to create economic options for women.
- Encourage collaboration among business associations to identify promising or innovative practices that help grow women’s businesses.
- In a single industry community where the main industry is declining, ensure that women are involved in developing economic alternatives for the community’s future.
d) Implementation
- Collaboratively implement the chosen option in the community.
e) Knowledge Sharing
- Ensure that knowledge gained throughout the project is shared, as appropriate.
Important Considerations
Projects proposing the following types of activities will not be considered under this Call for Proposals:
- delivering training (occupational or otherwise) to women, unless the training is to facilitate participation in the project (e.g. facilitation skills);
- recruitment and/or awareness activities related to employment (e.g. job fairs in non-traditional sectors);
- recruitment and/or awareness activities related to entrepreneurial start-up or expansion opportunities (e.g. directly assisting women to establish new businesses or expand existing businesses through the development of business growth plans);
- providing direct access to existing services/supports; and
- supporting existing and/or ongoing activities or programs, or direct services under the jurisdiction of other levels of government.
Planned results
- Effective strategies and/or mechanisms to diversify and strengthen local women's opportunities for economic prosperity have been developed and implemented with key stakeholders.
- Women and stakeholders can identify economic opportunities and barriers.
- Local women are actively engaging stakeholders and taking on leadership roles to address these barriers in their communities.
- Community partners and stakeholders collaborate to maximize assets to increase economic options for women.
Project Deliverables (After Approval)
Month 4
- Detailed work plan, results framework and performance measurement plan, risk management plan, and list of project partners, including a description of their contributions.
Month 12 and 24
- Interim report(s), needs assessment report (at 12 months), and other project documents, as required.
Project end
- Final report.
Note: Performance reporting requirements and timelines will be determined after the proposed project has been approved.
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