PrairiesCan support through the Black Entrepreneurship Program will help Alberta entrepreneurs start, grow and scale their businesses
Building a strong Canadian economy means ensuring everyone has the opportunity to succeed. Black entrepreneurs on the Prairies and across Canada face systemic barriers to financing, mentorship and networking, which can limit opportunities to start and grow businesses while creating jobs and strengthening Alberta's economy.
Today at the Black to the Future Summit in Edmonton, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), announced $5.6 million in funding for three Alberta-based projects. This investment will provide training, mentorship, and business development services to help Black entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.
The Council for the Advancement of African Canadians (Africa Centre) along with co-recipients the Canadian Imperial Advantage and The Nod Foundation will deliver a project titled "ACT", a province-wide initiative designed to address persistent structural barriers affecting Black-owned businesses in Alberta. This project will serve aspiring, early-stage, and scale-up ready entrepreneurs across Alberta with culturally informed business advisory services, capital readiness assessments, tailored incubation, one-on-one coaching, digital technology adoption training, market access preparation, and commercialization activities. This work will be supported by a federal investment of $2.6 million.
The BIPOC Foundation will increase business readiness, support growth, and enhance the participation of Black entrepreneurs in Alberta through an expanded Founders Hub. This Hub hosts province-wide programming - including business planning, financial forecasting, mentorship, investor readiness, and market access training - designed to accelerate the growth and scalability of Black-led businesses. This work will be supported by a federal investment of $1.5 million.
Black Canadian Women in Action Society (BCW in Action) will expand supports for Black women entrepreneurs in Alberta through coordinated initiatives that strengthen business development, enhance capacity, and promote inclusive economic growth by equipping participants with the resources, skills, and advisory services needed to start, scale, and sustain successful enterprises. This work will be supported by a federal investment of $1.5 million.
Investing in Black-led organizations helps unlock economic potential, create jobs, strengthen local economies, and support long-term growth across Alberta and Canada.
