As a part of the government’s Export Diversification Strategy, we recently announced a partnership with the World Trade Centre to expand theirTrade Accelerator Program (TAP) and mobilize SMEs for export across the country. Minister Ng announced new funding under TAP for the Toronto Regional Board of Trade and the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, and Minister Lametti announced funding to theWorld Trade Centre Montreal. These investments will have significant impacts for Canadian SMEs, as TAP has a proven track-record: while 75% of TAP participants have entered into new markets, increasing their export sales by 18%, another 48% of TAP businesses have actually hired new employees and created new jobs.
Minister Ng also continued to roll-out our Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, starting with the announcement that SheEO is the first successful recipient of the National WES Ecosystem Fund and will receive $2.5-million to deliver support for women entrepreneurs and address gaps in the ecosystem. She also visited WEF recipients in Vancouver and Burnaby.
In addition to these, Minister Ng has been busy hearing from and advocating for small businesses. In April, she:
Provided an update to Prime Minister Trudeau on the status of small businesses in Canada;
La ministre Ng a également poursuivi le déploiement de notre stratégie de la Stratégie pour les femmes en entrepreneuriat, en commençant par l'annonce que SheEO serait le premier bénéficiaire du Fonds pour l’écosystème de la SFE et recevrait 2,5 millions de dollars pour soutenir les femmes entrepreneures et combler les lacunes de l'écosystème. Elle a également rendu visite à certainsrécipiendaires du SEF à Vancouver.
En plus de cela, la ministre Ng a été très occupée à écouter et à défendre les intérêts des petites entreprises. En avril, elle a:
Fourni au premier ministre Trudeau une mise à jour sur la situation des petites entreprises au Canada;