Green transition: Ottawa wants to improve the support offered to entrepreneurs

Canada Economic Development (CED) for Quebec wants to better equip entrepreneurs in their green transition.

The minister responsible for the agency, Pascale St-Onge, unveiled an action plan on Thursday that includes a $15 million envelope to develop a range of support services in its 12 offices across the province.

According to her, following consultations with SME owners, it is essential to adopt internationally recognized environmental standards in order to meet the expectations of business partners.

The Minister is betting that this first stage of the plan will balance the offer of support by supporting the ecosystem of expertise and improving the existing advisory services.

By contacting CED agents, entrepreneurs will then be redirected to the right resources according to their sector of activity in order to carry out a diagnosis and establish an action plan.

« The grids for analyzing supported projects will be adjusted to reflect the new environmental standards, » says Ms. St-Onge.

As a second step, the economic development agency will raise its own investment target in support of the transition and hopes to stimulate private input.

The announcement is accompanied by the creation of an advisory committee to align the agency’s actions with regional and sectoral realities.