Burnaby – British Columbians are known for their entrepreneurial spirit. As B.C. businesses grow, they generate jobs, drive exports, and bolster the economy. However, many businesses with growth ambitions lack access to the critical supports they need to help them achieve their full potential.
Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan) announced the launch of PacifiCan’s Business Acceleration Pilot. This pilot aims to increase the number of medium- and large-sized businesses operating in B.C. by working with partners to accelerate the growth of existing small- and medium-sized businesses.
The three-year pilot will provide PacifiCan funding to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations to deliver tailored support to growth-oriented businesses. This includes providing them with access to the investment capital, customers and expert advice they need to grow. Through this pilot, PacifiCan and partner organizations will be responding directly to the needs of the businesses who are creating quality jobs in communities across British Columbia. The application portal opens today on PacifiCan’s website and will close on December 14th, 2023. Organizations with the expertise and connections to help businesses achieve their growth ambitions are encouraged to visit the website to find out if they qualify and learn how to apply.
Minister Sajjan also announced over $3.6M in Business Scale-up and Productivity funding to help Lucent Bio increase its marketing capacity and optimize its manufacturing processes. This innovative B.C.-based company is pioneering climate-friendly, sustainable agriculture solutions. Lucent Bio currently employs 43 people. With this funding, the company anticipates creating 27 new jobs and increasing annual revenue to $30M by 2026, 50% of which would be export sales.
“The Business Acceleration Pilot is designed to support ambitious small- and medium-sized businesses throughout B.C. that are ready to grow. Today’s announcement is reinforcing PacifiCan’s commitment to supporting these ambitious businesses by partnering with like-minded organizations committed to providing the tailored support they need.” – Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada