In Alberta access to skilled labour continues to be a challenge for many employers. An alarming finding in a 2017 Government of Alberta report concluded that the province’s job vacancy rate is one of the highest in Canada. To address this challenge, the Government of Alberta has introduced funding programs, such as the Alberta Innovates…
Sometimes, well-intentioned rules and regulations developed by the government affect business’ ability to act on growth opportunities and efficiently use resources. These laws and regulations are often referred to as government red tape by the general public. They often relate to additional paperwork, hidden costs, and project delays, and make companies less responsive to market…
St. Catharines manufacturer, Girotti Machine Ltd., has been awarded nearly $23,000 in Ontario training grants and that’s just the beginning of their funding plans. Government funding has allowed the company to implement technical training for its 40 employees. The manufacturer recently integrated funding into its strategic planning process to support upcoming projects. To implement its…
The Alberta Export Support Fund has helped small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access new international markets. Since being launched in 2016, more than 80 Alberta-based companies have been awarded export grants to help reduce the costs of attending or participating in international trade shows and missions. The program provides up to 50% of project costs…
After a long week, my spouse and I enjoy getting out for some fun on the weekend. We’ll often head to local restaurants to relax and catch up; last week, we went out for dinner. Generally, there are no issues with the service we receive, but this time was a much different outing. Upon sitting…
Canada’s aerospace industry has been strong for decades, but new trends are transforming the industry and requiring aerospace manufacturers to be more proactive in their approach to growth. In 2015, Canada’s aerospace industry generated nearly $30 billion in revenues, of which 70% came from manufacturing – this marks an 11% increase between 2010 and 2015….
Update: The National Research Council (NRC) now offers project-based funding through a single Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP). Please visit the NRC-IRAP Research Project Contributions page for more information. Small businesses regularly perform R&D activities to improve profitability and develop new capabilities. This process of research and development almost always results in new findings to…
Since the notion of an ‘experience economy’ was first written about in 1998, the way businesses operate has changed. Forward-thinking businesses adapted their offering to include the staging of experiences, and in doing so, have driven revenues at an accelerated pace. In today’s economy, a memorable experience is much more valuable than any product or…
The Canada-Alberta Job Grant is a popular government funding incentive amongst Canadian employers. The program administers training grants to help Alberta-based companies enhance their workforce by upskilling new and existing employees. CAJG is a provincial variant of the Canada Job Grant program, which seeks to address specific training needs of employees to further their development…
Since 2014, a southwestern Ontario technical call centre has optimized project cash flows by leveraging Canadian government grants. The company has taken advantage of multiple growth opportunities by targeting funding programs that support workforce development. To do this, this client has integrated their strategic planning approach with funding opportunities to reduce project costs and improve their…