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Rural Business and Community Recovery Program

Funding for Rural Recovery Advisors

SIDIT is pleased to announce the Southern Interior Rural Business and Community Recovery (RBCR) program. With financial support from the Province of BC, SIDIT will be providing up to $1.5 million in grant funding to support rural communities and their business support organizations as they take on the challenging task of assisting with COVID-19 economic recovery.

With this new funding, rural communities in the Southern Interior of BC with populations under 25,000, and non-profit business support organizations serving those communities, can access funding to create up to 20 new Community and/or Business Recovery Advisor positions. These new positions will enhance local capacity to create and implement community economic recovery plans, support local businesses and create new opportunities for growth.

Tasks that Community Recovery Advisors may undertake in rural communities include:

  • Economic development planning
  • Community based research and analysis
  • Sector development and economic diversification initiatives
  • Community marketing and promotion
  • Business investment and attraction

Tasks that Business Recovery Advisors may undertake in rural communities include:

  • Business outreach and advisory, referrals and assistance in finding other funding
  • Business recovery planning, including cashflow forecasting, coaching
  • Business market research, analysis, marketing and promotion
  • Financial coaching, restructuring options, capital requirement planning and referrals

Eligibility and How to Apply

Eligible applicants for RBCR funding include local, municipal, regional and First Nation governments, economic development organizations and non-profit business support organizations serving the Southern Interior region. Funding is available for up to 20 full time and/or part time advisors in the region. Eligible applicants will receive up to 100% of eligible costs to a maximum of $75,000 per position.

Eligible Communities

Communities with less than 25,000 in population in the following Regional Districts or the business support organizations serving these communities are eligible to apply:

  • Central Kootenay
  • Central Okanagan
  • Columbia Shuswap
  • East Kootenay
  • Fraser Valley
  • Kootenay Boundary
  • North Okanagan
  • Okanagan Similkameen
  • Thompson Nicola

Eligible applicants for funding (“host organizations”) include:

  • Local governments (municipalities and regional districts) serving rural communities and their associated economic development organizations
  • Indigenous communities and their associated economic development organizations
  • Non-Profit Business Support organizations serving the region, such as:
    • Chambers of Commerce
    • Community Futures
    • Women’s Enterprise Centre
    • Industry Associations

Applications to the RBCR program will be accepted starting Monday February 22, 2021. The deadline for the first intake of applications is 4:00 pm PST, Friday March 19, 2021, with funding announcements expected by March 31. A second application intake may be offered in Spring 2021.

Click here for the RBCR Application Guide

Application Form: Please send your contact information to Mary Beadman, Program Administrator, mbeadman@sidit-bc.ca and let us know what you have in mind and she will refer you to the appropriate SIDIT Business & Economic Development Consultant to help you determine eligibility. They will forward to you the application form. If you have any questions, you are welcome to call (236) 420-3680 ext. 0.