Economic Development

Teeny Tiny Summit – Creatively Bringing Community Together

Leave a comment

Join us for the next Teeny Tiny Summit taking place on Wednesday, September 23rd from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm to hear about creative ways communities have been brought together. For registration and event details, visit the Teeny Tiny Summit page.

Why should I attend Teeny Tiny Summit?

  • Become inspired – learn of relevant examples from a community like yours
  • A breath of fresh air –refresh with new perspective and insight from other small communities
  • Discover – learn about pursuing economic development goals in your community

Session Topics

Continue reading Teeny Tiny Summit – Creatively Bringing Community Together →
Economic Development

Retooling For Economic Recovery – Webinar

Leave a comment

How can data be used to guide economic recovery?

How can BR+E be adapted to suit pandemic response?

What is the form and function of an economic recovery team?

Join us on September 29, 2020 (10:00 – 11:00am) as we unpack these questions and more during a 60-minute webinar focused on how OMAFRA economic development programs and tools can be used to enhance your economic recovery efforts.

While certain businesses are struggling in the short term, communities need to be prepared to capitalize on the growth opportunities created in certain segments of local economies. During the Retooling for Economic Recovery webinar, we will be covering a multitude of topics intended to inform and guide strategies and approaches to enhance recovery and growth efforts, including:

  • How to effectively track changes in your downtown
  • Data sources to monitor your recovery
  • How communities are tailoring their BR+E surveys and approach
  • The form and function of economic recovery teams

To register for the webinar, please fill out this registration form.

Agricultural Development

Recap: Always in Season Community of Practice Session

Leave a comment

On August 20, 2020 the Agriculture Economic Development and Planning Community of Practice webinar highlighted the new Always in Season Toolkit. Participants heard how different communities have introduced initiatives to help strengthen their agri-food sector.

The Always in Season toolkit is designed to help guide communities through potential activities, key performance metrics, funding opportunities, and ways to collaborate to support the agri-food sector. The toolkit is available in both French and English and provides resources for community organizations and municipalities to help them strengthen the role of local food in the community. The toolkit shows users how to:

Continue reading Recap: Always in Season Community of Practice Session →

Economic Development

Teeny Tiny Summit Goes Virtual!

1 Comment

The Teeny Tiny Summits began in 2016 as a forum to discuss scale-appropriate economic development techniques in Ontario’s smallest communities. Since then,1300 people have attended 11 summits. Feedback from participants tells us that they always come away inspired and engaged, with ideas that they can put into practice right away in their communities. This year, a virtual format was adopted for the first time. But just like previous offerings, participants benefited from the wisdom of their peers and were every bit as inspired as they have been in the past. Continue reading Teeny Tiny Summit Goes Virtual! →

Economic Development

Exporting Opportunities Through Indian E-Commerce Platforms

Leave a comment

The High Commission of Canada in New Delhi, in collaboration with Canadian Food Exporters Association (CFEA) is offering  a series of free webinars with Amazon India that will take place from August to September 2020. The first webinar with the Amazon India team will be held on August 19, 2020.

The High Commission has partnered with Amazon India to facilitate a listing of Canadian brands on the Amazon India e-commerce platform. Together with their  in house plug and play network of importers, they are keen to add more Canadian food products to their portfolio. The webinars are strategically structured to provide Canadian exporters with a detailed overview of opportunities in the Indian market via e-commerce, the Amazon India partnership and the proposed program for Canadian brands.

Continue reading Exporting Opportunities Through Indian E-Commerce Platforms →

Economic Development

Participate in the Trade Accelerator Program and Learn How to Expand Your Business Into International Markets

Leave a comment

This September the World Trade Centre Toronto will be hosting their award-winning Trade Accelerator Program (TAP) virtually and focus entirely on the Agri-Food and Beverage sector. TAP is an innovative program designed to help small to medium-sized businesses accelerate their growth by expanding internationally!

The export process can be daunting, costly, and time-consuming. Through these four virtual sessions, participating companies will establish key contacts, and have access to targeted expertise and strategic planning tools, needed to successfully launch into new markets, as well as grow in current markets. By the end of the program, participating companies will walk away with a complete Strategic Export Business Plan carefully vetted by industry leading partners and sponsors.

Continue reading Participate in the Trade Accelerator Program and Learn How to Expand Your Business Into International Markets →

Agricultural Development, Economic Development

Teeny Tiny Summit Goes Virtual! Big Ideas for Small Places: A celebration and Exploration of Small-Town Possibilities

2 Comments

In 2020, Teeny Tiny Summits will be moving to a virtual format featuring a series of three webinars. The virtual Teeny Tiny webinars will shine a light on creative ideas and people in small communities that have made the most of the past few months. The webinar series will be sharing ideas and actions from community leaders in small communities of all kinds for informative and inspiring sessions.

Continue reading Teeny Tiny Summit Goes Virtual! Big Ideas for Small Places: A celebration and Exploration of Small-Town Possibilities →

Economic Development

Adapting your Business Retention + Expansion Practices During a Crisis

Leave a comment

Just as the activities of business and government are shifting to meet the demands of the current context, the BR+E process should also adapt to meet today’s economic development needs. To tackle the implications of this outbreak, communities and organizations will benefit from having access to and sharing timely, reliable, and meaningful data. This data can allow stakeholders and the business community to share critical information that can help address individual, regional and sector-based issues.

This post will review four keys ways in which your BR+E practices could pivot to address today’s economy.

Continue reading Adapting your Business Retention + Expansion Practices During a Crisis →

Economic Development

Curious About Exporting to the USA? Attend the Free PROFIT Webinar Series!

Leave a comment

OMAFRA’s PROFIT (Program to Raise Ontario Food International Trade), is designed to provide a working knowledge of exporting food and beverage products to the USA.  For 2020, PROFIT will be offered in virtual format at no cost. This highly successful ‘how to export’ program will be offered in eight, 90-minute sessions during the month of September 2020.

Any Ontario-based manufacturer or seller of Ontario-made food, beverage or agriculture products are welcome to register and attend the eight session webinars.

Topics will include:

Continue reading Curious About Exporting to the USA? Attend the Free PROFIT Webinar Series! →

Economic Development

Recovery Plans & Performance Measures – Is your plan working?

Leave a comment

Every community across Ontario has been impacted by COVID-19 and its effects have been felt by all businesses. There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to a recovery plan. Communities need to continue to develop recovery plans based on their own unique situation.

The plan may contain a flurry of actions to help business communities and support local needs – but how do you know the recovery plan will work or is working?

Continue reading Recovery Plans & Performance Measures – Is your plan working? →

Regional Economic Development Branch blog focusing on agriculture and rural economic development for Ontario