OMAFRA is partnering with Rural Oxford Economic Development Corporation to deliver a one-day training session focusing on stages one and two of the BR+E process. This training will take place in Embro, Ontario on Thursday April 26, 2018.
This training session is geared towards:
individuals who are interested in managing or coordinating a community level BR+E project
economic development professionals who will be involved in the implementation of a BR+E project
The objectives of the session are to provide attendees with:
an understanding of the role of a BR+E project coordinator
an overview of the benefits of BR+E and its role as a component of economic development
the knowledge required to assess a community’s readiness for BR+E
the skills required to effectively oversee and conduct business interviews
The results for the July 2016 – December 2017 roll up report are here! Over 1,100 businesses were surveyed across Ontario, and the key findings have been aggregated in an infographic. For clients with ongoing BR+E Projects, the roll up offers a benchmark to measure the success of their own BR+E Project against the Provincial average. In comparison, clients who are interested in starting a project can use the roll up report to help identify an area of focus for their project.
I was invited to present on Business Retention & Expansion at the recent International Economic Development Council annual conference in Toronto. The session explored common denominators for success and highlighted unique attributes of the Halifax Partnership, the Ontario and the British Columbia programs.
The Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) program is a collaborative effort between government, community, and businesses that identifies opportunities to help businesses expand and, retain and create jobs. The program also encourages the implementation of agreed upon activities to achieve goals, and actions to improve the local business climate.
Three recent examples of completed BR+E projects are from the communities of:
The results for the 2015/16 roll up report are here! We surveyed 1,213 businesses across Ontario, and have aggregated the key findings in an infographic. For clients with ongoing BR+E Projects, the rollup offers a benchmark to measure the success of their own BR+E Project against the Provincial average. In comparison, clients who are interested in starting a project can use the roll up report to help identify an area of focus for their project.
To view the full presentation of the BR+E provincial survey results, see below:
OMAFRA’s Rick Berthiaume, Manager of the Economic Development Programs Unit and Information Services was invited to present on the evolution of Ontario’s BR+E Program at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) annual conference. The session was titled “BRE: 30 Years of Community Economic Impact”, and included other presentations from Ohio State University and University of Minnesota Extension. During his presentation, Rick highlighted several topics including the updated 4-Stage BR+E process, the new coordinator manual and best practices with a focus on data collection and analysis. Continue reading Ontario BR+E Presentation at the International Economic Development Council Conference→
What is your role in the Regional Economic Development Branch?
As an Economic Development Specialist, my
role is to promote and lead two of the Ministry’s programs: Business Retention + Expansion (BR+E) and First Impressions Community Exchange (FICE). Most importantly, my role is to help municipalities and rural stakeholders access these programs. Continue reading Staff Profile: Robert Humphrey→
Ontario’s Business Retention + Expansion (BR+E) program received international recognition as an award winner for an innovative, effective and exemplary BR+E Program at the most recent Business Retention + Expansion International Conference (BREI), held in San Antonio, Texas on May 25th, 2016. This award recognizes Ontario’s achievements on a global scale. The provincial program was also a runner-up in the BR+E Project/Program Impact award category.
One of the challenges with Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) projects is effectively communicating the vast amount of information that is collected. As part of the BR+E program, it is important to develop a final report and action plan. This plan will act as a full and complete record of the project. Its also recommend that Coordinators consider writing a short summary that can be shared with businesses and the broader community. One of the ways to achieve this is by using Infographics. Continue reading How Infographics Support Business Retention + Expansion Projects→
is partnering with Rural Oxford Economic Development Corporation to deliver a one-day training session focusing on stages one and two of the BR+E process. This training will take place in Embro, Ontario on Thursday April 26, 2018.
