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→
The Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) program is a structured action oriented and community-based approach to business and economic development. The BR+E process helps communities to prioritize their efforts in supporting their existing businesses.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs introduced the Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) program in 1998 to support economic development efforts of rural communities. BR+E is a structured acton-oriented and community-based approach to business and economic development. Continue reading Updates to the Ontario Business Retention & Expansion Program Resources→
