2023 Community Economic Development project funding
The 2023 Community Economic Development (CED) Program is now open for project grant funding applications. The annual program provides financial support to selected projects that are anticipated to result in:
Resilient job creation (continuing beyond the funding period)
Business enterprise creation (for-profits and/or social enterprises).
The program endeavours to positively impact historically under-represented segments of the Ottawa population (e.g. residents of lower income neighbourhoods, youth, older adults, rural residents, new immigrants, racialized and indigenous populations, etc.) through financial support to non-profit agencies for new, or expanded, projects that assist targeted residents to overcome identified obstacles to the creation of new jobs and/or new enterprises.
Projects should indicate how the applicant non-profit agency will increase its capacity to support the economic objectives of targeted beneficiaries beyond the funding period. Projects should indicate how targeted populations will be enabled to overcome their identified disadvantages.
The CED Funding Program awards a total of up to $280,000 per year, distributed among the proposals that are selected by a jury panel of reviewers. While proposals may have inherent merits, funds are awarded only among the top-ranked projects, until the annual funding maximum is reached.
Projects must be new, or scaling-up, activity to help targeted historically under-represented populations to overcome identified impediments to their participation in Ottawa’s economy. Funds will be awarded in April 2023 and must be expended by November 30, 2023. Projects may not commence until funds are received by program recipients.
The City will accept project applications until 4:00 PM on Friday February 24, 2023. Applications will compete for a share of total CED program funding of $280,000.
An adjudication panel will review and score all applications on merit against established criteria and recommend a funding contribution to the top-ranking projects until all available funding is allocated.
Given the funding envelop available, not every deserving project will receive funding. The adjudication process seeks to discover those projects with the most significant socio-economic impact and with the greatest potential to achieve objectives and be self-sustaining into the future.
While successful prior-year projects have supported activities to improve the employability of targeted populations, the focus for the 2023 CED Program is on the job creation potential arising from the proposed project.
Therefore, projects that create new durable job opportunities will be scored more favorably. Projects which build the organization’s capacity to support targeted populations to overcome identified impediments to realizing economic opportunity will be preferred.