Town of Cochrane Strategic Plan – Final Report October 2014
Table 5: Funding Sources for E-Business Adoption
Program Name
Current:
Broadband for EBusiness and Marketing
(BEAM) Program
Organization
Technology Loans
Business
Development Bank
of Canada
•
Industry Canada
•
Canada Small Business
Financing Program
NEOnet Inc.
Description
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pending Renewal:
Voucher for E-Business
Ontario Centres of
Excellence
•
•
CareerConnect
Information and
Communication
Technology
Council
•
•
•
•
Emerging:
Small Business
Technology
Assessment,
Monitoring, & Planning
(STAMP)
Productivity and
Innovation Centre
NEOnet Inc.
•
•
Partnership:
NEOnet, Northern
College, TEDC,
others
•
•
•
•
Offers direct cash contribution to SMEs to build a website
or implement new E-business applications.
Maximum $5,000 contribution at 75% subsidy rate.
BEAM II nearing completion; NEOnet to pursue Industry
Canada funding for BEAM III – continued funding not yet
guaranteed.
Eligible for investment in computer hardware, software,
website development, or ICT consulting services.
$200 million earmarked for ICT loans in 2011.
Part of the BDC’s Smart Tech Program, offering a range
of other services and support.
CSBF program assists new SMEs with the purchase or
improvement of new or used equipment, including
relevant ICT.
CSBF loans cannot exceed $500,000, with no more than
$350,000 can be used for said equipment.
Provides SMEs with a maximum voucher of $2,500
which can be redeemed for work done by a participating
university.
Program matches businesses with an identifiable ICT
need with colleges capable of developing a solution;
students responsible for realizing the solution.
Pilot project; subject to renewal.
Targets private sector employers, matching them with
recent postsecondary graduates in an ICT-related career
field.
Relevant for communities with ICT skills challenges,
and/or difficulty attracting skilled workers.
All funding for 2013-2014 currently allocated; possibility
of renewal.
Project will address ICT skills gaps by providing financial
support for ICT specialist consulting.
Will help SMEs with the creation of a technology.
strategic plan and IT toolkit.
Project in implementation phase; rollout under way.
Centre designed to assist SMEs build productivity and
innovation capacity.
Centre will match SMEs with consultants to review
operations, which will inform the necessity of E-business
as part of overall strategic vision.
Centre to open by end of April 2014.
4.2 Strategic Considerations for Implementation
This analysis has identified a number of strengths and weaknesses of relevance to Cochrane’s
potential for investment in SME E-business applications. First, the capacity of the community to
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