Funding ready for two components of $221 million BEP

Call for applications for Ecosystem and Knowledge Hub funds

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Black business owners across the country will have to wait a little longer before they can apply for loans under the Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP), a $221 million initiative announced by the Government of Canada earlier this year.
However on Monday, November 30, the government announced that two other components of the program, the National Ecosystem Fund and the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub are now open and receiving applications.
Under the $53 million ecosystem fund, Black-led not-for-profit business organizations can apply for financial assistance to provide support, mentorship, financial planning, and business training for Black entrepreneurs.
Black led community and business organizations or groups of organization are also being encouraged to partner with an educational institutions in order to set up and run the Knowledge Hub, which will facilitate a research on Black entrepreneurship in Canada. As well as factors that will help identify barriers to success and opportunities for growth.
The successful group will receive up to $5 million over four years.
The application period for the National Ecosystem Fund remain until December 21, at 2:00 p.m., and organizations can apply to the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub until January 18, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
For more information on this call for proposals, visit: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/150.nsf/eng/00003.html