SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – All French-speaking entrepreneurs and employers, who would like to learn more about funding sources, are invited to the “Fund$ Info Fair” Wednesday, April 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the Centre Belle-Alliance in Summerside.
“The main thing that most of our entrepreneurial clients ask us about is funding sources to implement their business project,” says Velma Robichaud, client information officer with the Wellington Rural Action Centre.
“The primary focus of the chamber’s events this year is finances since our members often ask for information on this topic,” adds Raymond J. Arsenault, co-ordinator of the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of P.E.I. “That’s why we’re partnering with the Rural Action Centre to organize this important event.”
The morning will begin with a variety of federal and provincial government departments, agencies and organizations giving 20-minute PowerPoint presentations on their support programs for businesses. They will discuss amounts available for research, market studies, planning, development, implementation, expansion and promotion of businesses, as well as the purchase of equipment.
Presenters will also provide information about entrepreneurial competitions (such as Innovation P.E.I.’s Ignition Contest and RDÉE P.E.I.’s Dragons’ Contest) that offer cash prizes to help entrepreneurs set up a business.
The second portion will have presenters speaking specifically about funding programs to help with the hiring of permanent or temporary workers and interns, such as those from Canada Summer Jobs, Skills P.E.I., Career Objective P.E.I., PERCÉ and LIENS Work Experience. The popular Self Employ P.E.I. program, which allows people to continue receiving employment insurance benefits for a year as they set up a new business, will also be explained.
Afterwards, participants can meet with presenters individually to discuss their entrepreneurial ideas and set up appointments.
“The offices of many of the government officials are located in Charlottetown and Summerside, but they can occasionally come to our Wellington Rural Action Centre to meet with clients,” said Robichaud. “It would be our pleasure to help set up meetings for our clients in our offices or in our board room if our clients wanted to discuss their project with officers from various departments at the same time.”
Pamphlets on various programs will also be available on an information table at the fair.
There is no registration fee for the fair but those who would like to attend must sign up by Monday, April 23, by contacting Robichaud at (902) 854-3439, ext. 228, or at velma@rdeeipe.org.
