BDC is partnering with Women’s Enterprise Organizations Canada (WEOC) in an effort to better connect and support women entrepreneurs across the country.
The partnership will allow BDC to engage more closely with five WEOC member organizations, as well as the 90,000 women business owners WEOC members work with at a national level. WEOC helps connect women entrepreneurs to financial resources, connections, and entrepreneurship programming.
“Through this partnership, after receiving sound, tailored advice, women entrepreneurs who will have optimized their business plan are given a better chance at getting financed,” said Laura Didyk, BDC’s Vice-President, Alberta South and National sponsor for the Bank’s Women Entrepreneur strategy.
The agreement is signed between BDC and five of WEOC’s member organizations: the Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba, the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan, and Women’s Enterprise Organization, British Columbia.
BDC has launched several initiatives to support women entrepreneurs as of late. This includes $1.4 billion in lending to women-led businesses by 2021 — which was announced in #Budget2018 — and $200 million in investments in women-led technology firms over the next five years. BDC will also coordinate bootcamps that focus on enhancing business skills and financial literacy for women.
“We are very excited about partnering with BDC and being part of its initiative to better support women entrepreneurs, who are one of Canada’s greatest resources,” says Sandra Altner, CEO of the Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba and WEOC Chair. “This partnership will give our members fantastic opportunities to access financing that will help them attain their business dreams.”