The federal government has revealed the organizations selected to deliver two key components of Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program.
The $25-million federal program, first revealed in June 2023, aims to offer dedicated support to Canadian entrepreneurs who identify as 2SLGBTQI+.
A QueerTech survey recently found that fewer than 40 percent of respondents feel that 2SLGBTQIA+ employees are “consistently treated with respect” in the workplace.
The 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program mirrors the approach of the government’s $7-billion Women Entrepreneurship Strategy as well as its Black Entrepreneurship Program. It consists of an $8-million ecosystem fund, a knowledge hub, and business scale-up program, and is administered by Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC).
The government has selected the first 17 organizations across Canada to deliver the program’s ecosystem fund.
The fund is designed to help recipient organizations offer programs and resources to support 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs, while raising awareness of the challenges they face.
Among those selected is QueerTech, a national nonprofit that supports 2SLGBTQ+ tech workers and entrepreneurs.
QueerTech began in 2016 as a meetup group formed in partnership with Montréal NewTech, to help connect 2SLGBTQ+ professionals within the local tech industry. The organization claims that since then, it has helped over 10,000 professionals who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ through professional development and mentorship.
“QueerTech is an incredible organization dedicated to serving 2SLGBTQI+ tech entrepreneurs and I am excited to see the work they accomplish with this funding,” Canada’s Minister of Small Business Rechie Valdez said in a statement sent to BetaKit.
In addition to supporting 2SLGBTQ+ professionals in the tech sector, QueerTech also conducts research on the challenges faced by these individuals. In one report released by the organization in May, QueerTech found that fewer than 40 percent of respondents feel that 2SLGBTQIA+ employees are “consistently treated with respect” in the workplace.
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In addition to QueerTech, other delivery organizations for the ecosystem fund include the 2 Spirits in Motion Society, SASKQUEER Entrepreneurs and Professionals, and Community Futures Development Association of British Columbia, among others.
The 17 organizations selected today will receive $5.1 million of the $8 million available through the fund. In a statement, the government said the remaining funding will be delivered to organizations “in regions where service gaps still remain to ensure there is equitable support across Canada.”
The government also announced that the Fyrefly Institute for Gender and Sexual Diversity, in partnership with the University of Alberta’s eHUB Entrepreneurship Centre, will operate the program’s knowledge hub. The organization will receive $3 million to build a national research network focused on collecting data to create a clearer picture of the entrepreneurship landscape for the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
According to the federal government, there are more than 100,000 2SLGBTQI+-owned and operated businesses in Canada that collectively generate over $22 billion in economic activity. But in many sectors, including tech, these entrepreneurs face unique and systemic barriers. A 2022 report by the CGLCC found that these barriers include prejudice, access to funding, sexual harassment, and discrimination in the workplace.
“Who you are and whom you love shouldn’t hurt your business, in fact, it should be a part of your success,” Valdez added in a statement. “Through our 2SLGBTQI+ Ecosystem Fund, we are supporting non-profit organizations across the country that are helping 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurs reach their full potential.
Feature image courtesy QueerTech via Facebook.