Harper Government Supports Growth and Development of Saskatchewan's Small Businesses

REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwired - July 31, 2015) - Western Economic Diversification Canada

Today, Tom Lukiwski, Member of Parliament for Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Michelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, announced a series of workshops to benefit Saskatchewan businesses by encouraging innovation. The Regina Regional Opportunities Commission (RROC) will coordinate delivery of the workshops.

With $110,000 in funding from the Government of Canada, this program will encourage innovation and promote more export activities among small business in Saskatchewan. Funds will be used to hire a project coordinator to organize and promote the workshops, as well as to recruit small- and medium-sized business (SME) participants.

The workshops will help SMEs assess their current innovation capacity. The assessment will be followed by recommendations and tools on how to implement or improve innovation in their businesses. Participants will be able to access an online tool to support them as they implement the assessment recommendations.

Quick Facts

• By helping SMEs across all sectors adopt innovation as part of their organizational culture, the workshops will strengthen the capability of western Canadian companies to export and increase their presence in international markets.
• The workshops will increase awareness of innovation amongst Saskatchewan SMEs and improve their adoption of innovation into their organizational practices, in turn improving their competitiveness.

Quotes

"Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and by supporting their growth we are creating jobs and securing economic prosperity. Today's investment will help western Canadian businesses build capacity and enhance their competitiveness domestically and internationally."

• Tom Lukiwski, Member of Parliament for Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre

"The long term success of our economy is linked to the promotion, adoption and execution of innovation in business. RROC is focused on creating a culture of innovation in our community. We believe this program will contribute to sustainable economic growth in the region, and we're proud to be a partner of the Government of Canada."

• David Froh, VP Sector Development with Regina Regional Opportunities Commission

Additional Links

• Regina Regional Opportunities Commission: http://www.reginaroc.com/

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