Alberta LGBTQ2S+ businesses chosen for 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Fund [Video]

An Alberta business advocate is one of the first organizations in Canada to receive funding from a new federal program aimed at bolstering LGBTQ2S+ businesses.

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Alberta’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Chamber of Commerce announced on Thursday that it had been chosen as a recipient for the new 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Fund.

“Canada’s small businesses are anything but small. They make up 98 per cent of our businesses here in Canada, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs are significant contributors to that number,” said Rechie Valdez, federal minister of small business.

Valdez said businesses in the community face additional challenges, including barriers to accessing capital and resources.

“They’re looking to us for that type of support,” she said.

The $5-million program is funded by the Canadian 2SLGBTQIA+ Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Canada. It is administered by the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

The Alberta chamber said the money will be used to start several …