For more information
Contact person in Saskatchewan:
Conseil économique et coopératif de la Saskatchewan (CÉCS)
Jean de Dieu Ndayahundwa
Manager, Community and Entrepreneurial Economic Development
Phone: 306.566.6000, Ext. 103
Email: fdefo@cecs-sk.ca
Contacts in other Western provinces:
ALBERTA
Conseil de développement économique de l’Alberta (CDÉA)
Joris Demares-Decaux
Director, Economic Development and Business Services
Phone: 780.414.6125
Email: fdefo@lecdea.ca
COLOMBIE-BRITANNIQUE
Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique (SDECB)
Marie-Noël Holland
Manager, Economic Development and Employability
Phone: 604.732.3534
Email: fdefo@sdecb.com
MANITOBA
Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba (CDEM)
Erwan Bouchaud
Director of Community Economic Development
Phone: 204.925.2833
Email: fdefo@cdem.com
Context
FDÉFO is a new pilot funding program. It is jointly managed by the four Francophone economic development organizations (FEDO) of Western Canada:
- the Conseil de développement économique de l’Alberta (CDEA)
- the Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba (CDEM)
- the Conseil économique et coopératif de la Saskatchewan (CÉCS)
- the Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique (SDECB)
Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) funds this program as part of the Economic Development Initiative (EDI).
The objective of the FDÉFO is to promote and financially support endogenous economic development through projects designed and carried out by Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) in Western Canada.
The CÉCS administers the program. Each Francophone economic organization acts as a financial agent in its respective province.
The CÉCS administers the program. Each Francophone economic organization acts as a financial agent in its respective province.
Eligibility Criteria
The program targets Francophone organizations in Western Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan), legally formed, local, provincial, or interprovincial.
The applicant organization must work in French and contribute to the development and growth of the Francophonie in Western Canada.
The projects must serve a Francophone clientele of OLMCs in Western Canada.
Funded projects can be local, provincial or inter-provincial in scope. They must demonstrate a real impact and measurable benefits in at least one of the following sectors:
- Diversification and economic development, including trade and investment
- Employment and social development with particular emphasis on the inclusion of underrepresented groups in the economy
- Economic immigration
- Green economy
- Youth
- Tourism
Grants and Eligible Expenses
Each Francophone economic organization has a total annual budget of $ 136,500. An organization can only submit one application (yearly or multi-year) per year. Funding for projects will be a minimum of $ 5,000 and a maximum of $ 75,000 per year.
Eligible expenses under the FDÉFO program are:
- Contractual fees
- Promotion
- Displacement
- Training
- Investment in infrastructure
- Purchase of equipment
Salaries and administrative costs are not eligible expenses under this program. The in-kind contribution of the beneficiary organization can include them.
Duration of Projects
The FDÉFO program lasts for three years, from July 2020 to March 2023. Except for the first year, the list of funded projects is announced each year, no later than March. These projects must start on April 1 of the same year.
Apply for Funding
The second call for project proposals launched on November 30, 2020.
The first call for project proposals launched on July 22, 2020. Projects proceed from September 2020 till March 2021. For fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, each FEDO will launch its calls for project proposals in the fall.
The requesting organization submits its request for funding to the OFVE in its province of residence, namely the CDEA for Alberta, the CDEM for Manitoba, the CÉCS for Saskatchewan and the SDECB for British Columbia.
The funding request form is available from each FEDO. To apply for funding in Saskatchewan, use the following documents:
- The funding request form (deadline: February 1, 2021) INSERT LINK
- Project budget (template) INSERT LINK
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WFEDF press release - September 21, 2020
“Announcement of the first projects funded under the new Francophone West Francophone Economic Development Fund - WFEDF.”
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WFEDF press release - November 30, 2020
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New brochure available for the WFEDF program - December 4, 2020:
“A lever for Francophone community economic development!”
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The WFEDF organized a webinar on December 4, 2020:
Title: “How does this new program work to prepare your funding application?”
Hosted by: Jean de Dieu Ndayahundwa
