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Government of Canada Supports Communities in Quebec to Attract Foreign Investment and Create Jobs

Minister Van Loan announces Invest Canada–Community Initiatives awards for communities across Quebec

(No. 263 - August 19, 2010 - 11:50 a.m. ET) The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today announced that 18 community organizations in Quebec will receive more than $658,500 through the Government of Canada Invest Canada-Community Initiatives (ICCI) program. This year, the Harper government is investing $3 million to help local organizations across Canada attract foreign investment to their communities.

“With one of the most successful and innovative economies in the world, Canada offers many advantages to investors wishing to pursue sophisticated, cost-effective science and technology partnerships and industrial research,” said Minister Van Loan. “This program will provide funding to community organizations across Quebec in key sectors so they can continue to promote Canada as the best place in the world in which to invest and do business, now and in the years ahead.”

“Quebec is an economically diverse province and has a lot to offer as a location for investment, from our leadership in health research and technology-related sectors to our position as a vital link to the North American and European markets,” said the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources. “This program is helping communities from Montreal and Beauharnois-Salaberry to Brome-Missisquoi and Sherbrooke make connections with foreign investors.”

During his visit to Montreal, Minister Van Loan met with Jacques St-Laurent, President and Chief Executive Officer of Montréal International, an organization that received $153,000 to develop new prospecting strategies in the areas of information and communication technologies, life sciences, aerospace and clean technology research to further attract and retain foreign investment.

The ICCI program helps communities in all provinces and territories attract, retain and expand foreign direct investment. It supports non-profit and public-private groups at the local community level.

For more information, visit Invest Canada-Community Initiatives.

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A backgrounder follows.

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Monika Bujalska
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Peter Van Loan
Minister of International Trade
613-992-9304

Trade Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-996-2000

Backgrounder - Invest Canada-Community Initiatives

The Invest Canada–Community Initiatives (ICCI) program is one of the three components of the Global Commerce Support Program established by the Government of Canada in December 2008. It is designed to help Canadian communities attract, retain and expand foreign direct investment (FDI). ICCI supports non-profit and public-private partnerships at the local community level.

Between 2006 and 2009, ICCI, formerly known as the Community Investment Support Program, supported 321 communities through 573 projects valued at $16.7 million. This year, 18 organizations in Quebec will receive a total of $658,500 in funding from the federal government.

Applications are evaluated based on their strategies for attracting and retaining foreign direct investment, project components, performance measures, capacity to complete the project, work plan and the level of public-private sector partnership.

Under the ICCI program, the Government of Canada’s non-repayable contributions range from $3,000 to $300,000, and agreements are made for a one-year period, from January 1 to December 31. The ICCI program provides matching funds of up to 50 percent of eligible expenses. Communities may receive support from other federal government programs; however the total federal support must not exceed 50 percent.

2010 recipients in Quebec

Recipient: Association des parcs de recherche et technopoles du Québec
Contribution: $72,500
Projects: National and international repositioning strategy; promotional tools (communication plan, audio-visual production and Internet site)
Recipient: International Finance Centre of Montréal
Contribution: $36,050
Projects: Marketing—Seminar Paris 2010; prospecting; research—computer data bank, European data bank; research—targeting list, “Business 2.0” consultant
Recipient: West Island Local Development Centre
Contribution: $15,750
Projects: Socio-economic profile of the area; website; design of promotional tools
Recipient: CLD [Local Development Centre] Beauharnois-Salaberry
Contribution: $57,500
Projects: Retention, growth and expansion of local subsidiaries of foreign companies; foreign investment prospecting
Recipient: CLD Brome-Missisquoi
Contribution: $21,000
Projects: Development of FDI strategy and action plan; addition of FDI section to CLD website; production of brochure; participation in International Economic Development Council conference
Recipient: CLD Shawinigan
Contribution: $15,000
Projects: Major overhaul of CLD Internet site with addition of a module and an “investors’ window”; design of promotional brochure specifically for foreign investment prospecting
Recipient: Val-Saint-François RCM [Regional County Municipality] CLDE [Local Economic Development Centre]
Contribution: $5,000
Projects: Identification of potential foreign investors and creation of database
Recipient: Conseil Économique du Haut-Richelieu
Contribution: $6,100
Projects: Five sector sheets; Internet site; corporate brochure
Recipient: Sherbrooke Innopole
Contribution: $15,000
Projects: Sherbrooke Innopole presence on “Web 2.0” social networks; Web 2.0 strategy, listening and monitoring (equivalent to FDI strategic planning for Web 2.0); creation and translation of profiles (equivalent to promotional material)
Recipient: Montréal International
Contribution: $153,000
Projects: Attractiveness Indicators 2010—international organizations; profile of foreign company subsidiaries in Greater Montreal; prospecting strategies in areas of information and communication technologies, life sciences, aerospace and clean technology; business-case development; updating of existing business cases; collaborative subcontracting program for subsidiary visits; targeting in China; targeting in United States and Europe; training; collection of data on subsidiaries; development of proposed values for retaining or expanding subsidiaries in Greater Montreal; further development of prospecting strategy in life sciences sector
Recipient: PÔLE Québec Chaudière-Appalaches
Contribution: $84,000
Projects: Targeted prospecting strategy in green building sector; targeted prospecting strategy in “cosmeceutical” sector; targeted prospecting strategy in insurance sector; identification of international partners; project for 3-D digitization industrial centre
Recipient: Société de développement économique Thérèse-de Blainville
Contribution: $12,600
Projects: Carrefour Capital website redesign
Recipient: Société de promotion économique de Rimouski
Contribution: $22,500
Projects: Directory of businesses and technologies in Rimouski’s two strongest sectors; development of web tools and technical data sheets
Recipient: Technoparc Montréal
Contribution: $33,000
Projects: Media relations abroad; development of organization’s website; targeted studies on by-product development; corporate brochure for international clients; composition of 30-second Technoparc Montréal jingle in five languages to set it apart as one of the most innovative and most dynamic scientific technoparks in the world
Recipient: Technopole maritime du Québec
Contribution: $32,500
Project: Development of marine science and technology innovation portal
Recipient: Aéro Montréal
Contribution: $10,000
Project: Enhancement of Aéro Montréal website
Recipient: Développement économique LaSalle
Contribution: $10,000
Projects: Investor profiling; updating of pre-feasibility study data; creation of business plan
Recipient: Montréal InVivo
Contribution: $33,500
Projects: Identification and benchmarking within international personalized medical sector; improve content and management of database of new website

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