The government of Canada has said it says it would invest $25 million in creating Canada’s first-ever LGBTQ entrepreneurship program.
Small Business and Economic Development Minister Mary Ng will announce the funding soon in Kingston, Ont.
CGLCC, a chamber of commerce for Canada’s LGBTQ community, will run the programme which includes three main components: A business scale-up program, an Ecosystem Fund and a Knowledge Hub.
Darrell Schuurman, co-founder and CEO of the CGLCC, said “entrepreneurs who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ play a crucial role in contributing to the Canadian economy” but continue to encounter barriers when starting and expanding their businesses.
Schuurman said the program will equip entrepreneurs with resources and support to tackle these obstacles and be successful.
The Federal Economic Development Department says there are over 100,000 LGBTQ-owned and -operated businesses in Canada that employ over 435,000 workers and generate over $22 billion in economic activity.
Yet it says 25 percent of LGBTQ entrepreneurs have encountered discrimination or lost their business because of who they are.
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