Application Deadline: January 18th 2021
Black entrepreneurs and businesses are key pillars in the Black Canadian community, yet we have very limited information on this important entrepreneurial ecosystem in Canada. Through stronger information, we can strengthen this ecosystem and enable Black entrepreneurs and businesses to be even more successful in their business endeavours.
The Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub will address these gaps through research and knowledge dissemination that will benefit and empower Black entrepreneurs and business owners.
What is the Knowledge Hub
The Black Entrepreneurs Knowledge Hub (‘Knowledge Hub’) is one component of the Black Entrepreneurship Program. The full potential of the Black business ecosystem can be unleashed through stronger information, research and statistics. The goal of the Knowledge Hub is to enable this. By conducting large-scale qualitative and quantitative research on Black entrepreneurship in Canada, conducting detailed mapping of Black business ecosystems across the country, and identifying critical gaps where Black entrepreneurs are facing the greatest challenges, we can level the playing field for Black entrepreneurs and business owners.
How it will work
The Knowledge Hub will be run by partnership between a Black community organization (or consortium of Black community organizations) and a post-secondary or other accredited educational institution in Canada. Ideal partners will be a Black-led organization, equipped with strong networks partnership with a post-secondary institution with the capacity for sound data analysis.
Interested partners can apply by submitting a concept through the call for concepts. The successful partners will receive up to $5 million over 4 years to develop and implement the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub. The result of this Call for concepts will lead to one consortium receiving the funding.
Apply and submit your concept for the Knowledge Hub.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants are a Partnership between not-for-profit Black-led organization(s) and a provincially/territorially recognized post-secondary academic institution(s) or research institute(s).
The Black-led support organization must demonstrate:
- the leadership positions (Directors, Founders, etc.) are primarily occupied by people who self-identify as Black (minimum two-thirds);
- the governance structure (volunteer committee, advisory board, eldership circle, etc.) is primarily composed of people who self-identify as Black (minimum two-thirds); and
- its mandate, activities and outcomes are focused on supporting members of Black communities, namely Black business communities.
The academic institution must represent:
- its capacity to conduct large-scale quantitative and qualitative research projects;
- its linkages to the entrepreneurship ecosystem and the Black Canadian community; and
- its ability to safely collect and anonymize statistics.
For more details, see the Application Guide.
How the program will be administered?
The adjudication process will be administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) on behalf of the Government of Canada. Once a successful applicant has been selected, the partnership of two or more organizations will form a governing organization to which the administration of the Knowledge Hub will be passed.
Official Website: Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
