In collaboration with LIFT Philanthropy Partners and with the support of County Coworking, SVX is excited to announce the Build Back Better Challenge for non-profits, co-operatives, and charities in Eastern Ontario. Designed for Canadian social enterprise leaders with solutions to help rebuild their communities following the impacts of COVID-19, selected applicants will receive personalized business support from SVX and industry partners to improve resiliency.
Due to the pandemic, we have experienced mass disruption to our lives and livelihoods. Food supply chains have also been disrupted, creating new demand for products, services and solutions. Throughout all this, climate change continues to accelerate, intensifying the need for scalable solutions. There is greater need and opportunity for solutions related to food systems, agtech, climate change, and well-being. This challenge seeks to assist impact-driven organizations in Eastern Ontario to successfully emerge from this unique and challenging period by helping to improve their investment readiness, impact, and operations.
What is the Build Back Better Challenge?
The Build Back Better Challenge is a specialized, hands on support program with the goal of developing social enterprises with promising projects to build investment readiness, enhance financial fitness, and grow your impact.
What makes the Build Back Challenge unique is in its ability to deliver a personal experience based on the organization. Selected applicants will participate in a diagnostic assessment, where a customized package will be curated based on the technical assistance needed. This can include dedicated support in business management or capital raising. By the end of the program, the goal is to have each social enterprise develop a plan that will allow them to continue to operate with confidence and enhanced organizational capacity.
Who is the Build Back Better Challenge looking to support?
From food hubs and health care organizations to renewable energy or agriculture co-ops to academic institutions, the Build Back Better Challenge is open to a wide range of organizations with some core criteria:
- Geography: The Build Back Better Challenge is designed for non-profits, charities and co-ops located in Eastern Ontario. This is identified as the region bordering the GTA to the Quebec border, and between Lake Ontario and Renfrew/Haliburton.
- Stage: This program will assist organizations at any stage of development. But applicants should have at least one year of operating history.
- Full-time leadership: Throughout the duration of the program, organization leadership will work full time to develop and strengthen their business plan.
- Sector: This program targets organizations with a dedicated solution towards food systems, agtech, climate change, or well-being.
Why should you attend the Build Back Better Challenge?
There are many benefits to organizations seeking to apply for the Build Back Better Challenge:
- Specialized coaching: Receive customized guidance based on your organizational needs in order to help build fundraising readiness and strategy.
- Develop connections: Challenge recipients will develop their skills alongside cohorts facing similar business goals and challenges.
- Industry experience: A chance to identify performance gaps from social investment experts that challenge your investment strategy.
- Consistent support: Throughout the entirety of the program, an assigned team will be available to provide you with support, and to answer your questions.
How can you participate?
Calls for applications are currently open and will be closed on Friday, February 12th. To apply, all candidates must fill out an application form. Applications will be reviewed rapidly, with the selected participants determined for a program start at the end of February.
We hope you will consider applying to the Build Back Better Challenge!
The Build Back Better Challenge is supported by the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF), backed by the Government of Canada.
