Small Community Opportunity Program

Overview
The Small Community Opportunity Program (the Program) provides grants to tackle challenges and tap into opportunities in rural areas. Indigenous and small communities, as well as non-profit groups they work with, may receive between $20,000 and $100,000 for local projects. By building capacity in the agriculture industry and small business, these rural communities will grow their economic footprint.

Eligibility
Eligible applicants
Indigenous communities, Metis Settlements and small communities may apply if they meet the following characteristics of rural communities:

• have a population less than 20,000
• have a limited geographic proximity (approximately 100 km or further) to population centres with more than 25,000 people that could provide employment and services
• may be remote or have in them, or around them, a significant amount of nature, natural resources, agricultural land and wilderness areas
• have a workforce largely focused on primary economic activity, including oil and gas, agriculture and forestry

Eligible rural communities may work together or independently on local projects, or they may collaborate with non-profit organizations that are:

• non-profit entities incorporated under Part 9 of the Companies Act or the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act with an economic development mandate
• a federally incorporated non-profit must partner with a provincially registered non-profit
• a legal non-profit entity located in Alberta that is owned and controlled by an Indigenous community that has at least 51% ownership

Eligible projects
Eligible projects must align with one or more of these strategic directions in the Economic Development in Rural Alberta Plan (the Plan):

• rural business supports and entrepreneurship
• support for labour force and skills development
• marketing and promoting rural tourism
• rural economic development capacity building

In addition, the project must address one or more of these priority areas:

• entrepreneurship and mentorship
• skills development
• small business supports
• partnerships, inteconnectivity and collaboration

Projects must be completed within 2 years from the date the grant agreement between the Government of Alberta and the recipient is signed. Grant recipients must ensure their project will be sustainable beyond the 2-year funding and have a measurable impact supporting, improving or enhancing one or more of the following:

• rural and Indigenous communities
• local economic development
• the agriculture sector