FedNor’s Export Marketing Program Announcement
Business support program to help boost the value of exports and improve the capacity of Northern Ontario firms with support of $1.6 million from the Government of Canada
March 6, 2020 – Sudbury, ON – Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario – FedNor
Ontario's North Economic Development Corporation (ONEDC) is a not-for-profit organization established in 2005 and focused on collaborative activities between the cities of North Bay, Timmins, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, as well as other regional development organizations in Northern Ontario. The member municipalities choose one municipality to manage a project on their behalf and provide other resources to implement the project.
A successful history of collaboration
Since 2012, the Northern Ontario Exports Program (NOEP), a collaborative initiative between the ONEDC and the City of Greater Sudbury, has helped businesses from across the region become more competitive, grow and reach new markets. During the last 3-year phase of the project, NOEP has helped to create or maintain more than 435 jobs, and assisted more than 75 companies located across the North to modernize or expand. An independent survey conducted among previous participants estimated that the program’s marketing initiatives resulted in short-term sales of up to $26 million.
Growing Northern Ontario’s exporters
During a visit to local mining manufacturer Rock-Tech, Paul Lefebvre, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, announced FedNor funding of $1.6 million to enable ONEDC to offer the successful NOEP for an additional three years. This announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages.
With an earlier focus on mining related industries and a growing participation from other sectors, NOEP will provide businesses in the region with support for training, marketing and advertising activities, enabling them to be more competitive and access new markets. The funding will also assist ONEDC to establish a Northern Ontario pavilion at the 2020 MINEXPO in Las Vegas, the largest mining equipment conference in the world.