Desjardins has announced that it is now accepting applications for the third year of its GoodSpark Grants program – a support fund for small businesses.
The insurer is looking to grant 150 small businesses a total of $3 million – Desjardins’ biggest contribution to date – in early 2023. Each recipient will receive a $20,000 grant to fund projects related to one of the four aspects that Desjardins is looking for in a recipient: sustainable development, employment, innovation, and community impact.
Small local businesses operating in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan are invited to submit their applications for the grant. The businesses must have been registered for at least one year (since October 01, 2021, at the very least) and should have a minimum of one employee and a maximum of 20 employees.
According to Desjardins, there are more than 1.1 million small businesses across Canada, which employ over 10 million Canadians – this represents nearly two-thirds of the national workforce. Desjardins recognizes that many of these small businesses are innovative and have a positive impact on their respective local communities, but at the same time they also need support to further grow and expand.
Applications for the program are open until November 06, 2022. More details and eligibility criteria can be found on Desjardins’ GoodSpark Grants webpage.
In August, Desjardins announced that it would invest a total of $475,000 into four grassroots projects in the Gaspésie region. That amount is also being taken out from Desjardins’ GoodSpark Fund, the insurer’s charity fund established in 2016 that is committed to investing a total of $250 million by 2024 in projects created by and for the community.
