Open for signatureElectronice-7866 · Parliament 45

Permanence for Black Entrepreneurship Program

Sign on the House of Commons website

Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to make the Black Entrepreneurship Program permanent with ongoing funding, keep its three pillars funded, provide predictable multi‑year funding agreements, publicly report outcomes, and establish a Portfolio Management Office.

Why we would sign this petition

  • Creates stable, ongoing funding to prevent service gaps and staffing losses that the petition says disrupt delivery and stall entrepreneurs.
  • Ensures the Ecosystem Fund, Loan Fund and Knowledge Hub remain funded at levels matching demand, preserving mentorship, loans and advisory services.
  • Requires public outcome reporting and a Portfolio Management Office to improve coordination and measure long-term impact on Black entrepreneurship.

Why we wouldn’t sign this petition

  • Creates permanent spending commitments that may compete with other priorities and require long-term budget trade-offs.
  • Predictable multi-year agreements and a portfolio office add administrative complexity and may be hard to implement quickly.
  • Public reporting and coordination requirements may not guarantee improved outcomes and could duplicate existing oversight.

The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada Black entrepreneurs in Canada continue to face well-documented barriers to accessing capital, networks and business support; Since 2021, the Black Entrepreneurship Program has supported more than 24,000 Black entrepreneurs, and its Loan Fund has approved 801 loans worth more than $70.6 million. Yet it has not been made permanent dispite promises made in campaigns; The Program's Ecosystem Fund enables trusted Black-led, community-based organizations to deliver mentorship, training, financial coaching and advisory services across the country; The Program relies on time-limited funding cycles, most recently $189 million for 2025 to 2030, and gaps between cycles disrupt services, cost organizations skilled staff and stall entrepreneurs' progress; and Stable investment in Black-owned businesses creates jobs, expands the tax base and strengthens Canada's economic resilience. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to 1. Make the Black Entrepreneurship Program a permanent program with ongoing, stable funding; 2. Maintain all three pillars of the Program, the Ecosystem Fund, the Loan Fund and the Knowledge Hub, at funding levels that reflect demand; 3. Provide Black-led delivery organizations with predictable multi-year funding agreements and timely decisions to prevent gaps in service; 4. Report publicly on the Program's outcomes to measure its long-term impact on Black entrepreneurship in Canada; and 5. Support the Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Coalition in establishing a Portfolio Management Office to coordinate delivery among Black-led business organizations.

Government response

No government response is available yet.