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The concept of co-locating complementary services to develop, nurture, service, and provide funding to small business, is proving a success in Lanark County and North Leeds. Since it’s opening in late 2000, The Regional Centre for Business Development and Innovation (RCBDI) is meeting expectations of bringing new vitality to business development in this Region. The RCBDI houses the following Government agencies and services: |
In addition to support for local entrepreneurs, the Centre has launched an active external marketing effort aimed at attracting Ottawa’s knowledge-based and related companies. The benefits of bundled services and unique incentives are highlights of all marketing material. Encouraging increased trade, or ‘linkages’, between local companies and those in the Ottawa Technology Cluster, ‘rounds out’ this three-prong approach to business development. Promoting local high quality products and services as the natural supply choice for Ottawa companies, forms a key part of the growth strategy. A truly ‘regional’ approach to delivery of business support and development, was from the outset, the standard set by the partner agencies in the Centre. Serving a relatively wide area, including all of Lanark County and North Leeds, presented obvious resource challenges. The pooling of capacity and capabilities has, however, improved the efficiencies of each agency by employing joint client meetings, and effectively ‘sharing’ responsibility for various identified client needs. The Regional Centre for Business Development and Innovation (RCBDI) is unquestionably a major improvement over ‘stand alone’ agency operations. This conclusion continues to be drawn, over and over, by residents throughout Lanark County and North Leeds. Time will tell if this is the chosen model of delivery for economic development in the future. In the interim, we will enjoy the advantages it provides! |