Québec City, December 16, 2021 – A study on the performance of the Community Futures Program (CFP), which is delivered in Quebec by Sociétés d’aide au développement des collectivités (SADCs) and Centres d’aide aux entreprises (CAEs), confirms that Quebec businesses that work with the Réseau perform better.
The results of the Community Futures Program (CFP) performance study, conducted by Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions in collaboration with Statistics Canada, were published in November. The study compares the performance of businesses with up to 100 employees that received assistance through the CFP with other businesses with similar profiles that did not receive services from SADCs or CAEs over a five-year period.
Vallier Daigle, President of the Réseau des SADC et CAE, says he is very proud of these results: “We have been supporting the success of entrepreneurs and the economic vitality of our regions for 40 years. With the financial contribution of Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, our professionals deliver our three complementary business lines: local economic development, technical assistance and business financing. How do we do it? With a strong, agile and effective provincial network of expertise that is firmly rooted in our communities and attentive to the needs of entrepreneurs.”
HIGHLIGHTS
The study looked at 4,451 CFP files. Between 2013 and 2018, our network has made a difference for businesses by contributing to the following:
• Improved business survival rate: 77% after five years of existence, compared to 53% for those in the control group
• Creation of over 10 times as many jobs: an average increase of 3.2% per year, compared to 0.3% in the control group
• Creation of nearly 5 times as many jobs for women-owned businesses:
an average increase of 5.0% per year, compared to 1.3% in the control group
•Stronger increase in sales: 5.2% average annual sales increase, compared to 3.14% for the control group
•Faster payroll growth: 7.2% per year on average, compared to 2.9% for businesses in the control group
About the Community Futures Program (CFP)
The CFP is a federal government program that ensures financing for the operations of the 269 CFDCs, SADCs, CBDCs and CAEs in Canada, including 67 in Quebec. The CFP recognizes the expertise of local decision makers and decision-making autonomy, in order to encourage communities to take charge of their futures.
