That's a great question. Thank you so much.
All the regional development agencies have different models for assistance and funding. When FedDev announced the $880,000 over two years to support Fierce Founders, that initiative arose partly because the incubator Communitech came to FedDev and said they'd really like to support women entrepreneurs in this way. They already had a very sound model.
In a way it is really dependent on what resources are available in those communities. FedNor, for example, has invested $3.6 million since 2006 in supporting microcredit to women in northern Ontario through the PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise.
It often has to do with community resources and their capacity to roll out programs, but all the development agencies have initiatives in this area.