What we do

Community Futures Wood Buffalo has its mandate set out in its Memorandum of Association. These objectives include:

PROMOTING

• Economic growth and development in Northern Alberta.
• A healthy and diversified economy.

ATTRACTING

• Industry, commerce and tourism to the region.
• Federal, provincial and municipal institutions to the region.

ASSISTING

• In identifying solutions to problems in the region’s communities.
• In developing strategic plans to improve the region’s labour market.
• The unemployed, underemployed and employers in removing barriers to employment and self-employment.

Community Futures Wood Buffalo assists small businesses to establish, expand and stabilize themselves in the region by:

• Providing preliminary counseling and assessing the viability of business opportunities
• Identifying and helping access possible sources of financing
• Providing financial assistance to individuals and small businesses in the form of loans of up to $150,000, loan guarantees or equity participation in order to create or maintain long-term employment in the region
• Providing follow-up counseling or helping access to professional and technical services needed to create or maintain a successful employment-creating business
• Providing or helping access training to assist in the success of these ventures
• Using existing or future government and other resources to promote socio-economic benefits to northern Alberta

Since starting operations in 1988, Community Futures Wood Buffalo has financed more than $6 million to start-ups and existing businesses in Wood Buffalo. In the 2006/2007 fiscal year, our lending totaled more than $700,000.