News & Updates Press Release
For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE November 4 2013 I DO BUSINESS. Atlantic Regional Summit – Promoting Procurement Success for Aboriginal Entrepreneurs receives funding from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada TRURO, Nova Scotia (October 30, 2013) – Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) have approved funding to support the exciting upcoming event,I DO BUSINESS. Atlantic Regional Summit – Strategies for Aboriginal Success. The Regional Summit will create capacities for Aboriginal Entrepreneurs to effectively grow and sustain their businesses through forward thinking procurement strategies and business partnerships. The Summit will focus on implementing strategies for business growth, bridging First Nation and municipal business, building contract and procurement opportunities, as well as increasing understanding and initiation of the procurement process for Aboriginal Entrepreneurs. This event is co-hosted by I DO BUSINESS. and Diversity Management Group (DMG), a 100% Aboriginal-owned Atlantic based company. Robert Bernard, CEO of DMG comments, “This will be a great opportunity to bring together various stakeholders with the goal of creating a strategy focused on increasing contract and procurement opportunities for Aboriginal businesses in the Atlantic Region”. I DO BUSINESS. Atlantic Regional Summit will be held at the Best Western Plus Glengarry in Truro, Nova Scotia on December 3-4-5, 2013. This event builds upon the highly successful I DO BUSINESS National Summit & Tradeshow hosted in Toronto, Ontario in March of 2013. More than 150 Aboriginal Entrepreneurs and representatives from government, corporations and non-profits attended the National Summit coming from coast to coast to coast. The Atlantic Regional Summit is bringing the energy, knowledge, resources, and entrepreneurial skill-building opportunities from the national stage to Aboriginal Entrepreneurs in the East Coast. Emerging and established Aboriginal Entrepreneurs will be presented information that will help them to understand the procurement processes better and how this will enhance their knowledge and skills to grow and sustain their businesses in order to compete in the mainstream business world. Representatives from government, corporations and non-profit organizations that support Aboriginal Entrepreneurs will participate in presentations, discussions and networking, providing direct opportunities for the development of procurement and contract opportunities. The long-term impact of this event will be to assist in rebuilding Aboriginal economies by providing the relevant stakeholders with the resources and information needed to reduce Aboriginal community procurement leakage to non-Aboriginal firms and increase successful procurement contracts for Aboriginal Entrepreneurs with corporations and government. In 2011, the Unama’ki (Cape Breton) Leakage Study identified that five (5) First Nation communities had expenditures of more than 100 million dollars per year, with only 16.8% of total dollars spent staying with First Nation owned businesses both in and outside of Cape Breton. The Atlantic Summit will begin the process of building a forward thinking procurement strategy to reverse this leakage and help to reshape Aboriginal economies. This will benefit Aboriginal firms, new employees and families in the region. About I DO BUSINESS. I DO BUSINESS. supports emerging and established entrepreneurs to obtain the knowledge, skills and resources they need to achieve dreams and find success in business. We celebrate and stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit of individuals and communities across Canada through impactful events, entrepreneurial training programs and consulting services. About Diversity Management Group (DMG) Diversity Management Group (DMG) is a multi faceted, Aboriginal sole proprietorship that has been registered in the Province of Nova Scotia since the year 2000. Owned, operated and managed by CEO, Mr. Robert Bernard, DMG develops strategies for capacity building opportunities and works to create capacity for First Nations communities. This is achieved through a multitude of services provided to clients (both Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal) with the goal of increasing Aboriginal business growth as well as economy-building and community development initiatives. About Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) AANDC is one of the federal government departments responsible for meeting the Government of Canada's legal obligations and commitments to First Nations, Inuit and Métis, and for fulfilling the federal government's constitutional responsibilities in the North. AANDC's responsibilities are largely determined by numerous statutes, negotiated agreements and relevant legal decisions. Most of the Department's programs, representing a majority of its spending - are delivered through partnerships with Aboriginal communities and federal-provincial or federal-territorial agreements. AANDC also works with urban Aboriginal people, Métis and Non-Status Indians (many of whom live in rural areas).
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