PARO Trade Missions

Women’s Companies are underrepresented amongst exporting enterprises. We will work to expand supports and make linkages for women’s companies who seek to Scale-up and increase their knowledge, networking and opportunities to Export to Global Markets.

Women’s Enterprise Centre of Northern Ontario (WECNO) and Women’s Innovative Initiatives (WIN)

WECNO funded by FedNor and WIN funded by FedDev ensures that all women, no matter where they live in Ontario, can have the right tools and resources to grow their business ideas. WECNO initiatives address key areas such as:

Growing and Scaling Women’s Companies
Encourage greater participation of Women in the Economy by delivering supports to Scale-up majority Women-owned Companies, ensuring that they are poised for growth from start-up and onward with the goal growing World-Class Businesses. Through goal oriented counselling and mentorship as well as BIZCamps, workshops, webinars and specialized skills development, training will be offered to help women entrepreneurs enhance competitive advantages through creating or licensing intellectual property, successfully commercializing products or services, and adopting new technologies, with a focus on green/cleantech innovation and adoption.

Accessing New Growth Opportunities
We will work to expand and strengthen PARO’s unique and dynamic Hubs 1-8 located across Ontario, by boosting women’s economic participation through successful women-led PARO Regional Cluster Innovation Tables (CIT), and to support their connection to local Regional Innovation Ecosystems, as we work together to leverage new Growth Opportunities.
Accessing funding opportunities:
o BIZGrowth: SMEs will have access to non-repayable contributions of up to $2,500 (matched 1:1 by the SME for projects totaling $5,000) to existing SMEs in cutting-edge and critical sectors, such as SAAS, digital services, health, agri-food and manufacturing industries with a focus on clean/green tech, who are looking to expand into new markets and implement innovative growth plans. An estimated 96 SMEs will receive up to $2,500 each to match their $2,500 contributions towards their project. Matching funding is required from program participants and 100% of SMEs supported will be women-led. Applications will be assessed and approved by a designated committee of Business Counsellors and Business Growth Advisors.
o Prosper Circles: Women entrepreneurs in southern Ontario will have access to non-repayable funding of up to $1,500 (matched with a minimum 1:1 by SMEs through two-stage Prosper Peer Lending Circle loans provided by Alterna Savings and southern Ontario CFDCs). Prosper Peer Lending Circles are small groups of like-minded women who meet regularly to share their experiences and expand their individual networks of business contacts. Prosper Lending Circle members are involved in reviewing and approving loan applications from PARO members in their own circle.
Expanding Access to Export Markets
Women’s Companies are underrepresented amongst exporting enterprises. We will work to expand supports and make linkages for women’s companies who seek to Scale-up and increase their knowledge, networking and opportunities to Export to Global Markets.
Trade Mission Opportunities : SMEs will receive pre-mission, on-site and post mission support, from senior PARO staff and contracted consultants, to build the export readiness and capacity of women-led companies seeking to export to new markets.
This pillar will also develop and update tools and resources focused on going global and create strategic partnerships and connections to corporations who support supplier diversity including an export toolkit, a communications tool and training sessions. These tools, resources and training will help prepare SMEs for Supplier Diversity Conference Trade Missions, such as Go for the Green, Orlando, 2024 and WBENC, New Orleans, 2025.