Our Partners
Diamond
Nestled between two lakes, Penticton enjoys long, hot summers, dry winters and more than 2,000 hours of sunshine each year. We’re located in the southern Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, which is easily accessed by major highways and airports.
We're known for our beaches, wine and orchards, not to mention a wide range of outdoor recreational activities. Hop on your bike to discover award-winning wineries and trails with stellar views. Shop at the bustling outdoor market, peruse art galleries or go skating at the modern Community Centre. Ski champagne powder slopes or take in a hockey game or concert at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Penticton is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Syilx/Okanagan people. Its name, from the Interior Salish word snpintktn, is commonly translated as "a place to stay forever," or more accurately, a place where people live year-round. It’s the kind of place where people come to visit for the holidays – and never want to leave.
Destination British Columbia (Destination BC) is a provincially funded, industry-led Crown corporation that supports a strong and competitive future for BC‘s tourism industry through a combination of global marketing, destination development, industry learning, cooperative community-based programs, and visitor servicing. Destination BC receives approximately $52 million each year, out of a Provincial investment of about $140 million in BC‘s tourism ecosystem as a whole. These investments help to improve the visitor experience, support businesses and communities, and strengthen BC‘s worldwide reputation as a destination of choice.
Indigenous Services Canada works collaboratively with partners to improve access to high quality services for First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Our vision is to support and empower Indigenous peoples to independently deliver services and address the socio-economic conditions in their communities.
The Northern Development Initiative Trust board, regional advisory committees and staff have a passion for growing the economy of central and northern British Columbia. When the Premier of British Columbia announced the Northern Development Initiative Trust, it was on the premise that, The best economic development decisions for the North should be made in the North.
Northern Development is an independent, non-profit corporation; a catalyst stimulating economic growth through investments in grassroots, community-led projects.
In 2025, BCEDA will launch DisasterSmartBC, a platform designed to help communities and businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. DisasterSmartBC will serve as a centralized hub for disaster resources, economic recovery strategies, and collaboration opportunities, reinforcing BCEDA’s leadership in economic resilience.
Our Mission: We help people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and support them in strengthening their resilience.
Our Network: The Canadian Red Cross Society is part of the largest humanitarian network in the world, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This network includes the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation) and 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies dedicated to improving the situation of the most vulnerable throughout the world.
Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) is the dedicated federal economic development agency for British Columbians.
Platinum
BC Hydro is a Crown corporation, owned by the government and people of British Columbia. It’s our job to safely provide our customers with reliable, affordable and clean electricity throughout the province. For new customers, our Business & Economic Development team provides a single point of entry for businesses wanting to locate in British Columbia. We are here to help prospective customers understand how to get connected to our clean electricity grid, anticipated electricity costs, electrification incentives and possible options for where to locate. To get in touch with the team, please visit: bchydro.com/newbusiness
Cando (Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers) is a federally registered, non-profit society that is Indigenous controlled, community based, and membership driven. Cando is directed by a national regionally represented volunteer board of elected EDOs representing every region of Canada.
Cando has been instrumental in facilitating partnerships with EDOs, academics, Indigenous leaders and senior corporate and government representatives. Cando is unique because it is the only national organization that focuses on education and professional development for EDOs working in Indigenous communities or organizations.
ResearchFDI is a world-class investment attraction consultancy, delivering customized strategies and research-driven programs for economic development organizations and regional promotion agencies worldwide. Founded in Montreal in 2010, the firm has expanded to include offices, consultants, and partners across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Asia —facilitating over $50 billion in capital investments and generating high-value projects for more than 300 entities globally. ResearchFDI’s core services include developing market and sector profiles, foreign direct investment strategies, lead generation programs, investment attraction training, strategy reports and other services tailored to facilitating inward investments. The firm's mission is to position clients to identify and secure high-value inward investment opportunities efficiently.
Gold
Localintel provides online location marketing tools that hundreds of economic developers have added to their website to promote their community's advantages and assist businesses. Our clients range from the small rural Village of Hazelton to the Government of British Columbia, Invest Ottawa and the cities of New Westminster, Coquitlam, Terrace and Penticton. Learn more at www.ecdev.org.
Co-operatives First is a non-profit organization funded by Federated Co-operatives Limited and the Co-operative Retailing System. Founded in 2015, the organization provides co-op start-up resources, such as feasibility studies, business plans, and incorporation support to rural and Indigenous co-op entrepreneurs across western Canada. Our goal is to help leaders in these communities build new businesses, grow local economies, and support community development.
EMC has grown to become Canada's largest manufacturing consortium and with over one thousand industry events annually, is one of the most active manufacturing organizations in North America! For more than a quarter century EMC has been responsible for contributing significant knowledge, expertise and resources towards the success of over 13,000 consortium and online member manufacturers, representing every province across Canada. EMC's total manufacturing audience includes 40,000+ employers and 600,000 manufacturing employees. Founded in the mid-1980's and incorporated in 1997, EMC facilitates events in more than 60 consortium regions, across more than 450 communities. Offering a broad range of hands-on programs and services, EMC is helping manufacturers to lower costs, access greater opportunities to compete for business and improve efficiencies in dealing with the day-to-day complexities of running a manufacturing operation. Become a member today.
Silver
We are BDC, the Business Development Bank of Canada and the financial institution devoted to Canadian entrepreneurs.
We help create and develop strong Canadian businesses through financing, advisory services and capital, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.
- We support entrepreneurs in all industries and at all stages of development from business centres across Canada and online at bdc.ca.
- We’re committed to the long-term success of Canadian entrepreneurs and we understand that a business is more than just dollars and cents.
- We complement the role played by private-sector financial institutions and have been serving Canadian entrepreneurs since 1944.
- We are a financially sustainable Crown corporation and we operate at arm’s length from our sole shareholder, the Government of Canada.
Founded by the Province, Governed by Coastal Communities
Island Coastal Economic Trust was established by the Province of British Columbia in 2006 with $50 million under the North Island-Coast Development Initiative Trust Act. Our mandate has been to support economic diversification and growth across Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and islands and inlets from the Salish Sea to Cape Caution (see Our Region).
Bronze
CityViz is a fully customizable data platform designed for economic developers and local governments. It merges public, internal, and third-party data into one powerful interface—tailored to your community’s priorities. With full support included, users can integrate their own datasets or proprietary sources with ease.
Whether you're focused on investment attraction, workforce development, or business retention and expansion (BR&E), CityViz equips you with the insights you need—backed by real data and advanced visualization tools.
Key features include:
- Automated report generation in PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel—ideal for council presentations, grant applications, and investment packages.
- Specialized tools like the Economic Dependencies Dashboard, Economic Strategy Tool, and Employment Impact Calculator.
- Advanced GIS layers for understanding accessibility, transit, and commercial opportunities.
- Cross-departmental value, supporting not just economic development but also planning, communications, and finance.
CityViz can be embedded directly into your website or accessed through a standalone portal, with implementation completed in just days.
With roots here going back over a century, Deloitte is the largest Canadian-owned and operated professional services firm in the country. United by a shared purpose, we bring together a multidisciplinary team of over 15,000 professionals across Canada to work alongside governments, corporations, Indigenous communities, nonprofit and private organizations, to address some of our most complex challenges and create lasting value for Canada.â¯â¯
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) is a non-partisan, research-based industry association that advocates on behalf of our member companies, large and small, that explore for, develop, and produce oil and natural gas throughout Canada. CAPP’s members produce nearly three quarters of Canada’s annual oil and natural gas production, and our associate members provide a wide range of services that support the upstream industry.
Whether you’re launching a side hustle, scaling an enterprise, or pioneering innovation across British Columbia, WeBC is here to break down barriers and create opportunities. For over 30 years, we’ve empowered women entrepreneurs through tailored financing, mentorship, and business support.
Export Navigator helps B.C. businesses grow. The program guides local entrepreneurs through the export planning process by pairing them with an Export Advisor. Our advisors have decades of experience across multiple industries and are passionate about helping local businesses. They provide one-on-one support to make the exporting journey as smooth as possible.
Indigetech Software Inc. is an Indigenous-owned software company focused on building practical, secure, and configurable tools for safety, compliance, workforce and asset management. Our flagship platform, Tansi®, unifies safety, HR, onboarding, training, inspections, incidents, assets, maintenance, forms, and analytics into one system that actually works in the real world—on pipelines, industrial sites, municipal operations, First Nations communities, and government projects.