CBDC Southwest: Building Stronger Communities
CBDC Southwest’s vision is to make our rural communities better places to live and work. We do this by fostering sustainable growth through dedicated partnerships, responsible development, and healthy economic fundamentals. CBDC Southwest helps rural entrepreneurs in the regions of Carleton, York, Sunbury, and Queens counties. Our board of directors is composed of individuals from the rural communities our organization serves. These members have a wealth of experience which they use to guide our activities.
Local Job Creation: Over the past year, CBDC Southwest has helped create and maintain 168 jobs in our rural communities. This year saw a significant number of new start-up businesses especially within our rural youth. We believe that supporting small businesses stimulates local development and helps to diversify our local economy.
Growth and Maintenance of Rural Populations: We believe that small businesses are the backbone of our rural economies. In the past year, CBDC Southwest has seen a more youth starting businesses in the region. There has also been significant interest from the newcomer population, many of whom are looking for resources or to purchase existing businesses in various sectors including retail and tourism. We are proud to support the growth of our vibrant rural communities.
Fostering Community: CBDC Southwest continues to proudly support and invest in our local rural communities’ not-for-profit organizations and social enterprises with our Social Enterprise Loan. Social enterprises are the heartbeat of our community. They not only provide services and support but are often a central gathering point bringing people together.
Leveraging Local Resources: CBDC Southwest provides referrals to our partner agencies daily. We believe that providing as many referrals as possible leads to the overall success of our clients. We work with a diverse range of partners, both federally and provincially, to meet the needs of our clients. We work closely with the area chambers of commerce and municipalities. Once again, this year, we sponsored the CBDC Southwest Large Business Award at the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce 2024 Business Excellence Awards. It was awarded to Kara Angus, owner of Go-Go Group Inc. and a long time CBDC Southwest client – a true full-circle moment and point of pride for our organization.
Community Involvement: CBDC Southwest has a team of community-minded employees who believe in getting involved and giving back. This year we offered numerous sponsorships for initiatives including sponsoring families in need at Christmas, bursaries for local high school students, and community sports teams. We also participated in a Trunk-or-Treat event raising money to support pediatrics at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton. Our employees also volunteer for various sports organizations, as well as other local non-profits.
Key Business Sectors in 2024-2025
Investment in the region
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Training sessions
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Building strong entrepreneurial leverage in the Southwest region
Total value of assistance from the CBDC and financial leverage over the past five years
Over the 2024-2025 year our rural youth have been starting new ventures and expanding current ones. The uncertain economic conditions due the past year especially in the last 2 quarters have made many business owners pivot their expansion or growth plans. This uncertainty and caution has been reflected in the amount of loans, as well as the overall amounts of financing approved in the 20242025 fiscal year for CBDC Southwest. Since inception, CBDC Southwest has injected $92 million in the community.
Number of applications approved for each CBDC loan product
Breakdown of amounts disbursed per loan product (in millions of dollars)
In 2024-2025 CBDC Southwest approved 16 general business loans with a total disbursed dollar amount of $1,296,710, a total of 17 Youth Loans with a total disbursed dollar amount of $1,505,147, as well as a total of 7 First-Time Entrepreneur, and Social Enterprise Loans, with a total disbursed dollar amount of $619,286.
The number of businesses who received financial assistance over the past five years
The number of startups approved rose this year from 23 to 30, and our total number of existing businesses approved has decreased slightly from 17 to 10.Overall Southwest approved financing for 40 businesses in our rural region during 2024-2025. This past year CBDC Southwest has had an increase in clients accessing our services.
Jobs created and maintained in the community over the last five years
Southwest assisted in the creation of 73 jobs and the maintenance of 95 Jobs during the fiscal year of 2024-2025. The average jobs created over the past 3 years has been 85 and the average jobs maintained has been 112.
CBDC Programs and Services
Who We Are
CBDCs are not-for-profit organizations run by volunteers from the local business community who firmly believe in improving the economic viability of their region. There are 41 CBDC offices in Atlantic Canada dedicated to the development of small businesses and assisting entrepreneurs in accessing financing and other business training and resources.
What We Do
Our objective is to help build stronger communities in Atlantic Canada by stimulating private sector employment in our rural areas. CBDCs work throughout rural Atlantic Canda in the creation, expansion and modernization of small and medium sized businesses.
What We Offer Entrepreneurs
General Business Loan
Designed to assist entrepreneurs when traditional avenues of financing are not available, for either creating, purchasing or succession planning.
First-Time Entrepreneur Loan
Targeted financing for the first-time entrepreneurs starting or purchasing their first business.
Youth Loan
Tailored solutions for young entrepreneurs aged from 18 to 34 that are interested in starting, expanding or modernizing their business.
Innovation Loan
Assist in the development of the knowledge-based economy, the adaptation and commercialization of technology.
Social Enterprise Loan
Tailored financing designed to assist social enterprises.
Self-Employment Benefit (SEB)*
Provides financial and coaching support to new entrepreneurs during the planning and start-up phase of their new business.
Business Counselling
Business counselling in the form of advice to new and established entrepreneurs.
Consultant
Advisory Services
Available to small and medium-sized business, as well as non-for-profit organization, to access technical and financial assistance by engaging consultants to assist them in various topics.
Skills Training
Tailored trainings in specialized areas such as marketing development, bookkeeping, feasibility studies and business analysis.
*The SEB Program is funded by the Government of Canada through the Canada-Provincial Governments Labor Market Agreements.
