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Overview of the EDP and UEDI
This chapter provides a brief description of the EDP and UEDI in terms of the purpose of the programs, the delivery organizations, the numbers of services delivered, and the funding provided by WD.
Purpose of the programs
EDP and UEDI are funded under the Service Delivery Network Program (SNDP)1. The SNDP increases access to services in western Canada through service delivery agreements with community-based organizations, which support delivery of:
- Targeted business and information services to small and medium sized businesses.
- Programs that provide capital to assist existing businesses or to help entrepreneurs create new businesses.
The EDP and the UEDI were designed to meet these objectives through services tailored specifically for entrepreneurs with disabilities in western Canada. The initiatives were developed to address barriers to pursuing self-employment due to a lack of capital and other unique barriers facing the disabled. The initiatives were also intended to increase awareness of the needs of entrepreneurs with disabilities.
The definition of a disabled entrepreneur is an individual who, in the opinion of the delivery organization, has a disability due to physical or mental impairment such that the ability to perform at least one of the basic activities of self-employment or entrepreneurship is restricted. The disability can be visible (examples include physical disabilities such as paralysis, amputation, or mobility issues as well as sensory disabilities such as blindness, visual impairment, deafness or hearing impairment) or invisible (examples include developmental delay, mental health issues, learning disabilities, and/or medical conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy). In general, the disability must be considered permanent. Our interviews indicate that the process through which this definition is applied varies across the various delivery organizations. For example, some of the organizations require a doctor’s note while others simply require the client to self-identify.
Consistent with the focus of the SNDP, the programs provide both financing and other business support services to entrepreneurs with disabilities as outlined below:
- The EDP and UEDI provide small business loans to people with disabilities looking to start or expand their own business, apply new technology, upgrade facilities and equipment, develop marketing and promotions material, and establish working capital for anticipated sales increases.
The EDP can provide entrepreneurs with disabilities who are unable to obtain financing from a traditional financial institution access to business loans up to $125,000. The structure of the UEDI loan funds varies somewhat by service provider but entrepreneurs with disabilities can obtain loans of up to $75,000.
- Other business support services are tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs with disabilities as identified by the delivery organizations.
Examples of services that may be delivered through EDP and UEDI include assistance with the development of business plans, mentoring and counselling services, training in business development, one-on-one assistance, help to identify needs for specialized equipment and the assistance needed to acquire it, and pathfinding to identify other business resources.
1 With the exception of the capital funding for UEDI in British Columbia, which was provided under the Loan Investment Fund Program (LIFP).