Economic Development and Tourism: We Make Business Happen
Our Mission
The Economic Development and Tourism Department is committed to making Durham Region a place of opportunity. We achieve this vision by attracting and encouraging investment, supporting business growth, and facilitating the creation of employment opportunities. The department promotes Durham Region as a tourist destination and an ideal location for businesses to locate and prosper. We significantly leverage our resources to deliver effective, value-added programs, in partnership with key sector stakeholders from the region and beyond.
Our key sectors include:
Our Programs and Services
Location and Development Assistance
Our department assists individuals who want to locate to Durham and/or relocate within the region. We generate proposals that include: wage and salary rates, available properties, location attributes, and relevant contacts for interested parties.
Investment Inquiries (WMV - 37.86MB)
Investment prospects come from a variety of sources including: real estate brokers, site selectors, the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Industry Canada, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as trade shows, advertising and the Economic Development Web site.
Familiarization Tours
Representatives from Economic Development often host familiarization tours to create awareness about investment opportunities available across the region, such as consulates, foreign delegations and agencies. Durham Tourism also hosts tours to showcase attractions and highlight special events within the region to tour operators and members of the media.
Network Development – Connecting Businesses
The Department is actively engaged in developing “soft infrastructure” in the community and connecting businesses with opportunities on a daily basis. Economic Development and Tourism staff play major roles in developing industry-wide programs such as the ISO, manufacturing networking, and business collaboration.
Business Support
The Economic Development and Tourism Department is the main source for expanding business networks and developing partnerships. We help existing businesses make contacts that are vital to their growth; our department creates collaborative initiatives and joint marketing opportunities with industry and local municipalities to increase a company's exposure in the business marketplace.
Sector-Specific Programs and Services
Advanced Manufacturing
The Economic Development and Tourism Department works closely with municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area and businesses that specialize in advanced manufacturing to promote Durham Region and surrounding areas. As part of our services, we also offer direction for this sector. The following are some initiatives:
- Advanced Manufacturing Partnership
In collaboration with the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance, we participate in a committee comprised of representatives from Greater Toronto Area municipalities to promote the area in international markets.
Energy
Durham Region partners with local businesses and post-secondary institutions, as well as the provincial government, to position the region as 'Ontario's Energy Capital.' The Durham Strategic Energy Alliance (DSEA), a membership-based non-profit organization is one outcome of this partnership. It is motivated by the mutual interests and aspirations of energy-related companies in Durham Region.
DSEA is committed to promoting and building upon Durham Region's unparalleled strengths in the energy sector and providing timely, sustainable and reliable energy solutions. Its mission is to foster an energy-friendly environment in Durham Region that is a model of action in Ontario and Canada in the 21st Century.
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
The Business Advisory Centre of Durham Inc. (BACD) is a non-profit resource centre providing business start-up and development services for small- and medium-sized enterprises. It serves as a regional resource centre for businesses in all sectors. The centre's new Web site offers comprehensive information and resources to better assist northern communities and provide
24/7 access for clients.
BACD receives funding through a cost-sharing partnership between Durham Region's Economic Development and Tourism Department and the Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
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