Blue Sky Net is getting $1.285 million to invest into its broadband-related activities in northeastern Ontario.
FedNor is providing the funds through its Northern Ontario Development Program.
Of the money, $885,000 will be used to “provide information and communications technologies training, education and awareness throughout the region, helping local residents and businesses prepare for success in the global economy.”
The remaining $400,000 will be used by Blue Sky Net to deliver its Broadband for E-business and Marketing (BEAM) initiative, designed to assist small and medium-sized enterprises develop digital skills and incorporate innovative technologies into their operations. Since its inception in 2011, the program has supported 287 businesses and helped leverage $580,000 in private sector investments, while creating more than 110 full-time jobs in the region.
Blue Sky Net's Broadband for E-business and Marketing (BEAM) program provides eligible businesses with up to $5,000 to implement e-business solutions such as search engine optimization, social media integration, database integration for storefront management, customer relationship management, and electronic data interchange.
Blue Sky Net is a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to support technology development, including information and communications technology-related (ICT) activities. The organization's current priorities include promoting broadband infrastructure deployment, ICT awareness and the adoption of ICT applications in the Districts of Nipissing, Sudbury East and Manitoulin Island, as well as parts of the Almaguin Highlands region.
