Regenerative Recovery – Build Back Better Challenge 

COVID-19 disrupted food supply chains and created new demand for products, services, and solutions. Consumer demand for home delivery has spiked, producers are seeking alternative outlets for produce/products as institutional channels shrink (i.e. university cafeterias, restaurants), while grocers, distributors, and processors seek to on-shore and develop local supply chains amid challenges with global shipping and trade. This has created disruption, and hardship, but also opportunity.  

In 2021, SVX and LIFT collaborated on the Regenerative Recovery Build Back Better (BBB) Challenge, which supported four Eastern Ontario SPOs that served rural entrepreneurs, Indigenous communities, and people with disabilities, to emerge from the effects of the pandemic in a stronger position by building investment readiness and financial fitness within these nonprofits and social enterprises (sustainable food and climate focused).

SVX supported the development and implementation of capitalization strategies to assist with recovery from the pandemic and financing of reinvention and regeneration initiatives. This program provided a strong pipeline of nonprofit organizations for a potential place-based fund in the region.  The BBB Challenge was modelled on earlier challenges delivered for Windmill Microlending, Habitat for Humanity, and House of Friendship by SVX and project partners. 

“It is not an overstatement to say the Build Back Better Challenge provided us with tools that escalated our capacities and accelerated our development exponentially.” – Hugh Christopher Brown, Partner, Wolfe Island Commons