About Us

Our Mission

The NDBDC Mission Statement

"With agriculture, tourism and manufacturing (small business) as the sector priorities, the NDBDC will facilitate community development of the Norfolk District, by assisting individuals, businesses and organizations to attain financial independence."

The Norfolk District Business Development Corporation, located on the easterly outskirts of Simcoe, Ontario, is a not-for-profit corporation in the province of Ontario whose goal is to encourage community economic development activities in Norfolk County. Norfolk consists of a number of smaller towns including Port Dover, Waterford, Delhi and Port Rowan with Simcoe being the largest urban center with a population over 15,000. Small businesses and community groups in Norfolk are eligible for NDBDC assistance. Key services provided by the NDBDC include:

Small Business Counseling
Small Business Loans
Self Employment Benefits
Community Projects

With the personal drive and vision of local community activist Charlie Skinner, the NBDDC was established in February 1988 as part of the federally-funded Community Futures program. A $1.5 million revolving loans fund for small businesses and partial support for operating costs were provided at the startup. Now administered and funded in part by Industry Canada, the NDBDC has provided more than $9.5 million in 294 loans to higher-risk small business ventures within the mandated communities, impacting 1,500 jobs. In addition, over $380,000 has been provided as seed money grants to local organizations involved in 77 community economic development projects with the sponsor organization leveraging almost $2.5 million from other private and public sector sources. The NDBDC is one of 61 similar Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDC's) funded by Industry Canada across the province of Ontario. The neighbouring CFDC's include:

Enterprise Brant (Brantford)
Grand Erie Business Centre (Caledonia)
Two Rivers Development Corporation (Oshweken)
Oxford Small Business Support Centre (Ingersoll)

The Norfolk District Business Development Corporation (NDBDC) is a local, not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. With financial assistance from the Government of Canada through FedDev Ontario, we offer a variety of products and services to promote small business growth, and community economic development.