Economic & Creative Development Department

 The Economic & Creative Development department comprises the following branches:

• Business Development
• Small Business Centre
• Business Innovation & Entrepreneurship

The Economic and Creative Development Department provides:

• Information on demographics, funding opportunities, site selection location information, land/space costing information and community business supports.
• Connections for business to business and networking, to post-secondary R & D support, to the local ICI real estate community, to other levels of government, employment resources, and arts funding and programs, including public art.
• Support with development process facilitation, navigation through City processes, talent recruitment, business innovation resources, and cultural research.

In February 2024, the City won the Innovation in Community Resiliency – Urban Award for its Rapid Skills Micro-Credential Program – Skills Development Fund from the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO). The Rapid Skills Micro-Credential Program was a partnership with Georgian College and the County of Simcoe.

Read the Media Release

Key Responsibilities

The department has four primary service areas to contribute to the Economic Development Strategy for Invest Barrie: 

• Bring stakeholders together on strategic programs
• Attraction and facilitation of new business investment, helping employers access the business opportunities of Central Ontario’s economic engine
•  Site selection for new land development opportunities
• Support for the retention, growth and expansion of the City’s existing businesses
• Encourage and promote the creation of new Barrie-based enterprises, including start-ups and small business services.