Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ITI. Dene Fur Clouds is a successful example of a locally owned and operated business. How is this department working with Prosper NWT to expand subsidiaries into other communities? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Minister for ITI.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would definitely like the opportunity to see a lot more entrepreneurship across the territory, especially ensuring that we're supporting the development of entrepreneurship in our small communities.
With the subsidiaries that currently fall under Prosper NWT, they employ roughly eight full-time positions annually, and they cost Prosper NWT about $1.3 million a year. And so one of the goals that I have throughout the term of this Assembly is to work with the very skilled board members of Prosper NWT, who bring a lot of entrepreneurial experience with them, in order to ensure that we're making or creating an opportunity for these subsidiaries to become as independent and sustainable as possible. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. What tourism development or economic development initiatives have taken place in my region, the Deh Cho region? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within the Deh Cho region, ITI spends about $1.3 million, and that's divided up between community futures to the tune of about just over $200,000, through the community transfer initiative to the tune of about $150,000, SEED contributions at roughly $734,000, economic diversification using the northern food development program at almost $57,000, the Canadian agriculture program as well as other various contributions account for almost $165,000 as well. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for that response. How does the department work with successful artists and entrepreneurs to encourage more of the development of more entrepreneurs?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ITI works closely with entrepreneurs and has roughly $1.4 million that it can feed right into entrepreneurial investments through its SEED program. In addition to that, I'd also like to mention that roughly the same amount is invested in the arts over at the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.
But in addition to investing in entrepreneurs through programs like that, specific to artists the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment also has some very unique programs to try to help grow artists across the territory and also expand their reach beyond their community and beyond the borders of the Northwest Territories. So, for example, Take the Artist to Market is a program where artists are actually going as far as down to Santa Fe later this year in order to be able to sell product. And also Prosper NWT has grants of up to $15,000 in order to create a digital presence for artists of the Northwest Territories. In addition to that, we're also bringing arts together under one roof within ITI to make sure that we are supporting artists with a one-stop shop. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ITI. Final supplementary. Member from Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the department track the number of business startups? Can the Minister commit to providing a list of businesses in the Deh Cho riding and the number of businesses that have started in the last three years? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, some businesses start up and quietly happen from people's living rooms. And so I would love to know exactly who wants to become an entrepreneur and ensure that they have the support that they need. But I can certainly commit to providing the Member with any information we have, especially when they relate to BIP'd companies and entrepreneurs. But any information that I am able to provide the Member from both ITI and Prosper NWT, I will certainly be happy to do so. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of ITI. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
