OneCity on the local economy: new business offices, micro-grants, local buying
OneCity's economy plan would create a Business & Investment Office funded at $3 million and an Entrepreneur Liaison Office, give tiered micro-grants to small businesses, favour local suppliers through a Buy Vancouver pilot, and judge city contracts on wages and safety.
CITY COUNCIL
The aim of A Thriving Local Economy, in the party's words
Five-part plan signals that Vancouver is open for business by streamlining regulation and making it easier, faster, and cheaper to start and scale a business in the city.
OneCity's plan for the local economy is the second part of what it calls its Local Economy Action Plan, published on August 17, 2026. The party says it would make it easier, faster and cheaper to start and grow a business in Vancouver. It says ABC closed the Vancouver Economic Commission, and frames its plan as a way to rebuild what that agency did.
The plan has two halves. One is help for business owners: a city investment office, a liaison office for permits and licences, and grants in tiers. The other is how the city spends its own money, through a Buy Vancouver purchasing pilot and a Good Jobs Procurement Standard for contracts. Council can do nearly all of it, since it sets the budget and the purchasing rules. The Our Plans page also names getting around the city under this heading, but the release it links to covers business only.
1 CHAPTERS
Every chapter in A Thriving Local Economy
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Who holds the power for these 5 commitments
Each chapter page names the body for every commitment and gives the reason in one sentence.
ON THE BALLOT
The OneCity candidates behind this
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about A Thriving Local Economy
What is OneCity's Local Economy Action Plan?
It is OneCity's plan for business in Vancouver. The second part, published August 17, 2026, would create a Business & Investment Office funded at $3 million, an Entrepreneur Liaison Office, small business micro-grants, a Buy Vancouver purchasing pilot and a Good Jobs Procurement Standard (OneCity Local Economy Action Plan, Part 2).
How would OneCity help small businesses in Vancouver?
OneCity says it would give tiered micro-grants to start and grow businesses built in Vancouver, and open an Entrepreneur Liaison Office whose staff help owners with permits, licences and funding at every level of government (OneCity Local Economy Action Plan, Part 2).
Does OneCity want the city to buy local?
Yes. OneCity proposes a three-year Buy Vancouver pilot so city tax dollars favour goods and services from Vancouver and support businesses and jobs across British Columbia and Canada (OneCity Local Economy Action Plan, Part 2, August 17, 2026).
How much would OneCity spend on a business office?
OneCity says its new Business & Investment Office would be funded at $3 million. The page does not say whether that is a yearly or a one-time amount (OneCity Local Economy Action Plan, Part 2).
Who would carry out OneCity's economy plan?
City Council, which sets the budget, creates city offices and writes the rules for city contracts. The one outside body named is Invest Vancouver, which OneCity describes as regional and says it would work to reform and fund (OneCity Local Economy Action Plan, Part 2).
Sources
Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it.
- OneCity Announces the second part of our Local Economic Action Plan SAYS SO ITSELFOneCity · published · checked