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HOW WE COUNT IT

The $1 billion methodology.

Every dollar that appears in the BEBC counter has documentation, a reviewer, and an approval. Here is exactly how it works.

WHAT COUNTS

What makes the counter move.

Deal typeExampleDocumentation required
Procurement contractsCorporate or government supplier contractSigned contract or purchase order
BOF loans disbursedBlack Opportunity Fund loan to a BEBC memberLoan agreement and disbursement confirmation
Other loans and investmentsBank loan, angel investment, or VC roundTerm sheet, loan agreement, or investment confirmation
Pitch contest prizesBEBC Pitch Contest awardAward letter and payment confirmation
Grants to participantsFederal or provincial grant to a BEBC memberGrant agreement and disbursement letter

WHAT DOES NOT COUNT

Excluded from the counter.

  • Projected or pipeline deals — only booked and confirmed amounts count
  • Stipend payments to participants (training grants) — these are program costs, not business revenue
  • Volunteer time or in-kind contributions
  • Social media reach, press impressions, or brand value

GOVERNANCE PROCESS

Four steps from submission to counter.

  1. Submitted — Member or program staff submits a deal with supporting documentation through the BEBC portal.

  2. Reviewed by Program Manager — Documentation is reviewed for completeness and accuracy against the deal type criteria.

  3. Large deals also require Founder sign-off — Deals over a defined threshold require review and approval by the BEBC Founder.

  4. Approved deals update the counter within 5 minutes — Once approved, the amount is added to the live counter automatically.

UPDATE FREQUENCY

Near real-time updates.

The counter updates within 5 minutes of a deal being approved. Data is cached for 5 minutes to ensure consistent performance across the website. Large milestones may be announced on social media before the counter updates.

REPORT A DEAL

Did your BEBC certification help you secure a contract?

If your BEBC certification, training, or network connection helped you secure a procurement contract, loan, investment, or pitch prize — report it. Every verified deal strengthens the case for Black business investment in Canada.

Report a deal →

CONTACT

Questions about methodology?

Reach our research team at media@bebcsociety.org