Calgary Economic Development and province launch free Level Up trade program for Alberta businesses

Calgary Economic Development and the Alberta government launched Level Up, a free trade-capacity building program designed to help small and medium-sized businesses move into the next stage of international growth. The program offers on-demand online learning, workshops, and support to businesses across the province.

The announcement came Monday at ZeroKey's office in northwest Calgary, with Joseph Schow, Alberta's Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration, in attendance. "The United States is our largest trading partner, and that is unlikely to change in the immediate term," Schow said. "But there are markets around the world that are ready and to be tapped into, which means economic growth and new jobs right here at home in Alberta."

Level Up builds on the Trade Accelerator Program, which supported more than 660 Alberta companies and secured over 200 trade deals across 50 international markets in its prior year. Since June 2025, Alberta has invested $3.8 million in the Trade Accelerator Program's continued delivery and Level Up's development. Calgary Economic Development has received nearly $7 million in funding since 2024 for trade-related supports, including trade missions and hosting delegations.

Brad Parry, president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development, said most job growth in the Calgary region and Alberta will be driven by small and medium-sized enterprises. "The program will be delivered by Calgary Economic Development's trade and services team as a component of the Trade Accelerator Program," Parry said. Calgary recorded the largest increase in exports to non-U.S. markets among major Canadian cities between 2024 and 2025. Calgary Economic Development's trade services team helped Calgary businesses secure 45 trade deals in 2025, generating $60 million in trade revenue across 21 countries on six continents — representing the lowest share of trade deals in the U.S. of any major Canadian city.