Business funding

Starting or growing a business

• CBDC NOBL helps local entrepreneurs with business loans, training and self-employment resources. The original lists microloans, clean-technology loans and general business loans.
• The Credit Union Small Business Loan Guarantee Program covers commercial financing. The Black Business Initiative directory listing includes working capital, equipment and short-term receivables financing.
• Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) lists business development, market development and sector supports. Ulnooweg works with Indigenous entrepreneurs.
• Emergence supports agri-food and life-sciences firms. Perennia offers food safety, market access and product-development help. Futurpreneur and the Business Development Bank of Canada support entrepreneurs with financing and advice.

Investment and exporting

• ACOA, Invest Nova Scotia and Export Development Canada provide export development or financing support. Global Affairs Canada offers trade services and Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters provides industry support and market insight.
• LearnSphere is listed for commercialization and export-development consulting. The source also names earlier initiatives such as Growth Works Atlantic Venture Fund and Invest Truro Colchester.

Research and commercialization

• Mitacs helps businesses collaborate with post-secondary researchers. NRC IRAP supports qualifying smaller Canadian companies developing new technology, products or processes.
• Springboard Atlantic supports industry research relationships and work such as proof of concept and bringing ideas to market. The source also records earlier funding through NSERC Engage and Innovacorp.

Training, hiring and retaining staff

• Nova Scotia Works and Futureworx help with hiring, job promotion, training, retention, job fairs and questions about wage subsidies. The original directory lists a Futureworx contact at 902-843-4290.
• WIPSI helps employers with training costs. Graduate to Opportunity targets recent graduates, the Co-op Education Incentive targets students completing a co-op placement, and SKILL supports summer student roles at eligible nonprofits.
• Venture for Canada supports people entering work at Canadian startups. The Northern Connector Program introduces newcomers and graduates to employers and local professionals.

Check current eligibility

The funding support PDF is a useful reference for the original program descriptions. Consult each program’s official site for present-day terms, amounts and application windows.

Related links and downloads

• Northern Opportunities for Business Ltd .
• Credit Union Small Business Loan Guarantee Program
• Open resource at cua.com
• Black Business Initiative
• The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
• Ulnooweg
• Emergence
• Open resource at peibioalliance.com
• Perennia’s N.S. Agri-food Accelerator Program
• Futurpreneur
• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
• GrowthWorks Atlantic Venture Fund (historical listing; original program link is unavailable)
• Open resource at growthworks.ca
• Invest Nova Scotia
• The Self Employment Benefits (SEB) program
• Invest Nova Scotia’s Export Development Program
• Export Development Canada
• Open resource at edc.ca
• Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT)
• Open resource at international.gc.ca
• Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME)
• Open resource at cme-mec.ca
• Learnsphere
• Innovacorp’s Early Stage Commercialization Fund
• Mitacs Inc .
• Open resource at mitacs.ca
• Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
• NSERC Engage Grants (historical listing; original program link is unavailable)
• springboardatlantic.ca/home
• The Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive (WIPSI)
• Graduate to Opportunity (GTO)
• Open resource at novascotia.ca
• The Co-op Education Incentive (CO-OP)
• The Student Summer Skills Incentive (SKILL)
• Venture for Canada
• Open resource at ventureforcanada.ca
• The Connector Program
• Employer Engagement Specialist
• Download our funding support document (PDF)