Market Information and Opportunities

• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
  BDC provides consulting services to help Canada's small businesses in all sectors, with particular emphasis on knowledge and export-based industries. Its products include term loans, quasi-equity financing, subordinate financing and venture capital.
  
  
• Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC)
  CCC is an export sales agency which helps Canadian exporters win sales, on improved terms, in government and private sector foreign markets. It provides foreign buyers with a guarantee, backed by the Government of Canada, that a contract will be performed according to its terms. For SMEs, CCC's greatest value is its expertise in reducing red tape, minimizing risk and negotiating contracts. For larger companies, CCC's role in government-to-government sales frequently facilitates sales on a sole-source basis.
  
  
• Canadian Company Capabilities (CCC)
  Canadian Company Capabilities is a searchable database that profiles tens of thousands of small and medium-sized Canadian companies and businesses involved in manufacturing, business services, and wholesale trade.
  
  
• Canada's Trade Offices Abroad (DFAIT)
  The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade maintains contact information for Canada trade offices abroad. These offices help companies that have researched and selected their target markets, providing services including market prospects, key contact search, local company information, visit information, face-to-face briefings and troubleshooting.
  
  
• Country Profiles - E-thologies
  Provided by the Centre for Intercultural Learning, this is a one-stop country information research environment featuring a collection of Internet sites organized by country and topic. Information covers economy, politics, culture, geography, etc.
  
  
• Export Development Canada (EDC)
  EDC is a Canadian financial institution providing trade finance services to support Canadian exporters and investors in some 200 markets. Browse the EDC Web site to find out how to minimize the risk of non-payment by buyers, access working capital, and learn more about sources of export financing.
  
  
• International Business Opportunities Centre (IBOC)
  The International Business Opportunities Centre (IBOC) co-managed by Industry Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is a sourcing centre whose goa is to match Canadian companies with export opportunities identified by Canada's trade offices abroad. By registering with IBOC's e-Leads, Canadian companies receive business leads directly at their desktops.
  
  
• Market Research Centre (DFAIT)
  The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade provides free access for Canadians to hundreds of industry-specific market studies prepared by its Market Research Centre and by its offices abroad. These reports are intended to help Canadian companies identify foreign business opportunities and learn more about their target markets. (Note that a password is required to access the reports; you can request a password online in the Market Research Centre's Web site.)
  
  
• Private Sector Assistance
  In its Web site Strategis, Industry Canada maintains a directory of private sector financing providers. From chartered banks to venture capital - Tap into a wide array of financing providers in the Canadian capital marketplace.
  
  
• Program for Export Market Development (PEMD)
  PEMD provides financial assistance to Canadian companies on a cost-shared basis to help them develop new export markets through activities that they normally could not or would not undertake alone.
  
  
• SourceCan
  SourceCAN is a single, harmonized business portal which provides your organization with business opportunities and the tools needed to conduct business on the web.
  
  
• Stats-USA Reports
  Create your own free market reports for numerous countries using data from Stat-USA. This form on Industry Canada's Strategis allows you to:
  • select topics from the CIA World Factbook (e.g. economy, geography, government, etc);
  • obtain international business practices from the National Trade Data Bank (overview of legal practices in almost all countries);
  • obtain sector-specific market reports, again from the NTDB;
  • and consult the Country Commercial Guides (CCGs) prepared by U.S. government agencies at overseas posts.