Aboriginal Business Canada

Aboriginal Business Canada (ABC) provides support to Aboriginal entrepreneurs for a range of activities including business planning, start-up, expansion and marketing.

They ;provide eligible majority-owned Aboriginal enterprises with:

• financial assistance;
• business information and resource materials; and
• referrals to other possible sources of financing or business support.
  

Eligibility Criteria

Aboriginal Business Canada work with clients:

• of all Aboriginal heritage groups;
• on-reserve and off-reserve; and
• in urban, rural and remote areas.
  

Summary

What is available for businesses?

Young Entrepreneurs

To be eligible for Aboriginal Business Canada support for young entrepreneur projects you must:

• be of Aboriginal heritage (Status or Non-status Indian – located on or off-reserve – Métis or Inuit);
• be older than 18 and younger than 36 years of age; and
• have a minimum of 10 % cash equity to invest in total eligible project costs. (This may increase depending on your financial capacity to bear more of the costs. At least one half of your equity must come from personal resources.)

New businesses

For first-time entrepreneurs planning to start or purchase a business, or existing business owners proposing to carry out a commercial activity for the first time, Aboriginal Business Canada's support falls into four categories:

• tourism;
• manufacturing;
• business, professional, scientific or technical services;
• business opportunities linked to major developments.

If your new business doesn't fall into one of the four categories outlined above, ABC can still consider support for marketing and information technology needs.

Existing Businesses

For entrepreneurs with an existing business, Aboriginal Business Canada can support projects involving:

• innovation;
• expansion of existing markets;
• expansion into new markets.
  

Where to apply?

Interested persons should begin by contacting the nearest Aboriginal Business Canada regional office to discuss their project with an officer.

Nova Scotia Contact(s):
Aboriginal Business Canada
Industry Canada
16th Floor
1505 Barrington Street
P.O. Box 940, Station M
Halifax, Nova Scotia  B3J 2V9
Telephone: (902) 426-2018
Fax: (902) 426-1643
E-mail: abc-halifax@ic.gc.ca