Business Development Program - Non-Commercial Projects / Business Support

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Activities

The proposed project must provide a service to business in areas such as entrepreneurship development, marketing, training, innovation, quality improvement, productivity improvement, and business management skills.

Eligible activities may include:

• specialized services such as planning, business information, business counselling and advice, testing services, research and development services, technical or innovation services and business networking;
• market and trade development;
• capital costs associated with establishing, expanding or modernizing a facility for providing specialized services in support of business;
• the provision of site-specific infrastructure to support small and medium-sized businesses can be eligible but does not include basic municipal infrastructure.

Preference will be given to those projects which respond to issues and opportunities identified by ACOA. Priority will also be given to those projects which are of widespread benefit to the industry or the region.

Contributions to non-commercial projects are considered to be seed funding only, and applicants must demonstrate that their projects are self-sustaining over the long term.

Summary

Amount of assistance available

Assistance is non-repayable and is limited to the proportion of the eligible costs which, in the opinion of ACOA, is required by the applicant in order to go ahead with the project.

For more information on this program, and other ACOA business development programs, you may contact the ACOA office nearest you or visit their Web site.

Nova Scotia Contact(s):
ACOA Nova Scotia
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Suite 600
1801 Hollis Street
P.O. Box 2284, Station M
Halifax, Nova Scotia  B3J 3C8
Telephone: 902-426-6743
Fax: 902-426-2054
Toll-free (information): 1-800-668-1010
Web site: http://www.acoa.gc.ca/e/