E-Commerce
How can ACOA help?
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
wants to assist small-and medium-sized businesses
acquire the technologies and skills necessary to
participate more fully in electronic-based business
activities. The Agency’s goal is to develop the means
by which e-commerce can generate incremental
benefits throughout the regional economy. ACOA,
therefore, seeks to increase the level of e-commerce
awareness and skills; and help SMEs adopt enabling
technologies that reconfigure their ways of
conducting business.
What costs are eligible?
The ACOA Business Development
Program (BDP) can provide an
interest-free, provisionally
repayable loan of up to 50%
for eligible capital costs such
as hardware related to the
e-commerce project and
75% for eligible soft costs.
Eligible projects may include:
e-business planning activities;
hiring of outside expertise to
assist in the adoption of e-business models suited
to the firm; development of enabling technologies;
acquisition of enabling technologies; marketing
activities; and skills training.
Who is eligible?
Commercial operations: All sectors, except
government services and services of a personal
nature, are eligible.
Non-commercial operations: Under the Business
Support Element of the BDP, ACOA assistance may
be made directly to non-commercial organizations to
support projects that will contribute to the successful
implementation of ACOA’s e-commerce strategy which
is built on awareness, leadership, training and skills
development. This is open to all sectors.
Let’s talk
Getting linked is not as challenging as you may
think. To find out more about ACOA’s assistance,
contact the ACOA office nearest you.
- New Brunswick: 1-800-561-4030
- Prince Edward Island: 1-800-871-2596
- Newfoundland and Labrador: 1-800-668-1010
- Nova Scotia: 1-800-565-1228
- Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation):
1-800-705-3926
