Business Benefits Finder

The Benefits Finder is a tool that can help you find Benefits and Services that you may be eligible to receive. It asks a few questions and uses your answers to search. It does not collect or track your information. The more questions you answer, the more customized and accurate your results will be.

Canada Media Fund Programs (Excluding Export Programs)

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, promotes, develops and finances the production of Canadian content and relevant applications for all audiovisual media platforms. Streams of funding include: Convergent Steam – supports the creation of convergent television and digital media content for consumption by Canadians Development Program – allocates funding to projects at the development stage Experimental Stream – encourages the development of innovative, interactive digital media content and software application

Canada Small Business Financing Program

July 2022 update: The amendments to the Canada Small Business Financing Regulations and Canada Small Business Financing Act came into force on July 4, 2022. They provide lenders and small businesses with additional financing products, new class of loans, increased loan amounts and terms, improved loan conditions and decreased administrative burden. Financial institutions are currently in the process of rolling out these changes to start offering all of the enhanced features shortly. The Canada Small Business Financing Program makes it easier for small businesses to get loans from financial institutions by sharing the risk with lenders. Term loans can be used to finance the following costs: purchase or improvement of land or buildings used for commercial purposes purchase or improvement of new or used equipment purchase of new or existing leasehold improvements, that is, renovations to a leased property by a tenant intangible assets and working capital costs Lines of credit can be used to pay for working capital costs, that is, day-to-day operating expenses of the business. The maximum loan amount for any one borrower is $1.15 million. Contact your nearest lending agency, or agency of choice to learn more: Credit Unions East Coast Credit Union Limited 1168 East Margaree Road Margaree NS St. Joseph’s Credit Union 3552 Highway 206 Petit De Grat NS New Waterford Credit Union 3462 Plummer Avenue New Waterford NS Sydney Credit Union 95 Townsend Street P.O. Box 1386 Sydney NS Bank of Montreal 37 Union Street Glace Bay NS Bank of Nova Scotia 765 Main Street Sydney Mines NS 299 Commercial Street P.O. Box 40 North Sydney Ns 125 Commercial Street Glace Bay NS 634 Reeves Street Unit 18 Port Hawkesbury NS Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce 11 Keltic Drive Sydney River NS 15 Dorchester St. Sydney NS Toronto Dominion Bank 292 Charlotte Street Sydney NS

Canadian Agricultural Loans Act Program

The Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA) Program is a loan guarantee program designed to increase the availability of loans to farmers and agricultural co-operatives. Farmers can use these loans to establish, improve, and develop farms, while agricultural co-operatives may also access loans to process, distribute, or market the products of farming. Under the CALA, the federal government guarantees, to the lender, repayment of 95% of a net loss on an eligible loan issued. The maximum aggregate loan limit for any one farm operation is $500,000. Loans are limited to a maximum of:

$500,000 for the purchase of land and the construction or improvement of buildings
$350,000 for all other loan purposes, including consolidation/refinancing

Apply directly through your lending institution. Other conditions apply.

Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design – Consultant Services

Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design (CBCCD) may engage the services of a consultant to enhance the skills and/ or capacity of craft producers needed to establish, maintain or grow their businesses. The level of non-repayable assistance will normally be up to 75% of the cost to a maximum of $5000. Eligible services may include but are not limited to: Business Assessment Business Plan Development Export Development plan Lean Manufacturing International Trade Development Marketing Plan

Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design – Trade Missions

Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design may provide financial assistance to craft businesses that wish to participate in trade activities that will help to develop international markets for their craft products. Activities eligible for funding include wholesale trade shows and other activities that involve the participation of international buyers. The level of non-repayable assistance will normally be up to a maximum of 75% for the first time a business participates in a mission, up to a maximum of 65% for the second time, and up to a maximum of 50% thereafter.   The eligible costs for assistance are travel, accommodation, booth fees, and freight up to a specified limit. Only 3rd party bills will be considered for freight. The business is responsible for 100% of all other costs such as meals and entertainment.

Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design- Website Development

Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design (CBCCD) may provide financial assistance to craft producers who wish to participate in website development that will help to further promote their products and businesses. The level of non-repayable assistance will be up to 75% of the costs to a maximum of $5,000 for new websites and up to 75% of the costs to a maximum of $2,000 for an existing website. The eligible costs for assistance for website development are for the development of new websites or the enhancement of a craft producer’s existing website.

CBDC – Northside Victoria

As CBDCs, we assist in the creation of small businesses and in the expansion and modernization of existing businesses by providing financial and technical services to entrepreneurs. Financial assistance is available in the form of loans, loan guarantees and equity financing to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs. Business counselling, help & advice is available to small businesses. We help businesses to succeed and therefore we give high priority to the advisory role of our mandate. Entrepreneurship development and training to individuals and small business owners/managers is available in many of our offices. Technical assistance usually takes the form of guidance and coaching, and sometimes advocating on behalf of our clients to other lending establishments or regulatory agencies. In Nova Scotia, there are 13 CBDCs offering financial, training and advisory services to entrepreneurs. The CBDCs work collectively through the Nova Scotia Association of CBDCs, an umbrella organization that supports the common needs of the CBDCs. CBDCs share best practices promote entrepreneurship and deliver provincial initiatives such as Students in Business and the Youth Internship Program.

CBDC – Social Enterprise Loan

CBDC Social Enterprise Loans and financing is available to non-profits, including charities, cooperatives or societies in need of business support (in the form of a loan or loan guarantee). Financing will be used to buy assets, renovate existing ones or to expand a social enterprise. CBDC Social Enterprise Loans are specifically intended to provide financial support for revenue generating business operations of officially registered non-profit organizations. The CBDC offers loans of up to $150,000 per eligible applicant. (Loans are repayable with competitive interest rates and repayment terms).

The Social Enterprise Loan may be used to purchase machinery, equipment or other items necessary for continued business operations. Loan amortizations of up to ten years are available. This is based on the life expectancy of the asset(s) the Social Enterprise is using the funds to acquire.

CBDC First-Time Entrepreneur Loan

If you’re a new entrepreneur and live in a rural community in Atlantic Canada, you may be eligible for a First-Time Entrepreneur Loan from your Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC). This loan offers up to $150,000* to qualified borrowers and is available to sole proprietors, limited companies and partnerships (when majority control is resides with the new entrepreneur). First-Time Entrepreneur Loans are repayable, but have competitive interest rates and repayment terms. Financing may be term or demand loans, a loan guarantees, or equity investments.