The following companies/organizations are Investors of the Cape Breton Partnership and offer services specific to business development.

Cape Breton University

At Cape Breton University, we push the boundaries of innovation and thought leadership to create a global academic experience and build a sustainable future for our island. Surrounded by pristine natural landscape, vibrant culture, and welcoming communities, Cape Breton University (CBU) is home to nearly 7,000 students from more than 70 countries around the world. We are committed to the future of Cape Breton Island, innovative economic development and sustainability programs, and Indigenous learning leadership. CBU offers a comprehensive set of liberal arts, science, business, health and professional programs. As a university that is dedicated to excellence in teaching and learning, CBU provides students with the advantage of outstanding experiential learning and undergraduate research opportunities in a supportive academic environment. Our programs, in diverse fields of study, consistently rank well above the national averages in faculty-student interaction and service learning. Our people, our cultures, and our strong sense of community make Cape Breton University a special place.

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1250 Grand Lake Rd. Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada B1M 1A2

+1 888-959-9995

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Cape Breton University Library – Business Resources

Cape Breton University provides a variety of free research to business seeking to find information on starting and growing their companies. Some of the research that can be accessed at CBU includes: Canadian social and economic data Company information Industry information Country information

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Laura Syms

MLIS

902-563-1994

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CBCL Ltd.

CBCL Limited provides professional consulting engineering and environmental services in the Municipal Services, Water & Wastewater, Buildings, Industry & Manufacturing, Energy & Power, Oil & Gas, Marine, Transportation & Bridges and Environment & Planning sectors.

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Richard Morykot

Manager

(902) 539-1330

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CBDC – Coastal Business

Established in 1985, Coastal Business CBDC’s principal goals continue to be the provision of quality financial and advisory assistance to new and expanding business within our community.  To achieve these goals Coastal Business provides access to capital for qualifying small and medium size enterprises.  In addition it provides advisory assistance, training and general counseling to better ensure the success of the assisted businesses. 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.

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Patricia MacNeil

Executive Director

292 Charlotte Street Suite 100 Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 1C7

(902) 539-4332

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Centre for Entrepreneurship Education & Development (CEED)

CEED offers entrepreneurs of all ages and stages a wide variety of hands-on learning opportunities. In Cape Breton, programs are delivered both in-person at Navigate Startup House and virtually via Adobe Connect. CEED’s experiential programming is designed to ensure the participant leaves with relevant skills that can be immediately employed in the launch or growth of a business. The following programs are available:

Building Financial Models
Value Proposition Design
Business Model Canvas
Pricing Your Product or Service

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Kim Desveaux

Navigate 37 Nepean Street, Sydney

(902)-217-2092

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Collegio Technologies Inc.

Collegio is focused on providing educational opportunities to organizations and entrepreneurs. They provide digital skills training to help you and your business succeed in today’s competitive landscape. If you want to learn how to update your WordPress site, launch an e-commerce venture, utilize search engine optimization techniques, or polish up on your React skills, they can provide you with training opportunities to help you thrive in the digital age. They can teach you how!

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37 Nepean St. Sydney NS B1P 6A7


East Coast Credit Union

At East Coast Credit Union, members are customers and owners. It’s a better relationship that ensures your needs come first. East Coast Credit Union members take control of their own financial future. As an owner with East Coast, members have access to all of our products and services. Chequing/savings accounts, loans, mortgages, MasterCard® & Choice Rewards products, RRSPs, RESPs, GICs, retirement planning and so much more. Members have access to accounts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through ATM & Internet banking or for those who prefer a little face-to-face you can stop by the branch during regular business hours.

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Corporate Office 257 Main Street Antigonish, Nova Scotia B2G 2C1

1 (902) 747-3142

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Ethical Swag

Ethical Swag makes sure your promotional products do what they were intended to do – Get you remembered for all the right reasons! We only work with suppliers that have passed audits related to social compliance, environmental impact, product safety, supply chain security and product quality. Your logo + our products = higher recall and connection to your brand. We are refining the way people experience brands with transparency and cool products!

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902-549-3773

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Export Development Canada

Export Development Canada is Canada’s export credit agency. Their job is to support and develop Canada’s export trade by helping Canadian companies respond to international business opportunities. They’re a self-financing, Crown corporation that operates at arm’s length from the Government. They provide insurance and financial services, bonding products and small business solutions to Canadian exporters and investors and their international buyers. They also support Canadian direct investment abroad and investment into Canada. In 2016, they helped more than 7,150 Canadian companies do business in over 200 countries. The majority of these companies were small business, and more than 30 per cent of this business was conducted in fast-growing emerging markets. Using their financial products and services, their customers’ export sales and investments totaled almost $99 billion. They estimate that this helped generate $63.9 billion of Canada’s GDP, contributed more than 4 cents for every dollar earned and helped sustain 525,400 jobs.

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1605-1969 Upper Water St. Tower 2 Halifax Nova Scotia B3J 3R7

(902) 450-7610

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Grant Thronton

Grant Thornton—a leading Canadian accounting and business advisory firm – and the largest accounting firm in Atlantic Canada – providing audit, tax and advisory services to private and public organizations.  To complement our technical knowledge and expertise, we have professionals who are dedicated to developing in-depth industry knowledge. Together with the Quebec firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP, we have approximately 4,000 people in offices across Canada. Grant Thornton LLP is a Canadian member of Grant Thornton International Ltd (Grant Thornton International). Grant Thornton International and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. Services are delivered by the member firms independently.

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Suite 200 - 500 George St Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 4K6

(902) 562-558

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National Research Council Canada – Youth Employment Programs

You could receive a financial contribution towards the salary of a post-secondary graduate to help you research, develop and commercialize new technologies, or to hire a youth to work on a green project. To be eligible, your business needs to:   Be incorporated and for-profit Share a portion of the salary costs Have 500 or fewer full-time employees Be ready to enhance its innovation capacity   The duration of the internship must be between 6 and 12 months for graduates and between 3 to 6 months for Youth-Green candidates. Candidates must be between the ages of 15 and 30.

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Steven Manley

902-270-3549

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New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation

The New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation is a 35,000 square foot converted high school in Sydney’s historic Northend. Blocks from downtown, the Centre offers work and meeting space for small businesses, not-for-profits and government departments/agencies. The Centre is adjacent to The Convent – a 36,000 square foot arts centre opening in late 2019/early 2020. Both buildings benefit from ample parking on site and are situated on 2.5 acres of green space. The Centre and the Convent are vibrant, mixed-use spaces that offer small (150-400 square foot) and larger (750-850 square foot) working/office spaces that are bright and spacious. The Centre is three stories with a large Maker Space on the main level.

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Keith Nicholson

Manager, New Dawn Properties

902-539-9560

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New Small Business Tax Reduction

This deduction effectively eliminates the Nova Scotia corporate income tax for the first three taxation years of a new small business after incorporation. The corporation must apply each year to the Nova Scotia Minister of Finance and Treasury Board for a Nova Scotia Tax Deduction Eligibility Certificate. Eligibility requirements apply.

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Elizabete Dignan

902-424-0322

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Nova Scotia Apprenticeship – Apprenticeship START Program

The objective of the Apprenticeship START program is to encourage employers to register, retain and support their apprentices to completion during their apprenticeship journey. The START program has a focus of small to medium-sized businesses/organizations including not-for-profits, social enterprises and JRA holders (JRA employers only – an employer is someone who hires an apprentice permanently) that have business locations and jobs in Nova Scotia. Companies with headquarters outside of Nova Scotia are eligible to apply only if they also have a physical location in Nova Scotia.

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Nova Scotia Community College – GradWorks: Employer Incentive Program

You could receive up to 66% of salary costs to a maximum amount of $25,000 to hire a qualified graduate from one of the following programs for up to one year:   Human Resource Management Industrial Engineering Technology Occupational Health and Safety   Employers in most business sectors may apply, but preference will be given to business-to-business organizations focused on export and innovation.

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Tracy Peers

902-491-2013

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Nova Scotia Department of Business

The Department of Business works with Crown corporations and special operating entities (Develop Nova Scotia, Invest Nova Scotia, and Tourism Nova Scotia) to develop plans, programs and policies that encourage entrepreneurship, help attract venture capital investment and grow sectors of the economy. We also work with other government departments and levels of government, universities, NSCC and the private and social enterprise sectors to create a shared strategy for business growth. working to help make Nova Scotia competitive and business-friendly administering the Invest Nova Scotia fund leading projects including rural internet, Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) and the Halifax Convention Centre accountability reporting on the Nova Scotia Jobs Fund, Nova Scotia Fund, Strategic Investment Funds and Nova Scotia Film & Television Production Incentive Fund

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PO Box 2311 Halifax NS B3J 3C8


Nova Scotia Farm Loans

If you are starting or growing an agricultural business in rural Nova Scotia, you can apply for a variety of lending products to help improve your farm operations. They include: Fixed and term farm mortgages Quota loans Working capital Equipment financing Debt consolidation Eligible projects include: Land purchases Farm acquisitions Farm building construction and improvement Rural agri-business development

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902-893-6506

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Nova Scotia Innovation Hub

The Nova Scotia Innovation Hub has a mission to create and promote best-in-class, investment ready conditions for a low-carbon, bioresource economy. It works with businesses in the bioresource space who are interested in establishing or growing their operations in Nova Scotia by providing: Detailed information on the raw materials available from industries in the forestry, agricultural, oceans, and municipal solid waste sectors and potential market opportunities Access to its expansive network of partners in the feedstock, manufacturing, marketing, and financial service industries Financial and in-kind support to help our clients with mission critical projects

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902-701-9761

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Nova Scotia Licences and Permits

Once an entrepreneur registers their business, they may need specific licenses and permits to operate in Nova Scotia. This website will help determine the licenses and permits required based on the services and goods they are selling and how to apply for them.

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Nova Scotia Office of Immigration

Internationally trained workers are highly motivated to achieve success in their new jobs and in their new communities. This translates into a strong work ethic and high level of dedication to your organization and the new job opportunity you have offered them.

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(902) 424-5230

1-877-292-9597 (toll-free)

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