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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Advance Payments Program (APP)

The Advance Payments Program (APP) is a federal loan guarantee program which provides agricultural producers with easy access to low-interest cash advances. Under the program, producers can access up to $400,000 per program year in advances based on the value of their agricultural product, with the Government of Canada paying the interest on the first $100,000 advanced to a producer. Advances are repaid as the producer sells their agricultural product, with up to 18 months to fully repay the advance for most commodities (up to 24 months for cattle and bison). As a producer, an APP advance can help you to meet your financial needs, such as farm input costs, immediate financial obligations, and product marketing costs. It can also allow you to make the decision to sell your agricultural products based on market conditions rather than the need for cash flow.

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1-866-367-8506

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Advancing Innovative Technologies 2019-2020

The Advancing Innovative Technologies initiative will support the adoption of new technologies, processes or specialized equipment. Through the assessment, implementation or adoption, all projects should improve farm and industry competitiveness, productivity & profitability.

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902 893-6377

Toll-free: 1 866 844-4276

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Agri-food Trade Services for Exporters

AAFC provides trade services for exporters to help them achieve international business goals and export Canadian agriculture and food products to global markets. Services include:   AgPal web-based discovery tool Access to In-market experts Access to free marketing material Market Intelligence Access Connections Trade shows and missions

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Laurie Sanderson

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Agricultural Production Extension Program

Informally known as ‘farm extension’, this program has been provided by Perennia since 2001 at no cost to eligible producers, or cost recovery for some basic costs not covered by the program. Sectors covered include: horticulture, livestock, field crops and soils for both conventional and organic systems. Services covered by the program include: individual farm advice by phone, electronically and in person at the discretion of the specialist; publications and information online and in hard copy; virtual and in-person workshops and field days; and sector development projects. with collaborative partners.

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902-678-7722

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Agriculture and Agrifood Canada – Career Focus Program — Agricultural internships

You could get a wage subsidy of up to $14,000 in matching funds to hire post-graduate interns or Indigenous youth participants between 15 and 30 years old, for a period of 4 to 12 months. The projects must provide for the employees:   Agriculture career-related work experiences in Canada Skills acquisition through mentoring and coaching

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506-460-4453

1-866-452-5558

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Agriculture and Food Industry, Markets and Trade Information, Data and Statistics

Access market information, data and statistics about the Canadian and international agriculture and agri-food sector and business opportunities to be more competitive. This information includes:

Market intelligence and resources on Canadian agriculture and food by sector
Global agriculture, food opportunities and trends in your market of interest
Market information, programs and services to help you export your agriculture and food products
Product fact sheets, supplier directories and news about Canadian agriculture and food products
Global agricultural trade, technical barriers, geographical indications
Information on market priorities, strategies and research for various food sectors
A suite of free marketing tools to differentiate your products across the globe
Programs, services and tools to help manage and support your farming operations
How governments assist the agricultural sector to prevent, prepare for, respond to or recover from emergencies

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Laurie Sanderson

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Agriculture and Food Trade Show Service

Trade shows give your business the opportunity to promote your products and services while interacting with new and established contacts in the world’s most dynamic markets.

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AgriInnovate Program

The AgriInnovate Program aims to accelerate the commercialization, adoption and/or demonstration of innovative products, technologies, processes or services that increase sector competitiveness and sustainability.

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1-877-246-4682

613-773-2600

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AgriInvest Program

AgriInvest helps you manage small income declines and provides support for investments to mitigate risks or improve market income. Your AgriInvest account builds as you make annual deposits based on a percentage of your Allowable Net Sales and receive matching contributions from federal, provincial, and territorial governments. You can deposit up to 100% of your Allowable Net Sales annually, with the first 1% matched by governments. The maximum Allowable Net Sales you can have in a year is $1 million. Based on this limit, the maximum matchable deposit you can make annually is $100,000.

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AgriInvest Administration

1-866-367-8506

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AgriMarketing Program: Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Component

The Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Component provides targeted support to companies for international initiatives. All activities must promote international business development and must go beyond the applicant’s core activities and represent new initiatives that provide an opportunity to yield incremental results. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) funding for a project will normally not exceed $50,000 per fiscal year; and $100,000 over two consecutive fiscal years and an applicant can apply more than once, but for each applicant, funding will not be more than $250,000 over five years.

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Laurie Sanderson

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