Invest Nova Scotia Start-Up Visa Program

The Start-Up Visa Program is intended to attract foreign entrepreneurs who wish to establish new, high-growth businesses in Canada that will support innovation and job creation. Invest Nova Scotia can recommend entrepreneurs to receive a start-up visa from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada under the business incubation stream. To be eligible, you must prove your business venture is supported by a designated organization; meet the language requirements; meet the ownership requirements; and have a sufficient settlement fund. Companies accepted into Invest Nova Scotia’s start-up visa business incubation program will receive incubation and business acceleration support for at least one year. Eligibility requirements apply.

Invest Nova Scotia TecSocial

TecSocial is a monthly meeting for those with an interest in technology and entrepreneurship. The topics feature a variety of entrepreneurs and subject matter experts. TecSocial brings together entrepreneurs from across Cape Breton, Invest Nova Scotia clients, business professionals, industry representatives and students. These events are free and open to the public. Appetizers provided are compliments of Invest Nova Scotia.

Invest Nova Scotia The Early Stage Commercialization Fund (ESCF)

The Early Stage Commercialization Fund (ESCF) helps move Nova Scotia university, college and university-affiliated hospital research to market. Eligible participants include researchers engaged in information technology, life sciences, clean technology, ocean technology, or other technology development with market potential. Up to $50,000 in funding is available per project. Funds can be used to assess market potential, develop go-to-market strategies, perform strategic planning, create/update business plans, assist with intellectual property protection strategies, finish proof-of-concept development, build prototypes and leverage of other funds.

Investment Tax Credit

You may be eligible to claim an investment tax credit (ITC) if any of the following applies: you bought certain new buildings, machinery, or equipment and they were used in certain areas of Canada in qualifying activities such as farming, fishing, logging, manufacturing, or processing (for more information, go to Atlantic investment tax credit) you have done work that qualifies for scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) tax incentives (for more information, go to Claiming SR&ED tax incentives) you employ an eligible apprentice for which you want to claim an Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit you have unclaimed credits earned in the last 10 years you have received a T3 slip, showing an amount in box 41 you have received a 2008 version of a T5013 slip, with an amount showing in box 107, or a 2004 version of a T5013 slip, with an amount showing in boxes 38 or 138 you have received a T5013 slip, with an amount showing in boxes 186 or 194 you have received a T101 slip, with an amount showing in box 128 you have a partnership financial statement that allocates to you an amount that qualifies for this credit you have an investment in a mining operation that allocates certain exploration expenditures to you you have created licensed child care spaces for the children of your employees

ISANS-Business Workshops

ISANS has business workshops and seminars to help newcomers start and grow a successful business. To attend business training workshops, you must first: be a recent citizen, permanent resident or approved to immigrate register as an ISANS client meet with an ISANS business counsellor have a minimum CLB 5 Classes and workshops take place on-site at ISANS or online through our Online Learning website

ISANS-Diversify Your Workforce

ISANS helps employers recruit and retain international talent by providing information, workshops, assessments and training to hire immigrants, support immigrant employees, build inclusive workplaces and share professional skills and experience. Some of the assistance provided by ISANS to employers include: On-site Recruitment & Career Info Sessions Skills Match Online Recruitment English in the Workplace Professional Practice Program Trades Practical Assessments Internationally Educated Engineers Bridging Program Internationally Educated Architects Work-based Assessment (Pilot) Program Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project (AIPP) Workplace Culture Program

Island Sandbox

The Island Sandbox is a member of the Nova Scotia Sandbox community. We provide space for various student groups from Cape Breton University and NSCC Marconi Campus to experiment with new entrepreneurial ideas and access business mentors and other support. We deliver unique hands-on programing and workshops to assist in professional and personal development. The Island Sandbox borrows from a time when we first learned to use grains of sand to create a world of possibilities fed solely by our imagination. In that sandbox from our childhood, we learned to collaborate with our peers and to learn through play. At the Island Sandbox, we bring students together with our communities’ entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and academia to create an environment where imagination and innovation can flourish. It is a place to experiment and to see the world through the eyes of an entrepreneur. The Island Sandbox is a collaboration between Cape Breton University and the Nova Scotia Community College to serve as a collision space for ideas and innovation. Our primary focus is to help students explore problems/opportunities through Design Thinking.

Job Bank

Post your jobs and look for matches with skilled job-seekers, on this online service.

Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement delivers programs in the areas of work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship to elementary, middle and high schools in the classroom and after school. Programs include Our Business World, Dollars with Sense, Economics for Success and Company Program. Its Ideation Bootcamp is a 6 week after-school program that provides students in Grade 9-12 with the opportunity to explore generating, developing and evaluating ideas for launching a new entrepreneurial venture. It allows students to develop and test ideas through market research and prototyping, set goals, develop a business model canvas, and learn how to pitch their product or service.

Labour and Advanced Education – Co-op Education Incentive

If your company demonstrates high innovation and productivity, global competitiveness, high performance work practices and environmental sustainability, you may apply for this co-op education subsidy. The following are the eligibility criteria:

Are private-sector, government-funded, non-profit, or charitable organization, a social enterprise or a municipality
Want to hire a co-operative education student for a work term of 12-16 weeks
Will pay the student at least $15 per hour, plus vacation pay, for 32.5 to 40 hours of work per week