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.
READ MORE1250 Grand Lake Rd. Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada B1M 1A2
+1 888-959-9995
registrar@cbu.ca
Visit websiteCape 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
READ MORECBCL 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.
READ MORECBDC – 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.
READ MOREPatricia MacNeil
Executive Director
292 Charlotte Street Suite 100 Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 1C7
(902) 539-4332
patricia.macneil@cbdc.ca
Visit websiteCentre 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
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!
READ MORE37 Nepean St. Sydney NS B1P 6A7
info@collegio.ca
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.
READ MORECorporate Office 257 Main Street Antigonish, Nova Scotia B2G 2C1
1 (902) 747-3142
eastcoast@creditu.ca
Visit websiteEthical 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!
READ MOREExport 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.
READ MORE1605-1969 Upper Water St. Tower 2 Halifax Nova Scotia B3J 3R7
(902) 450-7610
contactatlantic@edc.ca
Visit websiteGrant 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.
READ MORESuite 200 - 500 George St Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 4K6
(902) 562-558
Sydney@GrantThornton.ca
Visit websiteInvest Nova Scotia – Forum for International Trade Training (FITT)
The Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) offers the only national professional designation that recognizes an individuals’ experience in international trade. The Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation is the highest level of professional accreditation for international business and trade professionals in Canada. A CITP must meet rigorous education, training, and experience requirements and make a commitment to adhere to the Standards of Ethical Conduct established by FITT.
READ MOREInvest Nova Scotia – Innovation Rebate Program
The Innovation Rebate Program supports Nova Scotia businesses looking to increase their global competitiveness. The program provides financial incentives on projects that enable a company to increase innovation capacity through private-sector capital investments or adoption of new technologies and business processes. The Innovation Rebate Program will work as a rebate against a company’s direct costs. An Eligible Project may include: implementation of new or significantly improved production processes or waste stream processing; investment in production capacity to enter new markets and/or produce new products; and establishment of new production facilities in Nova Scotia. An Eligible Project must have a total budgeted Nova Scotia investment (excluding tax) of not less than $2,000,000. The maximum amount of Eligible Project Costs to which the Innovation Rebate Program rebate will be applied is $15,000,000.
READ MOREInvest Nova Scotia – Innovation Rebate Program
The Innovation Rebate Program (IRP) provides financial incentives for projects that assist Nova Scotia companies as they scale to increase their competitiveness.
READ MOREInvest Nova Scotia – Nova Scotia First Fund
The Nova Scotia First Fund targets emerging venture-grade technology companies with high growth potential and attractive risk-return prospects. We co-invest with institutional, private sector and angel investors from across Canada and beyond.
READ MOREInvest Nova Scotia – Payroll Rebate
A payroll rebate is an earned incentive, paid out yearly after a company achieves pre-determined targets. The rebate is a return on a company’s eligible gross payroll. It is issued over a set number of years – usually between three and five – and to a set amount. This means that for every dollar a company spends in salaries and benefits, Invest Nova Scotia rebates back a negotiated percentage. The payroll rebate agreement includes performance targets that a company must achieve in order to receive the rebate, including: Number of new positions created Average annual salary
READ MOREWanda MacLean
Regional Business Development Advisor
902-227-7144
wanda.maclean@investnovascotia.ca
Visit websiteInvest Nova Scotia – Productivity and Innovation Voucher Program
The Productivity and Innovation Voucher Program helps small and medium sized companies access direct assistance to help make their business more productive and innovative. The program lets businesses seek out expertise within post-secondary institutions to: Improve productivity Develop a new product, service, or process Create growth There are two tiers of the Productivity and Innovation Voucher Program. Tier 1: Vouchers of up to $15,000 for eligible businesses that have not previously been awarded a voucher or are applying with a new project. Tier 2: Vouchers of up to $25,000 for eligible businesses to build on work already done. Vouchers are used to obtain services from eligible service providers. Businesses must select a provider and service that best fits their needs.
READ MOREInvest Nova Scotia – Small Business Development Program
The Small Business Development Program supports Nova Scotia businesses looking to increase their export capacity. The program provides financial incentives on projects that assist a business to grow current exports or participate in a global supply chain by providing access to: Research expertise Expertise to improve productivity and competitiveness Expertise to improve capacity Expertise to remove barriers to exporting The Small Business Development Program supports the acquisition of a private sector consultant to provide professional expertise. The program contributes up to 50% of eligible project costs to a maximum incentive of $15,000. A business with revenue growth of at least 15% in its previous complete fiscal year will be eligible for up to 50% of eligible costs to a maximum of $25,000.
READ MOREInvest Nova Scotia – Trade Accelerator Program (TAP)
Nova Scotia Business Inc., in partnership with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to offer the Trade Accelerator Program (TAP). The program welcomes eligible businesses from across Nova Scotia to apply. TAP is an innovative and dynamic program aimed at helping enterprises overcome barriers to exporting. The program is quickly gaining momentum across Canada, and has a reputation of achieving real results, fast.
READ MOREInvest Nova Scotia – Trade Market Intelligence (TMI) Service
If you are looking for customized research on business opportunities in specific sectors and export markets, you may be eligible for Invest Nova Scotia’s Trade Market Intelligence (TMI) Service. With a research team of sector specialists with access to leading proprietary databases, TMI helps Nova Scotia companies access trade intelligence to help identify export opportunities specific to their products, services, and markets of interest. Types of export research TMI can assist with: Market characteristics such as demand, size, value and trends Competitor analysis Trade regulations, including import and export requirements Supply chain and logistics analysis Country economic and political overviews Industry certifications and standards Industry contacts, suppliers, wholesalers, distributors Tradeshows, events, and other promotional mediums TMI is available to Nova Scotia companies working with or connected to a provincial Export Development Executive (EDE) or Regional Business Development Advisor (RBDA). Your contact will help guide the process, including completing a TMI application*.
READ MOREInvest Nova Scotia – Trade Missions
Looking to grow your business across Canada or internationally? Invest Nova Scotia’s trade missions are a cost-effective way to explore new opportunities, find new customers and partners, or attract investment and capital. For a nominal fee, we will take you into a market and provide you with an itinerary including: in-market matchmaking; dedicated booth space at the trade show; individual support by an Invest Nova Scotia export development executive; ground transportation to and from sales calls; networking opportunities.
READ MORE