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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EDC Research

Export development Canada offers a variety of information that can assist companies in preparing for export. The type of information EDC can provide is Market Information Webinars Articles Trade Insights Export Hub Help

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Dan Dooks

902-403-1646

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EDC-NEDC Insurance Programs

EDC’s credit insurance protects Canadian exporters against the risk of non-payment caused by an array of events including customer bankruptcy or non-payment, contract cancellation, issues with currency conversion or transfer, and more. With credit insurance protection, your bank will typically lend against your insured invoices for 90% of their value, significantly increasing your access to cash.

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Dan Dooks

902.403.1646

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Efficiency Nova Scotia

We help all types of businesses, from small mom-and-pop shops to large industrial manufacturers and everything in between. Here’s how we can help small businesses: We provide rebates that cover up to 60% of the total project cost for energy efficiency upgrades, a free energy assessment for businesses who qualify and 24-months interest free financing on your Nova Scotia Power bill. Until December 31, 2021, incentives have increased to cover up to 80% of the total project cost on select lighting and all commercial heating measures. Starting June 29, incentives for energy efficiency upgrades will be available for non-electrically heated small businesses and not-for-profits. Incentives will be available for select products in the following categories: Heating Kitchen Equipment Water Heating Laundry Equipment Agriculture Technologies Solar Our Business Energy Rebates Program offers instant and mail-in rebates for qualifying energy efficient products, too. For more information on programs for small businesses, contact Spencer Leblanc our Business Development Manager dedicated to helping small businesses save. Contact information can be found below. If you’re constructing a new building, planning an expansion, or undertaking major renovations, larger businesses can benefit from rebates on high quality, efficient equipment and programs that identify energy savings to reduce their maintenance costs and equipment run times. For more information on our programs please visit our website.

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Spencer LeBlanc

Business Development Manager

902-414-9065

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Employment and Social Development Canada – Canada Summer Jobs Fund

Do you plan to hire students to help out at your small business next summer? This wage subsidy could help you pay up to 50% of the salary to an eligible full-time student. To qualify:   Students must be between 15 and 30 years old You should have no more than 50 full-time employees You need to meet the priorities set by your region   The value of the subsidy is based on the minimum wage in your region. Not-for-profit organizations are eligible for 100% of the student’s salary.

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Employment and Social Development Canada – Career Focus

You could get financial assistance if you can offer career-related work experience to young people between the ages of 15 and 30. To qualify, your business or non-profit organization needs to:   Hire 8 or more recruits (exceptions for rural or remote regions) Offer between 6 and 12 months of work that improves the skills of recruits Provide coaching or mentoring Base the project in Canada   Priority is given to work experience in growth sectors.

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Employment and Social Development Canada – Compensation for Employers of Reservists Program

Get a one-time grant for operational losses when a reservist employee takes time away from work to serve on military operations. Eligibility criteria includes:   Be a Canadian employer of a reservist Reservist must be deployed for a minimum of 30 days to a maximum of 18 months Provide documentation that reservist worked for you prior to their leave of absence Application must be received no later than 12 months following reservist’s return

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Employment and Social Development Canada – Skills Link

You could get up to $25,000 per participant to hire and train youth between the ages of 15 and 30 who face barriers to employment. Participants must also be:   Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons who have been granted refugee status in Canada Legally entitled to work Not in receipt of employment insurance benefits   Employers must:   Recruit participants Propose a project that involves a minimum of 8 youth participants Provide work experience-type activity Enable participants to gain experience and skills to help them find work later on   Contact the Service Canada Centre in your region http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/tbsc-fsco/sc-lst.jsp?prov=NS&lang=eng

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Employment and Social Development Canada – Student Work-Integrated Learning Program

If your business is having difficulty finding qualified workers in the field of science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) and business, you can apply for a wage subsidy to hire a post-secondary student. Subsidies cover:   Up to 50% of the wage cost (up to $5,000) per student Up to 70% of the wage cost (up to $7,000) per placement of a student from an under-represented group (first-year students, women in STEM, Indigenous students, persons with disabilities and newcomers)   You can apply to one of many participating employer groups.

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Employment Nova Scotia – Job Creation Partnerships

You may be eligible for funding to hire an unemployed person for up to 52 consecutive weeks. You will need to:

Create a new full-time position with start and finish dates
Provide a meaningful work experience
Supervise and mentor the participant
Ensure that the work project benefits your community or local economy
Register for the Labour Market Support System

Part-time work may be created for participants with disabilities.

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Employment Nova Scotia- START

Receive a financial incentive to hire an unemployed, ready-to-work Nova Scotian. Different types of funding are available for employers, depending on the type of employment offered, the employer’s needs and the employee’s skill level. Wage incentive Wage incentives help offset some of the salary and benefit costs related to hiring a new employee. Preference is given to employers who can offer full-time, sustainable employment. Short-term jobs may be eligible if they help the employee develop transferrable skills that can improve their chances of finding other employment in the future, or if they’re related to a priority sector or industry where a short-term contract is being implemented. Employment Nova Scotia determines wage incentive amounts on a case-by-case basis, considering : type of employment offered wages offered employee’s skill level how long the employee has been looking for work whether the position supports a priority sector in Nova Scotia (like ocean technology, information and communication technology, financial services, clean technology, life sciences or aerospace and defence) Other factors may also be considered.

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1-877-223-0888

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