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

Navigate

Navigate, located in the New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, aims to foster and keep burgeoning companies in Cape Breton by providing space, support, and resources. Navigate provides: Subsidized office space for early-stage companies Common workspace available to all members The ability to tap into a worldwide network of experts in the fields of business and technology Event programming provided for tenants, members, and the community includes lunch and learns, workshops, hackathons, and start-up weekends

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Megan MacAulay

Project Director

37 Nepean Street, Suite 105, Sydney, NS, B1P 6A7

902-565-1102

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Nova Scotia Community College- Marconi Campus

Located in Sydney, the Marconi Campus offers a range of programs and a friendly learning atmosphere. Students enjoy plenty of open space with comfy seating, quiet study areas, wireless access and computer labs. The campus business centre serves as an incubator for small businesses and provides opportunities for students to work part-time in their field of study, and build their portfolio. It also provides the resources to help them develop their own small business ideas. A new trades wing features shop space, classrooms, offices and a green design, meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

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1240 Grand Lake Road Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 6J7

902-563-2450

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Nova Scotia Community College-Strait Area

Located in Port Hawkesbury, the Strait Area Campus offers an extensive range of programs. The Campus is home to the Nautical Institute that provides Transport Canada-approved marine training. Facilities for marine training include a wave tank, fire training centre and state-of-the-art simulators for propulsion systems, navigation and global communications. Students enjoy a spacious and friendly campus environment, amazing outdoor spaces and trails, as well as excellent recreation fitness and entertainment services that are offered in the area year-round. The Strait Area Campus also offers programs in Wagmatcook First Nation at the renovated Wagmatcook Learning Centre.

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226 Reeves Street Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia B9A 2A2

902-625-2380

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NovaStream

Nova Stream Productions offers a full range of professional audio and visual services from commercials to documentaries and feature-length films to event A/V and live streaming. SERVICES OFFERED Film & Video Production Live Streaming Live Event A/V A/V Installations Photography UX and UI Design Custom Built Websites SaaS Development Mobile Applications Managed Hosting Theatre Manager Integration Marcato Festival Integration

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Sydney, Nova Scotia

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NSCC – Customized Business Training Solutions

Customized learning solutions to meet specific industry requirements. NSCC offers a wide variety of services, including:

Consulting – Needs assessments, training plans, business process mapping, preparation of technical documents and related training materials
Curriculum development – New curriculum development, customization of existing curriculum, instructional design
Customized learning – Face-to-face delivery both at your workplace or on-campus, online delivery, combination of delivery methods and locations, coaching and mentoring
Online delivery – Create or repurpose existing training content, host online training, provide technical support to learners and trainers
Capacity building – Pre-employment training programs, train the trainer programs, testing and evaluation

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Amanda Mombourquette or Donald Hanson

Community Innovation Lead

(902)-227-7836 or (902) 919-5225

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NSCC – Your Entrepreneurial Self Program

NSCC Entrepreneurship provides entrepreneurial skill awareness and development opportunities for students, faculty and staff. Programs and services include:

Free Entrepreneurial Resources including workshops, presentations, activities, lesson plans, templates, toolkits
Business Counselling –One-on-one business counselling for students, staff and faculty who are interested in starting a business or want to take their existing businesses to the next level. Guidance offered for business plan development, marketing, HR, government regulations and financing.
Curriculum Consulting – One-on-one curriculum consulting and support to integrate entrepreneurship into the classroom (integrating tools such as the business model canvas, business plans, software and activities)
College Wide Activities – entrepreneurial activities for students, staff and faculty including challenges, contests and competitions and professional development opportunities
Community Connections – Entrepreneurial Service Providers and Community Resources – we work with other entrepreneurial service providers and connect students/staff to relevant resources and supports, workshops and training events, available in our communities

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Sheri Williams

902-491-8869

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Sampson McPhee Lawyers

For over 30 years, Sampson McPhee has provided innovative and practical solutions, timely and efficient service and a breadth and depth of knowledge and experience in all areas of the law to a diverse client base. They provide services of the highest calibre in every area of law, a goal to which the members of their firm are committed to at every level. The success of their firm has only one measure: the success of the clients they serve. At Sampson McPhee, they have long been guided by a tradition of doing the best that they can for their clients by doing good work. This tradition continues to serve as their foundation and their inspiration. Today, doing good work for their clients means advancing their position as knowledgeable, multi-disciplinary service providers with global competence. Sampson McPhee’s lawyers continue to demonstrate their qualities as innovative strategists, well able to handle the complexities of emerging industries, advancing technology and variable international economics to maximum advantage. Above all, their lawyers, students and staff share a common goal, excellence in all that they do. Sampson McPhee vigorously fosters an environment that encourages the individual and supports the firm. The unique qualities that each individual brings to the collective effort are fundamental to the continued success of their firm and its clients and they proudly acknowledge their contributions to their past and to their future.

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66 Wentworth Street Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 6T4

(902) 539-2425

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Strait Area Chamber of Commerce

SACOC provides unique opportunities for businesses to promote and develop through advertising, seminars, trade shows, networking and events. It also provides access to member discounts on business expenses such as group insurance, point of sale systems, advertising, etc., in addition to 15-20 training courses each year to help businesses be more efficient and grow. SACOC annually hosts a “Small Business Road Show” that engages SMEs and service providers in rural communities across rural Cape Breton. The objective is to build awareness of the many services provided to SMEs and new entrepreneurs. SACOC periodically hosts women leadership events that provide networking and skill development opportunities for women in business and leadership.

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Tanya Felix

902-625-1588

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Sydney Credit Union

We are a financial cooperative committed to providing programs and services which enhance the economic and social well being of our members and our community. As a Sydney Credit Union member, you have access to a complete and competitive line of financial products and services – and the convenience of our three full service branches, one in Sydney, one in Sydney River and now one in Whitney Pier. We offer personal and commercial loans, mortgages, chequing and savings accounts, MasterCard® products including CHOICE REWARDS®, RRSPs, RRIFs, RESPs, GICs, Internet and telephone banking, and several money savings package plans, suited to meet your financial needs.

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95 Townsend St. Sydney, NS B1P 6K3

(902) 562-5593

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TD Bank Financial Group

As a top 10 North American bank, TD aims to stand out from its peers by having a differentiated brand – anchored in our proven business model, and rooted in a desire to give our customers, communities and colleagues the confidence to thrive in a changing world. Our small business banking includes: Business Bank Account (Canadian and US Dollar) Merchant Solutions (Debit and Credit Processing) Business Credit Cards Payroll Services Cash flow management – Overdrafts and Lines of Credit

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Doug Arsenault

Account Manager-Small Business Banking

292 Charlotte Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia

902-539-3640 ext 300

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Learnsphere – Commercialization Consulting and Mentoring

The Commercialization Consulting and Mentoring (CCM) Program provides funds to assist Atlantic Canadian businesses and institutions in the final stages of commercialization. Businesses or institutions may use the funds to hire consultants or mentors to help them get a new and innovative product, technology or process to market. CCM funds can also be used to cover the cost of group learning activities for businesses on the verge of commercialization.

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Laura Maynard

Manager

902.329-4268

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Learnsphere – E-tools for Exporting

LearnSphere’s E-tools for Exporting (E for E) provides financial assistance to help you develop and integrate electronic tools that can help you do business more effectively and get your products and services to international markets more efficiently. If you’ve been working on a recent marketing or business strategy that includes updating or improving your potential to export outside of Canada, you may be eligible for financial assistance. This program can help to hire a consultant or agency for activities such as:

Website development, re-design or rebranding
Responsive web design conversion (ensuring mobile-friendly design)
Integration of e-commerce functionality
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Paid advertising (PayPerClick, Google Adwords, etc.)
Social media strategy or integration
Videos, online catalogues and other online customized tools
Translation of website
Creation/design of language toggle
Training on any of the above

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Lauren Caines

902.802.4740

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Learnsphere – Export Market Access Program

LearnSphere’s Export Market Access Program (EMAP) provides financial assistance to help you market yourself more effectively, increase your exports and grow your business. If you’re working to enhance the way you market and sell your exports outside of Canada, you may be eligible for financial assistance through EMAP to help hire a consultant, mentor or agency for activities such as:

Market research or strategy development
Export plan development
Mentoring / coaching to improve export market research and planning
Lead generation
Sales
Development of promotional materials (brochures, catalogues, trade booth designs, etc.)

The maximum EMAP contribution is 65% of project costs, up to a maximum of $15,000 per year. Total project costs must be more than $5,000 to apply.

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Lauren Caines

902.802.4740

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LSI – Innovate to Opportunity Hiring Incentive

Apply for a wage subsidy to help cover part of the cost of hiring a full-time recent Masters or PhD graduate for 3 years to work on export growth innovations for your business. Eligible work includes:   Applied research Product and/or service development Process development or improvement Market analysis for a new product or activity Technical feasibility studies and pilots for market launches Improvement of product quality, customer services, business efficiencies   This program is available to small and medium-sized businesses with up to 500 full-time employees operating in Nova Scotia. To be eligible for the program, employers must create a new full-time position that:   is based in Nova Scotia is focused on innovation pays at least $60,000 a year   The new hire must have successfully completed a master’s or PhD program at a recognized university within a year of the date the employer’s application is received.

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902-424-6000

1-877-404-7074

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LSI – Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive

WIPSI supplements employer contributions to train full-time staff (permanently located in Nova Scotia) to: Improve productivity and profitability Increase innovation Adapt to new technology, machinery and equipment, or work processes Increase inter-provincial and international competitiveness Foster workplace diversity If you are a small business in Nova Scotia with less than 50 employees, you may be eligible for up to 100% of your training costs to be covered up to $10,000. For larger businesses, WIPSI provides up to 50% of direct training costs. WIPSI may also cover other expenses such as travel, books for participants and accommodation costs for persons with disabilities.

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Maritime Centre 1505 Barrington Street., 4N P.O. Box 697 Halifax Nova Scotia B3J 2T8

1-844-850-2030

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LSI – Graduate to Opportunity Program

If you hire a recent post-graduate student for at least 2 years, and for a minimum pay of $35,000, you could receive a contribution covering up to 25% of their first year salary (35% for members of a designated diversity group), and 12.5% in the second year. The program is open to:   Businesses with less than 100 full-time employees Businesses incorporated in the last 2 years Social enterprises, not-for-profits, and registered charities with recognized standing

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902 424-6000

1-800-424-5418

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Mentoring

Gain valuable business advice, learn from the experience of a seasoned professional, enhance your business network and gain confidence from having someone in your corner.

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Mitacs Accelerate Program

Learn how your business could receive specialized expertise by recruiting a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow to research your technology project for 4 or more months.   Why apply? Expand your R&D program for an investment of $7,500 Recruit highly-skilled future employees Drive your own research projects Start an internship at any time

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Anne Spence

902-523-2826

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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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