Indigenous Business Grants in Atlantic Canada (2023): Current List of Programs
Did you know that there are dozens of Indigenous business grants in Atlantic Canada - not to mention loans, wage subsidies, tax credits, and more?
We've got them all on this page!
Click on the buttons below to choose your province, and you'll see all of the Aboriginal business grants, loans and more:
Indigenous Business Grants in Atlantic Canada
Amount:No Fixed Amount Type of Program:Grants Description:The Aboriginal Business Financing Program (ABFP), administered by Ulnooweg, offers non-repayable business contributions to individual Aboriginal entrepreneurs and community owned businesses. Some of the eligible expenses for ABDP support are: business planning, establishment and operating costs, business acquisitions and expansions, local, domestic or export oriented marketing initiatives, new product
Amount:No Fixed Amount Type of Program:Grants & Loan Description:The Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF) provides funding to businesses and organizations to help create jobs and position local economies for long-term growth.Comments on Funding:Funding will take the form of: interest-free repayable contributions for up to 50% of eligible costs for eligible businesses;non-repayable contributions for up to
Amount:$15,000 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Job Grant (CNLJG) provides funding to eligible businesses and organizations to help offset the cost of training for their existing and future employees. Comments on Funding:Funding is up to a maximum of $10,000 per year towards training an existing employee and up to a maximum of $15,000
Amount:No Fixed Amount Type of Program:Grants Description:The Atlantic Fisheries Fund is intended to help the fish and seafood sector in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island to transition to meet the growing demand for seafood globally. Its aim is to bring high value, high quality and sustainable products to markets
Amount:No Fixed Amount Type of Program:Grants Description:The Business Scale-up and Productivity helps businesses speed up their growth so they can be more productive, compete on the world stage and reach new markets. Funding can be used to:1scale up and expand;2make the most of new technologies;3improve productivity;4create new products and find new markets. Comments on Funding:Repayment contributions
Amount:$8,000.00 Type of Program:Grants Description:The JEDI Aboriginal Development Fund (JADF) provides funding to entrepreneurs/existing businesses and communities to support business and community economic development planning in the First Nation communities of New Brunswick. Comments on Funding:Funding for Community Economic Development is up to 50% of total planning costs, not to exceed $8,000.Funding for Business/Entrepreneurship Development
Amount:No Fixed Amount Type of Program:Grants & Loan Description:The Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI) will help the Canadian aerospace sector emerge from the pandemic with the capacity to compete on the global stage, by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the following three objectives: to green their operations and adopt environmentally sustainable practices, to
Amount:$25,000 Type of Program:Subsidy Description:The Green Jobs Internship Program, generously funded by Natural Resources Canada, is a wage subsidy initiative that places Canadians in roles in the natural resources sectors, including energy, forestry, mining, and earth sciences. Comments on Funding:Funding is a wage subsidy of up $20,000 per intern hired, or up to $25,000 for youth
Amount:N/A Type of Program:Accelerator Description:The Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI) Indigenous Business Accelerator Program assists existing and community-owned businesses in developing their business and entrepreneurship skills and expanding their network with the support of their assigned mentor. This unique 10-week program provides the tools to excel in advanced business opportunities with industry and federal procurement. Comments
Amount:$5.000 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Prince Edward Island Universal EV (UEV) Incentive Program is intended to encourage and accelerate clean energy vehicle deployment and technology innovation within Prince Edward Island. The program provides incentives for Islanders who purchase (a new or used) or lease (a new) Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) or a Plug-in Hybrid Electric
Amount:N/A Type of Program:Entrepreneurship Program Description:Accelerate HER PEI is a 12-week program led by PEIBWA and delivered from PEIBWA’s Rural Women’s Business Centre both in-person and virtually. This program will serve high-potential women business owners operating in PEI. Participants will benefit from free access to business support services customized to meet their individual needs. This
Amount:N/A Type of Program:Entrepreneurship Program Description:ACTIVATE HER PEI is a six week program led by PEIBWA and the Atlantic Canadian Women in Growth Partnership. The program will take participants through the steps of creating a strategic business plan & process for their business, while providing additional resources to help take their concept from ideation to
Amount:$750,000 Type of Program:Loan Description:The General Lending Program is designed to assist Indigenous Entrepreneurs succeed while staying adaptable to meet their needs. Comments on Funding:Funding is a loan up to $750,000 for individuals and $1.5 million for communities dependent on available capital, with various interest rates, over a maximum 20-year amortization. When It Ends:Ongoing Deadline:Rolling deadlineEligibility:Applicants
Amount:$5,000 Type of Program:Loan Description:The Micro Lending Program has limited security requirements and is easy to access for those working on smaller projects. Comments on Funding:Funding is a loan up to $5,000, at a rate of 8% over a maximum 2-year term, with a 5% cash equity recommended. When It Ends:Ongoing Deadline:Rolling deadlineEligibility:Applicants must be: Aboriginal
Amount:$25,000 Type of Program:Loan Description:The Women & Youth Lending Program is flexible and designed to assist Indigenous Women and Youth Entrepreneurs to succeed and adaptable to meet their needs. Comments on Funding:Funding is a loan up to $25,000, at a rate of 8% over a maximum 5-year term, with a 5% cash equity recommended. When It
Amount:$15,000 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Indigenous Cultural Heritage Program (formerly the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Program) supports Indigenous projects that involve the safeguarding of traditions and culture, including language, traditional knowledge and skills, storytelling, music, games and other pastimes, knowledge of the landscape, customs, cultural practices and beliefs, food customs, and living off the land.Comments on
Amount:No Fixed Amount Type of Program:Grants Description:Brunswick’s Indigenous Agriculture Development Program provides funding to support First Nations communities, individuals or organizations who are interested in participating the New Brunswick agricultural industry, including local foods. When It Ends:Ongoing Deadline:Rolling deadlineEligibility:The applicant must: be located in the Province of New Brunswick, be Indigenous individuals, be Indigenous
Amount:No Fixed Amount Type of Program:Grant Description:The Climate Change Challenge Fund (CCCF) is a competitive, application-based grant program designed to enable businesses, industry, municipalities, Indigenous organizations and public sector entities to undertake greenhouse gas reduction projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, to be implemented over three fiscal years (2019/20-2021/22).Comments on Funding:The minimum total CCCF funding grant,
Amount:$53,000.00 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture program aims to foster an agricultural industry that is environmentally sustainable, responsive to the impacts of climate change and contributes to a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases. It provides support for the following elements: Environmental Management Planning, Agro-Environmental Clubs, Food Processor / Packer / Abattoir
Amount:$60,000.00 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Innovative Research and Development element provides financial assistance to support short to medium term (1-5 years) innovative research and development projects which can improve profitability, competitiveness, sustainability and self-sufficiency of the agriculture, agri-food, agri-product and agri-science sectors in New Brunswick.The Accelerating Agricultural Innovation element provides financial assistance to accelerate new
Amount:$75,000.00 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Advancing Agri-Food Processing program provides assistance to undertake product development activities, enhance efficiency and competitiveness for the value added agriculture and agri-food sector in New Brunswick. Assistance is targeted to small and medium sized operations. Comments on Funding:Funding for Product Conception and Development is up to 50% of eligible costs,
Amount:$5,000.00 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Equinox Program supports Indigenous artists, curators, collectives and groups to engage in artistic creation, professional development and capacity building.There are three types of Equinox grants: Research and Development, Creation of New Work, and Connections.Comments on Funding:Funding is up to $5,000. When It Ends:Ongoing Deadline:March 15, 2022September 15, 2022Eligibility:Applicants must: be
This program is currently closed. Amount:$10,000.00 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Mi’kmaq Cultural Activities Program provides funding to Nova Scotia-based Mi’kmaq groups or organization to help build and empower Mi’kmaq communities through artistic and cultural activities and support the sharing of traditional knowledge, culture and language. Comments on Funding:Funding is up to a maximum contribution of 75%
Amount:$15,000.00 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Mi’kmaq Arts Program supports the development and continuation of Mi’kmaq art forms in the territory of Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia).There are three types of grants, depending on the assisted activities:1Creation Grants assist with projects that involve the creation of new work of art in any form including cross-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary work.2Presentation
Amount:$75,000.00 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Innovative Technology and Demonstration element supports the early adopters of new technologies or practices as well as supporting the development, adaptation, or demonstration of technical innovations on-farm. Comments on Funding:Funding for early adopters of new technologies (i.e. equipment) or practices to assess their effectiveness in New Brunswick is up to 30%
Amount:$30,000.00 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Mitigation, Prevention, Occupational Health and Safety program provides funding assistance for approved activities intended to enhance the health and occupational safety on farms and a focus of mitigation and prevention to protect the crop and livestock sectors in New Brunswick. The program provides support for the following elements: Wildlife Damage
Amount:$50,000.00 Type of Program:Grants Description:The Public Trust and Agricultural Awareness program provides funds to accelerate the adoption and implementation of recognized food safety assurance systems, including food safety, biosecurity, traceability and animal welfare in the production, processing, transportation and distribution of New Brunswick Agri-Food products. The program provides support for the following elements: Assurance Systems
Amount:$250,000.00 Type of Program:Loan Description:Ulnooweg’s General Loans provides support to Aboriginal business owners operating and residing in Atlantic Canada and to Atlantic Canada Aboriginal organizations for new business start ups, purchase of existing businesses, expansion, working capital, refinancing and more. Comments on Funding:Funding is up to $250,000.The repayment schedules are flexible (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual or
Amount:No Fixed Amount Type of Program:Loan Description:Ulnooweg’s Youth Loans supports Aboriginal business owners operating and residing in Atlantic Canada between the ages of 18 – 35 for any business need. Comments on Funding:The first $15,000 is at a fixed interest rate of 8.5% maximum with a five year repayment term. When It Ends:Ongoing Deadline:Rolling DeadlineEligibility:The applicant
Amount:$5,000.00 Type of Program:Loan Description:Ulnooweg’s Micro Loan provides financing of up to $5,000 to Atlantic Aboriginal entrepreneurs who have a dream of entrepreneurship, or need help in expanding an existing business. Comments on Funding:Funding is up to $5,000.Loans are repayable over 2 years (maximum amortization period) at 8% interest.Security will be required, and a confirmation of
