Atlantic Canada Business Grants

Loan

CBDC First-Time Entrepreneur Loan

Amount:

$150,000.00

Type of Program:

Investment, Loan, Loan Guarantee

Description:

The CBDC First-Time Entrepreneur Loan provides financing of up to $150,000 to new entrepreneurs who live in a rural community in Atlantic Canada. 

Comments on Funding:

Funding is up to $150,000 per eligible borrower.
The loans are repayable and have competitive interest rates and repayment terms. Financing may be term or demand loans, a loan guarantees, or equity investments.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling Deadline

Eligibility:

The applicant:

  • must be a new, first-time entrepreneur living in a rural area of Atlantic Canada
  • must be a sole proprietor, a limited company or partnership (majority control must reside with the new entrepreneur),
  • may be a seasonal and year-round business,
  • may use the loan for a business start-up, or to help buy an existing business, or for a variety of purposes: Startup costs, fixed assets, working capital, buildings and land, furniture and fixtures, machinery or other types of equipment, and possibly vehicles used strictly for business operations. Franchise purchases and Leasehold improvements are also eligible.

Application Steps:

1

Applicants must contact the CBDC personnel for further details.

Documentation Needed:

No specific documentation has been identified.

Other Things to Note:

Programs and services delivered by CBDCs may vary by region.

Program Contact:

Business Startup & New Entrepreneur Loans in NB, NL, NS & PEI

CBDC General Business Loan

Amount:

$150,000.00

Type of Program:

Loan

Description:

The CBDC General Business Loan provides financing to businesses in rural Atlantic Canada for a wide range of expenses including: start-up, land and buildings, fixed assets, machinery and other equipment, fixtures and furniture. 

Comments on Funding:

Funding is up to $150,000 per eligible borrower.
The loans are repayable and have competitive interest rates and repayment terms. Financing may be term or demand loans, a loan guarantees, or equity investments. The loans are secured, and can be from one to ten years.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling Deadline

Eligibility:

Applicants:

  • must be entrepreneurs or businesses purchasing a new or existing company in rural Atlantic Canada,
  • must be expanding an existing business,
  • must be an existing company in need of working capital,
  • must be year-round or seasonal businesses,
  • may use the loan for: start-up, land and buildings, fixed assets, machinery and other equipment, fixtures and furniture. In some cases, vehicles strictly for business uses may also qualify. Franchise purchases and Leasehold improvements are also eligible.
  • must show a legitimate chance of economic viability. Employment creation and/or maintenance without negatively impacting existing area businesses is also a necessity.

Application Steps:

1

Applicants must contact the CBDC personnel for further details.

Documentation Needed:

No specific documentation has been identified.

Other Things to Note:

Programs and services delivered by CBDCs may vary by region.

Program Contact:

Commercial Loans for Entrepreneurs and Business in NB, NL, NS & PEI

CBDC Innovation Loan

Amount:

$150,000.00

Type of Program:

Loan

Description:

The CBDC Innovation Loan is designed to encourage business productivity and effectiveness in the communities of rural Atlantic Canada by advancing the adoption of technologies for business. New technologies may include existing methods that have been adapted or repurposed for commercial applications. The loan could also be used for financing for new products or services and training, as well as financial support. 

Comments on Funding:

Funding is up to $150,000 per eligible borrower.
All loans are repayable and have competitive interest rates and repayment terms. Financial options include term loan and demand loans, loan guarantees or equity investments.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling Deadline

Eligibility:

Applicants must:

  • be rural based businesses across Atlantic Canada,
  • be new or existing entrepreneurs located in rural areas,
  • be year-round or seasonal businesses,
  • have a realistic prospects of economic viability. Employment creation and/or maintenance in the community is also a key factor.

Application Steps:

1

Applicants must contact the CBDC personnel for further details.

Documentation Needed:

No specific documentation has been identified.

Other Things to Note:

Programs and services delivered by CBDCs may vary by region.

Program Contact:

Innovation and Technology Business Loans in NB, NL, NS & PEI

CBDC Youth Loan

Amount:

No Fixed Amount

Type of Program:

Loan

Description:

The CBDC Youth Loan Program provides financial assistance to young entrepreneurs aged 18-34 for business startup, expansion or modernization in rural Atlantic Canada. 

Comments on Funding:

Funding is available in the form of a repayable loan with competitive interest rates and repayment terms. Financial options may include: demand and term loans, equity investments or loan guarantees.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling Deadline

Eligibility:

Applicants:

  • must be youth borrowers aged 18-34 and living in rural Atlantic Canada,
  • may use the loan for business startup, modernization or expansion,
  • must be seasonal or year-round businesses,
  • may take the loan for a variety of business expenses: start-up costs, fixed assets and/or working capital, acquiring assets of a previous business, leasehold improvements and franchise purchases,
  • may be sole proprietorships, limited companies partnerships (majority of the care and control must reside with the new entrepreneur),
  • should have a reasonable expectation of economic viability, as well as employment creation and/or maintenance in their community and the intended business operations must not have a negative impact on existing area businesses.

Application Steps:

1

Applicants must contact the CBDC personnel for further details.

Other Things to Note:

Programs and services delivered by CBDCs may vary by region.

Program Contact:

Young Entrepreneur (18-34) Small Business Loans in NB, NL, NS & PEI

Slate Development

Amount:

$75,000.00

Type of Program:

Loan

Description:

The purpose of the Slate Development Program is to help Canadian independent production companies build and diversify their slates by offering financial support for the development of original intellectual property (“IP”) with the intent to grow and foster the independent production industry.

Comments on Funding:

Funding is available as a non-interest bearing advance, of 100% of eligible costs repayable from production financing (on a per project basis). For a 2 project Slate the maximum amount requested may be $50,000, while for a 3 project slate the maximum request is $75,000. The minimum request for any slate is $20,000. 

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

November 28, 2022

Eligibility:

The applicant must:

  • operate as a Canadian independent Production Company (incorporation isn’t required at the time of application but is required if application is successful),
  • must not have received funding from the previous deadline, 

Eligible Slate applications must meet the following requirements:

  • contain two or three projects,
  • proposed development activities have not commenced at time of deadline,
  • project is not under consideration for production financing from any source,
  • the Intellectual Property (IP) of each project in the slate is original, though it may be an adaptation of an existing licensed property,
  • at time of application all rights and underlying rights are owned, optioned or controlled sufficiently to develop, produce and exploit the program throughout the world.

Application Steps:

Applicants must: 

1

attend an application clinic, if they are first time applicants (visit their bookings page for dates and sign up information

2

go to online application portal and create an account,

3

click on the New Applications tab and select the fund you wish to apply for,

4

submit the application.

Documentation Needed: 

Applicants must submit:

  1. 1
    the application form,
  2. 2
    the producer statement, for each project,
  3. 3
    proof that copyright is owned, optioned or controlled by applicant (producer) for each Project
  4. 4
    A market interest form or meaningful letter of market interest, addressed to Bell Fund, from one of the following 4 options, for each project:
  • a Canadian programming undertaking, public or private, licensed to operate by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC),
  • an online service owned, controlled and operated by a Canadian licensed programming undertaking including operating as a Hybrid VOD service (CraveTV, Club Illico),
  • a digital platform that features Entertainment Programming and is accessible to Canadians (Canadian or Foreign owned),
  • a Distributor (Canadian or Foreign),
  1. 5
    proof of other financing, for each project, if applicable b
  2. 6
    budgets (for each project),
  3. 7
    list of pending funding applications, for each project, if applicable,
  4. 8
    development History & Plan for this phase (a list of the proposed development deliverables and a schedule of activities must be included, for each project),
  5. 9
    credits of Applicant Company,
  6. 10
    a list of all confirmed Key Creatives + CVs e.g., writer, director, show runner, producer, exec producer, story editor, mentor, on screen talent,
  7. 11
    confirmation letter/ email from Key Creatives supporting application,
  8. 12
    incorporation Certificate (if available at time of application),
  9. 13
    self-identification contact list,
  10. 14
    co-development agreement(s), if applicable,
  11. 15
    service agreement(s), if applicable,

Other Things to Note:

Slate Development Guidelines – August, 2022

Program Contact:

Slate Development - Bell Fund

SD_Slate_Guidelines_June-2021.pdf

SL_Document-Checklist_June-2021.pdf

How to Apply for Funding