Atlantic Canada Business Grants

Pond-Deshpande Centre (PDC)

ChangeMaker Funding Program – NouLAB Prototype Fund

Amount:

$10,000.00

Type of Program:

Grants

Description:

The NouLAB Prototype Fund provides funding of up to $5,000 to NouLAB teams to prototype ideas to address complex issues.
NouLABs start by bringing together diverse stakeholders to work in a team that acts collectively. The lab team takes an iterative approach to the challenges it wants to address—prototyping and testing interventions, incorporating feedback, and managing a portfolio of promising solutions. 

Comments on Funding:

Funding is up to $5,000.
Applicants are eligible for only one funding application per team for prototyping.
Funding awards are taxable.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling Deadline

Eligibility:

Applicants must:

  • be NouLAB teams who have completed the Academy, or are in a Standing Lab. To provide a diversity in perspectives, teams must be multi-disciplinary and have representation across sectors from non-profit, business, government and private sector individuals.
  • reside in New Brunswick (subject to discretion of PDC Executive Board). In the case of NouLAB teams, there may be some members who are resident outside the province. In the case of applicants which are corporations, the majority of shareholders must reside in the eligible province and the registered office must be in the eligible province. In the case of partnerships, the majority of partners and ownership must reside in the eligible provinces.
  • focus on the following key priority areas: Health & Wellness, Immigration & Retention, Poverty Reduction,
  • use the funding for the purpose of prototyping - exploring ideas & testing solutions to complex challenges.

Application Steps:

1

Applicants must submit the online application form.

2

Funding will be subject to a Terms & Conditions contract which specifies the amount of the award, the installments, the term of the funding, the holdback and the requirements for funding recipients including provision of regular progress reports and receipts.

3

Funding for prototyping will be distributed through and managed by ONE team lead who will be the primary contact for communications.

Documentation Needed: 

Applicants must submit:

  • the online application form,
  • proof of residency for the company/entrepreneur and incorporation and legal documents pertaining to the business structures of applicants, if PDC requests them.

Funding recipients are required to provide interim and final progress reports.

Other Things to Note:

The ChangeMaker Funding Program is NOT about the funding. While the funding helps early-stage entrepreneurs and innovators test ideas and build sustainable business models, this program is designed to help build success through providing on-going support and opportunities.

Program Contact:

NouLAB Prototype Fund | ChangeMaker

FAQ fo Funding Awards

​NouLAB Economic Immigration Lab

ChangeMaker Funding Program – Ignition Fund

Amount:

$10,000.00

Type of Program:

Grants

Description:

The Ignition Fund is designed to help early-stage changemakers kick-start their validated idea into business model development and for mvp prototype development. 

Comments on Funding:

Funding for entrepreneurs and companies is up to $10,000.
Funding for fail forward applicants is up to $10,000.
Funding awards are taxable.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling Deadline

Eligibility:

Applicants must:

  • be entrepreneurs/companies who have previously received & successfully completed Catalyst Funding or PDC programming and who are invited to apply,
  • reside in New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island (subject to discretion of PDC Executive Board). In the case of corporations, the majority of shareholders must reside in the eligible province and the registered office must be in the eligible province. In the case of partnerships, the majority of partners and ownership must reside in the eligible provinces. 
  • focus on the following key priority areas: Health & Wellness, Immigration & Retention, Poverty Reduction,
  • have completed early-stage market validation,
  • have developed preliminary business model canvas.

For entrepreneurs who qualify for other PDC programs, all or part of the Ignition Funding might be connected to acceptance and successful participation in these programs.

Application Steps:

Applicants:

1

must submit the online application form,

2

who have been short-listed will be notified by email and will be contacted for an appointment to discuss next steps and preparation for a pitch presentation with the Funding Committee which will make the final decision on the funding application,

3

will be asked to submit proof of residency for the company/entrepreneur, if successful. 

Once due diligence is completed, a Letter of Award and Terms & Conditions Contract will be issued.

Documentation Needed: 

Applicants must submit:

  • the online application form,
  • proof of residency for the company/entrepreneur, if the application is successful.

Other Things to Note:

The ChangeMaker Funding Program is NOT about the funding. While the funding helps early-stage entrepreneurs and innovators test ideas and build sustainable business models, this program is designed to help build success through providing on-going support and opportunities.

The fail forward applicants are entrepreneurs and innovators who have experienced the failure of an idea or venture and they are ready to do an overhaul or pivot, or have an entirely new idea and are passionate about building a sustainable business. They are courageous entrepreneurs, whose ideas, dreams or ventures have failed (usually at least 4-6 months previously), who have learned from the experience, and who are committed to starting over.

Program Contact:

​Ignition Funding

​FAQs - Funding Awards​​​

ChangeMaker Funding Program – Saint John Internship Fund

Amount:

$2,000.00

Type of Program:

Grants

Description:

The Saint John Internship Fund is designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs & companies at pilot sites in Saint John employ Student (including SAP) Interns to assist with market validation, market research, business innovation & development within an experiential learning plan. 

Comments on Funding:

Funding is up to $2,000.
Applicants are only eligible to be awarded total Catalyst Funding and Saint John TGF to a maximum of $5,000.
Funding awards are taxable.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling Deadline

Eligibility:

Applicants must:

  • be early-stage entrepreneurs & companies at pilot sites in Saint John that employ Student (including SAP) Interns to assist with market validation, market research, business innovation & development within an experiential learning plan,
  • be resident in the Saint John region,
  • not be an immediate family member of the employer (spouse, children, parents, brother, sister), nor can they be an officer or director of the organization or a member of their immediate families, if interns,
  • focus on the following key priority areas: Health & Wellness, Immigration & Retention, Poverty Reduction,
  • be invited to apply.

Internships must be in accordance with all Provincial and Federal Acts and Regulations.

Application Steps:

Applicants must submit the online application form.

1

Once due diligence is completed, a Letter of Award and Terms & Conditions Contract will be issued.

Other Things to Note:

The ChangeMaker Funding Program is NOT about the funding. While the funding helps early-stage entrepreneurs and innovators test ideas and build sustainable business models, this program is designed to help build success through providing on-going support and opportunities.

Program Contact:

​Saint John Internship Fund

​ChangeMaker Program​​​

​Application-Saint John Internship Fund​​​

​FAQs for Funding Awards​​​

ChangeMaker Funding Program – Catalyst Funding

Amount:

$5,000.00

Type of Program:

Grants

Description:

Catalyst Funding supports entrepreneurs, companies, students and fail forward applicants with their early-stage market validation & engagement activities, including: market studies or surveys, travel to access potential markets or customers, hiring of expertise to assist with development of a business/financial model, any costs relating to connecting to the market or potential customers (web presence, marketing, etc.) provided that this is specifically related to validation and development of prototype or beta product required to test the market (only in special circumstances-limited). 

Comments on Funding:

Funding is up to $5000 for early-stage market validation and engagement, up to $1000 for students to test ideas and up to $5,000 for fail forward applicants.
Applicants are only eligible to be awarded total Catalyst Funding and Saint John TGF to a maximum of $5,000.
Funding awards are taxable.

When It Ends:

Ongoing

Deadline:

Rolling Deadline

Eligibility:

The applicant must:

  • be an entrepreneur, a company, student or a fail forward applicant with an idea to solve a real-world problem or issue with an innovative and disruptive technology or platform, or an innovative product or service, or an innovative approach or process, or a socially innovative, or ‘tech meets social’ idea, or something that has yet to be discovered or developed, or any combination of the above.
  • reside in New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island (subject to discretion of PDC Executive Board). In the case of corporations, the majority of shareholders must reside in the eligible province and the registered office must be in the eligible province. In the case of partnerships, the majority of partners and ownership must reside in the eligible provinces.
  • focus on the following key priority areas: Health & Wellness, Immigration & Retention, Poverty Reduction.
  • be PDC/New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network (NBSPRN)Program Participants or must be invited to apply.

​ALL funding recipients are REQUIRED to participate in the Innovators' Jump Start Program.

Application Steps:

Applicants:

1

must submit the online application form,

2

who have been short-listed will be notified by email and will often be invited to a meeting to discuss and determine the terms of award,

3

will be asked to submit proof of residency for the company/entrepreneur, if successful. 

Once due diligence is completed, a Letter of Award and Terms & Conditions Contract will be issued.

Documentation Needed: 

Applicants must submit:

  • the online application form,
  • proof of residency for the company/entrepreneur, if the application is successful.

Funding recipients are required to provide interim and final progress reports.

Other Things to Note:

The ChangeMaker Funding Program is NOT about the funding. While the funding helps early-stage entrepreneurs and innovators test ideas and build sustainable business models, this program is designed to help build success through providing on-going support and opportunities.

The fail forward applicants are entrepreneurs and innovators who have experienced the failure of an idea or venture and they are ready to do an overhaul or pivot, or have an entirely new idea and are passionate about building a sustainable business. They are courageous entrepreneurs, whose ideas, dreams or ventures have failed (usually at least 4-6 months previously), who have learned from the experience, and who are committed to starting over.

Program Contact:

​Catalyst $ | Changemaker

​ChangeMaker Program​​​

Policies - Catalyst Fund

FAQs for Funding Awards