Canadian Government Funding Programs

Opening a Business

• If you are interested in opening up your own business and you have a disability, you can get funding from the government. To qualify, the disability needs to be a permanent physical or mental impairment and restrict your daily activities. You must also be unemployed or working less than 20 hours a week. The money can be used to get business training and to cover living expenses while you get trained. To apply, visit a Business Service Canada Center in your area. The address to an office in British Columbia is given below.

  Business Service Canada Center

  317 Seymour Street, Floor 1

  Kamloops, British Columbia

  V2C 2E8

  +1 800-622-6232

  TTY 1-800-926-9105

  http://canadabusiness.ca/

Apprenticeship Grants

• If you are getting a certificate in a Red Seal trade like carpentry, cooking or hairdressing, there is funding available to complete your education. After completing the first or second year/level (or equivalent) of your education, you may be eligible for the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant, a taxable grant of $1,000 for each year of study, up to $2,000.

  You may also be eligible for the Apprenticeship Completion Certificate, a $2,000 taxable grant to complete your certificate program. The money is given to students who complete their training and become certified journeymen in their trades. They must also get territorial or provincial Certificates of Qualification or Red Seal endorsements. Applications can be downloaded from the Canadian government website or you can call to get an application. Applications are turned in at the Canada Service Centre. A Canada Service Centre in the Alberta area is listed below.

  Edmonton Canada Place Service Canada Centre

  9700 Jasper Avenue

  Edmonton, Alberta

  T5J 4C1

  1-800-622-6232

  http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/

Becoming Environmentally Friendly

• To make your business more environmentally friendly and cut down on the cost of utilities, the Canadian government offers the ecoEnergy grants program. These grants are available to help with environmentally friendly construction of houses and buildings, use of biofuels and other activities. To apply for an ecoEnergy grant, you must have a factory with less than 500 employees, be a small- or medium-sized business and be in operation for at least 12 months, among other criteria. As part of the program, you must install items in your factory that will make it more energy efficient. The government will provide assistance of not more than 25 percent of the cost of the project, no more than $50,000 per application and no more than $250,000 per corporate entity. The projects that can be performed in the factory to make it more efficient include installation of energy efficient light systems, windows and doors; upgrading of insulation and reduction of air leaks, among many other projects. To apply, submit an electronic request on the EcoEnergy website.

  Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation

  Industrial Programs Division

  Office of Energy Efficiency

  Natural Resources Canada

  580 Booth Street, 12th Floor

  Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E4

  +1 613-996-3161

  http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca./