Funding Opportunities
Accelerate Entrepreneur
Funds student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs to further develop the research or technology at the core of their start-up business.
Helps students and postdoctoral fellows build their professional entrepreneurial skills, with the goal of commercializing their start-up’s technology, product, or service through funded internships.
Pays students and postdoctoral fellows to grow their start-ups and get to market faster.
Lab2Market
16 week program to help researchers validate their ideas with the purpose of finding business/commercial value.
Based on similar programs that have found success in other parts of the world, but with a Canadian twist.
Productivity and Innovation Voucher Program
Helps small and medium-sized companies access direct assistance to help make their business more productive and innovative.
Supports businesses to seek out expertise within post-secondary institutions to:
Improve productivity;
Develop a new product, service, or process; and
Create growth
Vouchers of up to $15,000 for eligible businesses that have not previously been awarded a voucher or are applying with a new project & Vouchers of up to $25,000 for eligible businesses to build on work already completed through a Tier 1 Voucher.
Atlantic Innovation Fund
Helps Atlantic Canadians develop and bring to market new products and services that lead to market success, help grow strategic sectors, or lead to the creation of research and commercialization partnerships.
Volta Accelerate Program
Helps Nova Scotia technology companies (information technology, clean technology, life science, ocean technology, and more) get investment ready.
Will receive $50,000 in non-dilutive, non-repayable funding per company to address key technical and business milestones.
Companies will get access to a series of acceleration activities and resources
Volta Pitch Competition
Opportunity for those in the Atlantic Canadian tech and innovation communities to practice their three-minute business pitch and receive feedback from peers and industry professionals.
Winning pitch will receive $500 Visa gift card
Graduate to Opportunity
Helping to build a stronger workforce and retain young people in Nova Scotia with a salary incentive that makes it easier to hire recent graduates.
Employers receive 25% of the first year’s salary – 35% if the new graduate is a member of designated diversity group – and 12.5% of the second year’s salary.
Futurpreneur
Eager to support aspiring business owners aged 18 – 39 years old who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents currently living in Canada
Offer collateral-free loans at better interest rates than most banks. Able to finance up to $20,000 per business. If you need more money, BDC may provide up to $40,000.
Community Business Development Corporation Youth Loan Program
Offer young entrepreneurs (18-34) access to the capital they need for business startup, expansion or modernization;
Create and maintain employment in Atlantic Canada.
WIL Digital Subsidy
ICTC’s WIL Digital is an innovative Work Integrated Learning program that helps employers grow their businesses by providing wage subsidies for hiring post-secondary students.
WIL Digital provides 75% of the student’s salary, up to $7,500