Business Development
and Industry Capacity
2017–2018
Guidelines
Our mandate is to grow the rural economy of this province and
we will do that by investing in agriculture.
For more information please contact:
Programs and Business Risk Management (PBRM)
74 Research Drive
Bible Hill, Nova Scotia B6L 2R2
Tel: 902-893-6377 Toll free: 1-866-844-4276
Fax: 902-893-7579
Email: [email protected] Website: http://novascotia.ca/programs
PROGRAM GUIDELINES 2017-2018
3
Overview
The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture (NSDA) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) entered into a
five-year (2013-2018) bilateral agreement to implement Growing Forward 2, the policy framework for
agriculture.
Under the Growing Forward 2 bilateral agreement, $37 million in federal and provincial funding will be invested
over five years towards strategic initiative programming. Over the five years Growing Forward 2 and
Homegrown Success programs will focus on three thematic areas:
1) Innovation
2) Competitiveness and Market Development
3) Adaptability and Industry Capacity
With the strength of our partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the funding for programming
under Growing Forward 2, the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture is well-positioned to provide assistance
for the tools needed to improve profitability and competitiveness in Nova Scotia.
For more information on the Growing Forward 2 agreement visit http://agr.gc.ca/growingforward2 and for more
information on the Homegrown Success Strategy visit http://novascotia.ca/programs
Program Objective
This program enables the agriculture sector to become proactive in business development, resulting in improved
business management, knowledge and skills, thus increasing the adoption of best management practices. This
initiative will assist business managers in improving management practices, identifying and developing new
markets and opportunities, and effectively managing risks and resources.
Who is Eligible to Apply?
Farms that:
• will be registered under the Farm Registration Act;
• are at least 19 years of age and actively farming in the program year;
• generate an annual eligible gross farming income of $10,000 or more. The eligible farming income will be
based on the Statement of Farming Activities (T2042, T1273) or Schedule 125 (Farm Revenue – detailing sales
by commodity revenue code) for corporations and limited companies that was filed with Canada Revenue
Agency (CRA) for the most recently filed tax year. Verification must accompany your application. The
minimum income requirement must be satisfied by eligible commodity sales or custom work; however, no
more than $2,500 of income can be comprised of forest product sales or custom work;
• have a fur farming licence (if fur farming) Note: new entrants must have initiated the application process;
New Entrant: For the purpose of this program, an applicant is considered a new entrant for the first five years
from the date of initial registration. The requirement of generating $10,000 in farm income will be waived if the
applicant:
• has registered for the first time during or after the 2013-14 registration year; and
• must be able to show that it is an active farm, e.g., incurring commodity expenses.
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Agri-businesses and industry associations that:
• represent identifiable Nova Scotia agriculture and agri-food products;
• generate an annual gross income of $10,000 or more, waived for entities that demonstrate not-for-profit
status;
• demonstrate a direct partnership and beneficial economic impact to the Nova Scotia primary agricultural
industry (e.g., buying a minimum of 50 per cent of agricultural inputs from Nova Scotia farmers);
• demonstrate value-added processing to the raw Nova Scotia agriculture product;
• government agencies and universities may be eligible, provided that industry support/contribution and
partnership are demonstrated. Partnership must be indicated through letters of support from industry, as
well as from a NSDA Agriculture Resource Coordinator (ARC). Contact for the local ARC is available from PBRM
office or on the website;
• applicants must clearly demonstrate that they are a separate and legal business entity.
Note: The following are not considered eligible
How to Apply:
Complete the Business Development and Industry Capacity application and attach all supporting
documentation required for eligibility. All information must be submitted before the application can be
processed. Some project applications may need further assessment where you will be contacted if necessary.
Submit application to the office at:
Programs and Business Risk Management (PBRM)
74 Research Drive
Bible Hill, Nova Scotia B6L 2R2
Phone: 902-893-6377 Toll free: 1-866-844-4276
Fax: 902-893-7579
Email: [email protected] Website: http://novascotia.ca/programs
NOTE: The PBRM division of the Department of Agriculture is accepting applications now, but approvals will be
conditional until the 2017-18 provincial budget is final.
Application Review Process
This application-based program will accept applications for projects to be completed in the 2017-18 fiscal year
from December 1, 2016 until December 31, 2017 or until the targeted funds for the Business Development and
Industry Capacity program are exhausted.
The financial ($) impact of all your listed eligible project items must be clearly identified as they apply to your
farm or agri-food business, as well as to the rural economy of Nova Scotia. Applications will be rated and
awarded funding based on the information provided.
Upon approval, applicants will receive a Letter of Agreement which identifies the eligible project activities,
assistance offered and the terms and conditions to which assistance is approved.
You must review and return the signed copy of the Letter of Agreement to the
PBRM office within 60 days or you will forfeit the funding.
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Financial Assistance
Each applicant may be eligible for up to $15,000 in the Business Development and Industry Capacity program,
however, some projects may have an individual item cap for assistance.
Note: No more than 75 per cent funding can be received in government assistance for any project cost incurred
and paid by the applicant, regardless of source. Applicants are required to disclose their funding sources.
Cost
Share
Funding
Cap
50%
$15,000
Industry Knowledge, Training and Skills Development
• Development and implementation of new workshops and conferences,
educational materials and tools related to human resource development, business
development, leadership and entrepreneurship
• Contracted guest speaker fee and expenses (airfare, accommodations, ground
transportation, meals)
• Venue/meeting room rental, audio visual equipment rental (Note: new
conference/workshop only, annual conference/meeting not eligible)
• Conference/workshop brochures and other promotional stationery/ printed
materials (Note: new conference/workshop only, annual conference/meeting not
eligible)
50%
$15,000
Organic Pre-Certification
• Fees associated with pre-certification for organic production systems (Note: only
two years will be eligible throughout the pre- certification process)
70%
$500
Eligible Items
Business Planning and Opportunity Assessment
Consultative services for development of a comprehensive succession plan, business
plan, marketing plan, feasibility and marketing studies (implementation not eligible)
Owner Business Management Training
On-site business management trainer fee or off-site university non-credit business
management course within Atlantic Canada (registration fee, mileage – provincial
rate and accommodations – to a maximum of $100/night)
Employee(s) Business Training
On-site business management trainer fee or off-site university non-credit business
management course within Atlantic Canada when available (registration fee,
mileage – provincial rate and accommodations – to a maximum of $100/night)
New Product Development and/or Marketing
• Consultative services for new product development
• First run and plate costs of product labels
• Initial printing of market information, promotional materials (printed stationery),
and on-site signage
Ineligible activities: Attendance to conferences, workshops, exhibitions, symposiums, expos, all costs
associated with annual/ repeat conferences and advertising.
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Claiming
All claims must be submitted no later than March 1, 2018. Multiple claims can be submitted any time after
project completion and prior to the final claim deadline. Claiming early can result in faster processing times. All
projects must be paid for and completed by March 1, 2018.
Eligible project expenses will be recognized back to April 1, 2017. However, expenses incurred after this date,
but prior to the date of approval, are at the applicant’s risk.
Claiming Form and Receipts
Once the project is completed a claim form must be submitted to the PBRM office with all supporting
documentation with the following criteria:
• All claims must be postmarked by the post office or received in the PBRM office by March 1, 2018. Late claims
will not be processed.
• Provide copies of all invoices for eligible project costs incurred and paid by the applicant. Applicants must
include proof of payment to support completed approved project activities (e.g., debit slips or official invoices
marked paid and signed by supplier, cancelled cheques, credit card statements,).
Project Evaluation and Audit
Review and evaluation of projects may be carried out by officials of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture
(NSDA) or other parties chosen by the NSDA for the purpose of audit, analysis, evaluation, program
development and determining assistance. This review and evaluation process may be conducted prior to project
commencement, during work or upon project completion. Applicants may be asked to complete an evaluation
survey statement related to their final claim.
Confidentiality
Applicants consent to the release of their name and the amount of support received under the program as
public information to be actively disseminated by the Department of Agriculture. Any other information
provided, unless disclosed in the manner and for the purposes stated above, will be subject to the
confidentiality and disclosure provisions to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIPOP) Act.
Contact Information
To find out more information about the Business Development and Industry Capacity Program please contact
Programs at: 902-893-6377, toll free 1-866-844-4276, or your regional office at the following locations:
Central Region
Truro office
902-893-6575
Valley Region
Kentville office
902-679-6021
Western Region
Cornwallis office
902-638-2395
Eastern Region
Antigonish office
902-863-7180
Cape Breton Region
Sydney office
902-563-2000