Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) Southwest Self-Employment Benefit (SEB) Program for Persons with a Disability
no fixed amount
Grant, In-Kind Support
Description:
The Self-Employment Benefit Program for Individuals with Disabilities is tailored for qualified unemployed individuals in Atlantic Canada who have disabilities and are in the early stages of establishing their own businesses. The program offers financial aid, counseling, and technical guidance.
Comments on Funding:
Funding takes the form of financial assistance:
– Eligible applicants must be receiving or have received Employment Insurance (EI) benefits within a certain timeframe and will continue to receive their Employment Insurance (EI) benefits until their claim ends. At this time, they will receive support at a provincially established rate for the duration of time remaining on the SEB Program; OR
– If approved for the SEB Program, but are not currently receiving Employment Insurance benefits, they will receive a weekly allowance at a provincially established rate.
Continuous Intake
Eligibility:
Applicants must:
1. be individuals with disabilities;
2. be legally entitled to work in Canada;
3. reside in New Brunswick or be willing to establish residency in New Brunswick;
4. not be a full-time student;
5. be unemployed;
6. work part-time at the business (at least 25 hours per week);
7. have decision-making control over the business operations;
8. have an ownership stake of 50% or more;
9. agree to and take part in an appropriate credit review;
10. be able to provide additional capital to the business in form of cash or in-kind contributions representing a minimum of 5% of the total start-up costs;
11. not have started the business prior to being approved and signing a contract under the SEB program;
12. not have received funding under the regular SEB program within the last
five years;
13. have eligible businesses, including:
a) be a for-profit venture;
b) must operate on a part-time basis for a minimum of 44 weeks per year;
c) must be established in New Brunswick and must begin operations within fifteen (15) weeks following the signing of the SEB contract;
d) demonstrate long-term viability;
e) be ventures with a franchise fee of $50,000 or less;
f) not be in undue competition with existing ventures;
14. SEB-PWD program applicants may or may not be EI-eligible;
15. Situations in which the applicants and/or family members (spouse, parent, child, brother or
sister) own similar businesses must be reviewed for eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
Application Steps:
Applicants must:
1. have an initial meeting with the SEB Coordinator to conduct an analysis of their strengths and needs, in order to determine if self-employment is a viable choice for them ;
2. need to meet with the Program Liaison Officer to confirm their disability and determine their eligibility for the SEB PWD component, for details: contact Linda Noel Smith, Liaison Officer at 506-548-2406 or NB.SEB-ATI@cbdc.ca;
3. complete the Application Form;
4. prepare a Business Plan;
5. be notified with the decision of the Committee.
Documentation Needed:
Applicants must submit:
1. the completed application form; and
2. the business plan.
Other Things to Note:
About the author
Maurice
