A guest blog from Mentorworks
CTT’s upcoming Business Mission to China is an excellent opportunity for many Canadian small businesses to expand internationally, however finding room in your budget to attend can be difficult. Luckily, the Federal and Provincial Governments offer a wide variety of Canadian Government funding options to help stretch your dollar. Mentor Works, the Canadian Government Funding Experts, have outlined the top three funding mechanisms for this event.
1. Export Market Access – $30,000 Grant or 50% of Eligible Expenses
Open for all projects ending before June 30, 2012, the Export Market Access trade show grant covers 50% of eligible costs related to international trade shows (ie. ICT Expo) and support activities. Typical applications include airfare, accommodations, booth space, marketing materials, giveaway items, market & competitive research, and product certification.
2. CME SMART Prosperity Now – $75,000 Grant or 33.3% of Eligible Expenses
The CME SMART Program was reinvented for an early February 2012 launch, with a new funding branch: Export Development. In addition to capital equipment and environmental-focused projects, this Ontario government grant allows applicants to receive 1/3 of their export activities in grant funding, including trade shows (ie ICT Expo), international marketing plans, packaging redesign & marketing materials for new markets, foreign country product certification, and foreign website development.
3. Going Global Innovation – $75,000 Grant or 75% of Eligible Expenses
The Canadian government grant is designed to promote international partnerships in an attempt to create a new product or technology for the Canadian market. Going Global Innovation will cover 75% of expenses related to travel, meeting costs, translation, and accommodations over 3-4 visits with prospective partners. Planning one of these visits to coincide with the Business Mission to China will help to capture a portion of these travelling expenses as you build partnerships abroad.
More Information Available from Mentor Works
For more information about these and other Canadian government grants, loans, and tax credits, please contact Mentor Works, The Canadian Government Funding Experts, based in Cambridge, Hamilton, and Burlington, Ontario. They will help you find the best funding for your needs and assist you throughout the application process to ensure you have the best opportunity to receive funding to accelerate your growth.
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