Export Development Program

Overview of the Export Development Program program:

Up to $15,000 (50% of eligible costs) is available for Nova Scotia businesses to execute strategic initiatives related to your export market growth plan with support for consulting, travel, and trade show expenses.

Benefits of the Export Development Program program:

• Program Objective
• The Export Development Program (the Program) supports businesses looking to:
• Increase their sales outside Nova Scotia;
• Improve their competitiveness; and
• Positively impact the Nova Scotia economy.
• The Program provides financial incentives to offset the cost of projects that assist a business
• Ability to overcome barriers to export growth. The qualifying projects include:
• Travel to market cost of visiting a new and/or existing client, potential partner, or
• Investor in another market, or inviting a foreign client and/or potential partner to visit the
• Nova Scotia operation;
• In-person trade show/conference cost of floor space, conference registration fees,
• In-market travel, and accommodations;
• Virtual trade show/conference cost of participation fees, conference registration fees
• And virtual booth space; and
• Consultant/service provider cost of hiring a professional consultant/service provider
• To address challenges or barriers to selling outside Nova Scotia as well as services to
• Improve competitiveness.

Eligibility criteria of the Export Development Program program:

• Applicants must meet the following criteria:
• Be a Nova Scotia registered business in good standing (current registration on the Registry of Joint Stock Companies).
• Have a permanent establishment in Nova Scotia.
• Most of its workforce currently residing in Nova Scotia (some exceptions may apply where it can be demonstrated that the economic benefit can be accrued to Nova Scotia). Contact the Regional Business Development Advisor in your area to discuss.
• Be engaged in, or have imminent plans to engage in, commercial activities outside of Nova Scotia, with fully developed exportable product(s), service(s), technology(ies), and/or intellectual property to the satisfaction of Invest Nova Scotia.
• Have a business plan and a strategy to sell products/services outside Nova Scotia outlining the business target market and distribution channels and challenges in the target market and how they will be overcome.
• Have no outstanding or pending claims/litigation, injunctions, judgments, orders, legal or administrative actions, or similar proceedings against the business, its principals, and/or any related business(es) (some exceptions may apply, contact the Regional Business Development Advisor in your area to discuss).
• The business, principals, and/or any related business(es) shall not be in default of any obligations under any other form of financial assistance and/or incentive program from Invest Nova Scotia, the Province of Nova Scotia, or by any agency of the Province of Nova Scotia. For purposes of this criteria, the Credit Union Small Business Loan Guarantee Program is considered a form of financial assistance provided by the Province of Nova Scotia.
• Businesses and their related entities may be limited to funding for one business only at Invest Nova Scotias sole discretion.