Self-Employ PEI

Overview of the Self-Employ PEI program:

The Self Employ PEI program provides financial and business support to eligible individuals in Prince Edward Island who want to start their own business. The program offers income support for up to 52 weeks while participants work on their business idea, along with training, mentoring, and advice from business professionals. It's aimed at helping new entrepreneurs develop viable businesses and become self-employed. The program is available to residents of PEI who are unemployed or underemployed and are starting a new business or taking over an existing one.

Eligibility criteria of the Self-Employ PEI program:

• If you are unemployed and looking for full time employment you are eligible to apply.
• You must be legally authorized to work in Canada (Canadian citizen or permanent resident);
• You must have a current claim for Employment Insurance benefits; or
• You must have a previous EI claim whose benefit period ended within the previous 60 months; or
• An unemployed person who paid, in at least 5 of the last 10 years, employee's premiums that did not entitle the person for a refund (ie. If the person made less than $2000 in earnings in a year, any EI premiums that they would have paid, would be reimbursed);
• You must not have started the operation of your new business prior to program approval;
• Other criteria may apply.
• IMPORTANT: Applicants must not have started the operation of the proposed business prior to submitting an application for the program.