3 Government Funding Webinars to Attend in August 2017

We understand the importance of aligning strategic priorities with grants and loans to a business’ growth trajectory. To help businesses become more aware of their funding opportunities, our team hosts monthly webinars to discuss the various funding options. Both federal and provincial governments provide funding for business expansion, capital investment, workforce development, and R&D initiatives.

During the month of August, Mentor Works will be hosting three webinars to discuss funding for export expansion, hiring & training, as well as automotive & manufacturing investments. These sessions will highlight active funding programs and how businesses can get started with these opportunities.

Register to attend an upcoming small business funding webinar to learn how Canadian government grants and loans can accelerate your company’s strategic priorities.

Discover Government Funding Options for Your Growth and Development Initiatives

To register for any of the following webinars, please click on the linked heading below.

August 9 – Automotive and Manufacturing Business Funding

(Webinar) – On August 9, Mentor Works’ Director of Sales, Ryan Fusina, will discuss government funding to automotive and manufacturing businesses. Currently, businesses can access a range of government funding programs to improve the industry’s competitiveness on a global scale.

During this session, attendees will learn how to leverage Canadian government funding for:

• Research, development, and adoption of innovative technologies, products, and/or processes;
• Export expansion in domestic and international markets;
• Productivity improvements, including investments into lean and enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation; and
• Clean technology investments, including the development of environmentally-friendly products and processes.

Although some automotive businesses may be hesitant to invest in large-scale manufacturing projects, Canadian government grants can be leverage to commercialize products faster and improve return-on-investment (ROI).

Some of the government funding programs that will be mentioned during this webinar, include:

• Automotive Supplier Innovation Fund (ASIP): Up to 50% coverage of project expenses to a maximum $10M in Canadian automotive grants;
• Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF): Up to 50% coverage of project costs to a maximum $50M in Canadian government funding; and
• NRC-IRAP Midsize Projects: Up to 50-80% coverage of labour costs to a maximum $500,000 in Canadian research and development grants.

August 15 – Funding to Support Export Expansion

(Webinar) – On August 15, Mentor Works’ Business Development Executive, Alex Barlow, will discuss government funding programs that support small business growth strategies. Since cash flow is often a barrier to export expansion, the federal and provincial governments provide export marketing grants to help businesses enter markets abroad.

Canadian business owners and executives can access export grants to support facility expansion projects, purchasing new capital equipment, and international marketing activities.

Federal and provincial governments both support business development efforts and provide export grants to support global expansion initiatives. Some of the government funding programs that will be discussed during the session, include:

• CanExport: Provides eligible applicants up to 50% coverage of export marketing expenses to a maximum $50,000 in Canadian government grants, per application;
• Export Market Access (EMA): Provides eligible applicants up to 50% coverage of export marketing expenses to a maximum $50,000 in Ontario government funding, per application; and
• AgriMarketing: Provides eligible agri-food businesses with up to 50% coverage of export marketing expenses to a maximum $50,000 in Canadian government grants, per year.

Export expansion projects allow businesses to become more competitive, generate new sources of revenue, and expand their global presence. During this workshop, attendees will discover how to mitigate export expansion risks, how to become exporters through business expansion projects, and how to apply for funding.

August 30 – Funding and Resources for Hiring & Training Top Talent

(Webinar) – On August 30, Mentor Works will partner with TalentEgg.ca to discuss various resources and government funding options that businesses can access to hire and train skilled workers.

TalentEgg.ca is career resource for students, new graduates, and early career professionals. During this workshop, TalentEgg’s President, Mary Barroll, will share best practices to attract and engage students and recent grads. She will also discuss TalentEgg’s updated products and services, such as how to leverage your employer brand and deploy strategies to increase on-campus impact and connect with early career professionals.

Additionally, Mentor Works’ President and Founder, Bernadeen McLeod, will provide further insight into funding for workforce development. Hiring and training grants are available to help businesses enhance their recruitment strategy, upskill employees, and improve productivity.

Some of the small business workforce development grants that will be mentioned, include:

• Canada-Ontario Job Grants (COJG): Provides up to 50-83% coverage of third-party training costs to a maximum $10,000 in grants per trainee;
• Ontario Research Internship Program: Up to 50% to a maximum $10,000 in grants to hire a post-secondary student or graduate for a 4 to 12 month internship; and
• Ontario Research Fellowship Program: Up to $35,000 in grants to hire a post-secondary PhD fellow for up to 12 months to help conduct research for the project.

Attendees will learn how to advertise current job opportunities, motivate and access top talent through internship opportunities, and reduce third-party training costs.

Sign Up for an Upcoming Ontario Small Business Event

Growth-oriented companies can begin accelerating their strategic growth and development projects by applying for government grants and loans. To start this process, learn more about the funding process during one of Mentor Works’ upcoming government funding presentations. If you’re unable to attend a webinar in August, there are still plenty of opportunities to participate in upcoming industry events and government funding workshops.

Register for an upcoming small business funding event to discover what Canadian government funding opportunities are available for your company.