Small Business Funding Grants for Exports, International Expansion

CAMBRIDGE, Ontario, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The global market is becoming more and more accessible to Canadian small businesses. This can be attributed to improving international trade relations, as well as the Internet, which has broken down many of the traditional trade barriers. The Canadian Government has taken notice of this trend and has implemented several government funding programs to support Canadian businesses' diversification and competitiveness in international markets.

Export Market Access: International Trade Show & Marketing Grant

FedDev Ontario supports the Ontario government funding program, Export Market Access, which aids small businesses in Ontario to develop relationships and increase their exposure in key international markets. The Canadian government funding program covers 50% of all eligible expenses up to $30,000 per trade show. Two applications can be submitted per year, creating potential for $60,000 per year towards trade show activities. For a list of high profile international trade shows, please visit the Ontario Government's Calendar of Trade Events.

Eligible expenses include trade show admission and booth space, booth-related costs such as rentals and cleaning, freight, marketing materials, per diem allowance, market and competitive research, and follow-up activities. Mentor Works suggests that you submit an application around 12 weeks prior to your trade show to make sure you have time to purchase all expenses, as the funding is not retroactive and any eligible costs made before an application is approved will become ineligible.

Going Global Innovation: International Partnership Grant

Created by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, the Going Global Innovation program was created to assist international partnerships aimed at creating a new innovation or product in Canada. All involved partners must contribute their unique specialization in an attempt to commercialize a new technology or product for the Canadian marketplace. The small business funding program covers 75% of eligible expenses up to $75,000.

Eligible costs include meeting and travel costs, translation, meals and incidentals, accommodations, and mobile phone usage. All participating employees from the Canadian organization must have a valid Canadian passport.

Ontario Exporters Fund: Export Readiness & Export Development Grant

FedDev Ontario has recently updated the Ontario Exporters Fund, making it one of the more accessible Canadian government grants for international business development. The two-streamed funding program either covers $5,000 towards a Market Readiness Assessment in a new prospective market or $50,000 towards a newly hired Export Manager's first year salary.

Eligibility requirements for this program state that the applicant must have 5-500 employees, be established in Ontario, be an incorporated for at least two years, and have 10-50% export sales as a percentage of total sales for the Export Manager stream and up to 10% for the Market Readiness Assessment stream.

Mentor Works: The Canadian Government Funding Experts

The Ontario-based company, Mentor Works, specializes in helping small businesses find proper funding to help solve their business challenges. Canadian government funding is available for practically every business problem, including business expansion, research and development, human resources & training, and capital investment funding programs. If you would like to learn more about the Canadian business grants and loans for small businesses, please sign up for Mentor Works' Free 60 Minute Government Funding Workshop, held every two weeks in Burlington, Cambridge, or Hamilton, Ontario. Also, be sure to visit our website at http://www.mentorworks.ca.

Media Contact: Bernadeen McLeod, Mentor Works Ltd., 1 (888) 599-3111, info@mentorworks.ca

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SOURCE Mentor Works Ltd.

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