Archive for the ‘business grants’ Category
Are Government Business Grants a Myth?
We’ve received numerous emails and phone calls asking if you can find anymore federal grants for individuals for starting or expanding an enterprise. People sometimes suggest that they have been talking with a government official who exclaimed that there are no government grants for women anymore. While this isn’t surprising to listen to it really is bothersome which is simply not true. You will find federal grants for individuals designed for starting or expanding a company.
I can list several examples here but frankly that’s the information we reserve for our website subscribers. I will share one excellent grant program with you however, the Self Employment Benefit program. This is a program that can pay out a grant of approximately $450.00 weekly while you’re preparing your business plan or operating your business. The grant is payable to get a maximum of 52 weeks, 78 weeks if your are you aren’t a disability.
With programs this way available, why then a few government officials advising people that there are no grants anymore? There are primarily three reasons:
1) The Specialist – Previously being using the Government of Canada for 14 years, Let me tell you that bureaucrats are famous or infamous depending upon your point of view, for lacking familiarity with what happens beyond their very own departments/agencies. They are often not aware of the programs of some other division within their own departments. They may not be the reason for nevertheless this.
Historically, governments have delivered their programs using the “specialist” model whereby a person might let you know all you could ever desired to learn about his or her area of expertise but precious little about anything else. There were attempts at utilizing a generalist service delivery model i.e. government employees who’ve an operating familiarity with many programs but lack expertise in almost any of which. You’ve probably heard terms including “the single window approach” used to go into detail this philosophy. Unfortunately this process has been slow to catch on and also the specialist approach to program delivery continues to be prevalent. Consequently a government employee may advise you that we now have no grants available given that they do not know the real difference.
2) Terminology – I personally don’t like to state the obvious, but government terminology is confusing. Many government programs provide funding which is non – repayable but are not called grants. There exists a legal basis for although it’s at night scope want to know ,. These are sometimes called “contribution agreements” or another similar name however the bottom line is these are “non – repayable.” When you’re speaking with a government employee, don’t ask if you will find any grants, ask if you can find any non repayable contributions available. You will get some other answer.
3) Third Party Delivery – Some gov departments finance 3rd party sectoral or community based organizations to administer funding for the kids. As an example: In British Columbia, Canada there exists a company called Forestry Innovation Investment Limited. They offer funding for applied research, developing the site and international marketing activities. This is simply not a government department or agency. This can be a company which was incorporated within the Company Act of British Columbia but guess what? The Province of British Columbia, as represented with the Minister of Forests, is the sole shareholder in the company.
There’s nothing deceptive here for the federal government. I’m sure they have got their advantages for taking this way of service delivery. The thing is in case you ask a government employee if the Ministry of Forests provides funding for product, you may be told, no and technically that might be correct. Forestry Innovation Investment Limited, that is owned through the Ministry of Forests, can give funding however and that could possibly be the very funding you may need to your venture.
I hope We have helped you realize your quest for government funding involves greater than asking a government employee if you can find any grants available because depending upon whom you talk with and the terminology you employ, you might come away misinformed.