CYBF & CEED working together to support young entrepreneurs in Atlantic Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia July 9th, 2012 -The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is pleased to announce an expanded partnership with CEED — Centre For Entrepreneurship Education and Development Incorporated — to ensure that all eligible young entrepreneurs throughout Atlantic Canada can access the CYBF program.
Entrepreneurs that are interested in the CYBF program in communities across Atlantic Canada that are not currently represented by a CYBF community partner can now have their application processed at CEED in Halifax, NS.
CYBF offers young entrepreneurs age 18-34 a start-up package of mentorship and financing of up to $15,000 via low interest rate start-up financing and may qualify for a match or double match of financing up to $30,000 via CYBF’s partnership with BDC- Business Development Bank of Canada.
“CEED is an outstanding partner for CYBF, and we are very excited about the opportunities this expanded partnership will provide for young entrepreneurs in Atlantic Canada,” says Nicole Osmond – CYBF Director Atlantic Canada. “One of the core strengths of CYBF is its network of community partners that represent CYBF in their local communities. This expanded partnership with CEED will ultimately fill any geographical gaps in CYBF’s coverage in Atlantic Canada such as Charlottetown, PE; Corner Brook, NL, and St. Stephen, NB to name just a few.”
Heather Spidell, CEED President and CEO, notes that CEED has been an award winning CYBF Community Partner for over 10 years and has assisted hundreds of entrepreneurs to access CYBF financing and mentorship. “We are excited about supporting more young entrepreneurs, particularly in rural communities. The expansion of our partnership with CYBF is a positive step that will create opportunities for youth in areas of Atlantic Canada that have had limited access to small business financing.”
“This is evidence that when organizations share the same goals and choose to work collaboratively together, the positive impact this has on our entrepreneur community can be far reaching. The recent success of Zane Kelsall, co-owner of Two if by Sea Café in Dartmouth, winning the $100,000 BDC Grand Prize for Innovation is a great example of a success story that both CEED and CYBF celebrate together,” says Osmond.
To contact CEED’s Loans Officers please phone 1-800-590-8481 or 902-421-2333
For more information please visit www.cybf.ca or www.ceed.ca
-30-
ABOUT THE CANADIAN YOUTH BUSINESS FOUNDATION (CYBF)
Canada’s Entrepreneur Gateway
The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is the ‘go to’ place for youth entrepreneurship. As a national organization, we are dedicated to growing Canada’s economy one young entrepreneur at a time. We look at character not collateral, when providing youth, age 18-34, with pre-launch coaching, business resources, start-up financing and mentoring, to help them launch and sustain a successful entrepreneurial business. CYBF is the founder of G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit (G20 YES) and a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (G20 YEA).
Established in 1996, CYBF has invested to date in more than 5,100 young entrepreneurs, whose businesses have created more than 20,100 new jobs, $143 million in tax revenue and hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and export revenue. CYBF delivers its program coast to coast to coast through a national network of 185 community partners and more than 4,100 volunteers including business mentors. Information about CYBF is available at www.cybf.ca.
About the Centre For Entrepreneurship Education & Development Inc. (CEED)
CEED began in 1993 as an entrepreneurship project jointly funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Education and the Canada/Nova Scotia COOPERATION Agreement on Economic Diversification, with the goal of infusing entrepreneurship into the Nova Scotia school system. In December 1995, the project formally became known as CEED and expanded its focus to include youth outside of the public school system. CEED separated from the Nova Scotia government in July 2002 to become a not-for-profit organization. The organization developed into a multifaceted youth development program for priority youth – teaching employability skills, business planning and experiential entrepreneurial programming. We have developed curriculum for schools, supported economic development through entrepreneurship training, and have supported young entrepreneurs through micro loans, mentorship and personal development programs.
CEED receives funding from the Province of Nova Scotia’s departments of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism, Labour and Advanced Education and Community Services; and Service Canada and ACOA.
For more information:
Nicole Osmond
Director –Atlantic Canada
Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF)
Tel. (902) 407-7709
Heather Spidell
President & CEO
CEED- Centre for Entrepreneurship Education & Development Incorporated
(902) 421-2333 ext. 100