INTRODUCTION

PEIBWA is launching a suite of Transitioning Toward Growth programs which are funded by the Department of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture through the Canada-PEI labour market agreements to support women in business across Prince Edward Island.

Transitioning Toward Growth programming will develop women’s business skills and confidence using advanced technology, capitalizing on supplier diversity, engaging in research and development and subsequent innovation, increasing productivity and profitability, and exporting.

The three programs include:
 
  A) Accelerate HER PEI
  
  B) MAPS 2.0

  C) Moving Women Online 2.0

These programs aim to support women business owners in various stages of growth and provide assistance at a critical time of recovery as a result of COVID-19. 

Program applications extended until April 30rd, 2021 5PM ADT

OVERALL CRITERIA

Selection criteria includes but is not limited to:
- Clarity of application (well-presented, goal oriented, clear, thoughtful)
- Specified impact of COVID-19 on the business
- Articulation of business goals and the well-defined impact anticipated as a result of receiving support

Applicants may indicate interest in more than one program, however due to the concurrency of the programming, successful applicants will only be approved for one. Please note that this is a competitive process and not all applicants will be approved. 

The decision to fund all or part of an applicant's request will depend on its fit with the program intent and eligibility criteria, as well as the overall demand. All non-Canadian or publicly traded companies or companies owned by the same are excluded from this program. Additionally, corporate operations of a franchise network with establishments located outside of PEI are excluded from this program. Only locally owned for-profit businesses are eligible. Specific length of time in operation (e.g. 1 year or more in operation) and ownership criteria vary and are outlined in each subprogram's details. 

Criteria for regional diversity, sector representation, project scope, and client need will also be assessed when selecting recipients in a competitive process administered by PEIBWA's selection committee.


Disclaimer: An application submission does not guarantee approval. The number of projects that can be supported and the degree of support a project receives will be determined by the program budget and at the discretion of the selection committee. Not all qualified applications are guaranteed to receive support. Any business that has previously received support through earlier PEIBWA programming, including but not limited to the earlier iterations of these three programs may apply, but preference will be given to companies that have not previously received support. As determined by the review committee, approved funding amounts may be different from application estimates.

Preference may be given to underrepresented populations, including but not limited to, rural women, Indigenous women and women of colour, women in trades and STEAM disciplines, newcomers, and women with disabilities.


Accelerate HER PEI

Accelerate HER PEI is a 12 week program led by PEIBWA and the Atlantic Canadian Women in Growth Partnership. The program will be delivered from PEIBWA’s Rural Women’s Business Centre in Central Bedeque - both in-person and virtually. This program is designed for businesses in the early growth stage of development, and businesses who may find themselves taking a new direction. Participants take part in weekly group meetings facilitated by a Business Advisor and participate in training with subject matter experts and through workshops. Participants will also be matched with a mentor in their field for individual support throughout.

ELIGIBILITY
-Women-owned, for-profit businesses (defined as being at least 51% woman or women owned), in any sector
-Businesses currently registered in PEI
-In continuous operation for at least one year (as of April 1, 2021)

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES & COMPONENTS
●        Dedicated workspace for the cohort on site at the Rural Women’s Business Centre in Central Bedeque
●        At least, two hours per week of group learning (in-person/virtual), based at the Rural Women’s Business Centre
●        Peer support and networking with other women business owners
●        Weekly goal setting and follow-up with preparatory resources
●        Pool of expert presenters to speak on a variety of business topics based on intake assessment of participants
●        One-on-One matchmaking with an experienced business owner/entrepreneur mentor
●        Bi-weekly meetings with assigned mentor 
●        Access to business advisory support, program resources and materials

Program Start: May 12, 2021    Program End: July 28, 2021
MAPS 2.0

ELIGIBILITY

All women-owned, for-profit businesses (defined as being at least 51% owned by a woman or women), in any sector, currently registered in Prince Edward Island that have been in continuous operation for at least one (1) year (i.e. business registered with Province of PEI April 01, 2020 or prior) are eligible to apply. 

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

MAPS 2.0 funding is intended to assist businesses in managing the effects of COVID-19 and its impacts. Advisory and professional services aimed at providing momentum will be contracted on behalf of the participating business for projects in the following categories:

Business Operations – may include but not limited to how to source funding, private and public sector procurement assistance, human resources advice, marketing strategy, export planning, etc.

Business Transformation - may include but not limited to how to move services/products on-line; advice on responding to current urgencies and priorities of clients; preparedness planning; strategic business growth planning.

Recovery Measures – may include but not be limited to reinventing a business; revised business growth plans for post-COVID environment; assistance with retaining/rehiring staff; alternative supply and product development models.

Other activities that will support the objectives of the overall program initiatives.

Please note: Funds cannot be used for infrastructure, capital purchases, rent and/or wages. 

COSTS

MAPS 2.0 will cover 100% of all professional service and advisory costs associated with the project up to $15,000. While there is no financial contribution required of the client, there is an expectation of a time commitment during the project and through the evaluation phase. This time contribution is expected to vary based on the individual project and will be discussed and mutually agreed upon on a case-by-case basis.

Project value may not exceed a maximum request of 25% of the applicant's total of revenue from April 01, 2020 to March 31, 2021. Evidence of financial details may be requested after application is received.

Funding is limited to professional services and may not be used for the purchase of goods, including personal protective equipment, technology or software licenses, nor can it be used for capital expenditures, rent, wages or any other standard operational costs.

PROCESS

Upon conditional approval, the client will work with the PEIBWA program lead to contract a professional service provider. Should the applicant not have a consultant in mind at the time of application, PEIBWA will work with the business to find the right support. If the applicant wishes to work with a particular provider, that provider is asked to submit a profile to PEIBWA's Professional Services Registry for vetting.  

Once the provider has been selected and approved, an initial signing payment of 25% of total project funding will be released to the service provider upon contract signing with the remainder payable upon conclusion of the project and upon receipt of a final report that is approved by the client.

TIMELINE

Program application closes on April 23rd 5PM ADT. 
All project applications will be reviewed but only successful applicants will be contacted.
The selection process is expected to take approximately two weeks.
Approved projects must be completed by July 16th, 2021.
Moving Women Online 2.0
(Website Build or Enhancement/e-Commerce Platform Add-on & Group Training)

Moving Women Online 2.0 will build on the successful program delivered by ACWGPP and PEIBWA in 2020 to provide support and training to PEI women business owners to enhance their online presence and to incorporate eCommerce platforms into a current website.

This program will be delivered virtually and is open to women-owned businesses from across PEI. The program will be delivered through a combination of group training and individual hands-on technical support to two cohorts of women-owned businesses between May 1 – July 31, 2021:

Early-stage business (or established business) requiring a new online presence.
Established business requiring the adoption (and training) for an eCommerce platform add on to current website.
Additional resources and training on SEO, website security, marketing, and social media will be part of this program.

NOTE: It is highly recommended that all applicants have a clear business strategy and ready access to administration of current website and marketing elements, such as images and business logo.

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