Updated October 2026 · Verified against Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) guidelines
✨ declining ✓ First-Timer Friendly Reimbursement Est. 1995
Forgivable Loan Federal Active

Business Development Program (BDP) - ACOA

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
Loan Range
Varies
Ongoing
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
declining
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Financing share
50%
Business Development Program (BDP) - ACOA offers funding that varies by project. Provides interest-free, repayable contributions to help small and medium-sized enterprises in Atlantic Canada grow, improve productivity, and become more competitive. The program covers up to 50% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Real recipient data

Who actually receives this funding

88 organizations received this funding in 2025 — 12,901 awards since 2006. Typical award: $64.4K. Half of all awards fall between $39.7K and $199.5K. Top sectors among classified recipients: Accommodation, Religious, civic, professional org, Municipal government. Top provinces: Nova Scotia 28% · Newfoundland and Labrador 28% · New Brunswick 27%. Covers: ACOA Business Development Program contributions, all streams. Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure data · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Data through October 2026.

The typical Business Development Program award is $64.4K — the median of 12,901 awards since 2006. In 2025, 88 organizations were funded.

88funded in 2025
$64.4Ktypical award
12,901awards since 2006

Award size distribution. Half of awards fall between $39.7K and $199.5K, with a typical award of $64.4K.

Award sizes middle 50% of awards
$64.4K typical $199.5K
Top sectors AccommodationReligious, civic, professional orgMunicipal government(of classified recipients)
Top provinces NS 28%NL 28%NB 27%

Named recipients

Recipients on record include Destination Cape Breton Association Inc. (Sydney, NS, 2019), River Run Outfitting & Tours Limited (Lewisporte, NL, 2019) and Metro Business Opportunities Corporation (Mount Pearl, NL, 2019).

  1. 2019Destination Cape Breton Association Inc.Sydney, NS · Provincial government
  2. 2019River Run Outfitting & Tours LimitedLewisporte, NL · Accommodation
  3. 2019Metro Business Opportunities CorporationMount Pearl, NL · Municipal government
  4. 2019Island East Tourism Group Inc.St. Peter's Bay, PE · Religious, civic, professional org
  5. 2019Abegweit BandMount Stewart, PE · Indigenous public admin
  6. 2019Federation des Francophones de Terre-Neuve et du LabradorSt-John’s, NL · Religious, civic, professional org
  7. 2019Lennox Island First NationLennox Island, PE · Indigenous public admin
  8. 2019Labrador North Chamber of Commerce Inc.Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL · Religious, civic, professional org
  9. 2019Nunatsiavut GovernmentNain, NL · Indigenous public admin
  10. 2019Reach FoundationStratford, PE · Religious, civic, professional org
Show 28 more recipients
  1. 2019NSMDC - Anqotum Resource ManagementEel Ground, NB · Indigenous public admin
  2. 2019NL Association of CBDC'sMount Pearl, NL · Religious, civic, professional org
  3. 2019Qalipu Mi'kmaq First NationCorner Brook, NL · Indigenous public admin
  4. 2019Gander and Area Chamber of Commerce Inc.Gander, NL · Religious, civic, professional org
  5. 2019McAdam Economic Development CorporationMcAdam, NB · Municipal government
  6. 2019Central Coastal Tourism Partnership Inc.Hunter River, PE · Religious, civic, professional org
  7. 2019Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo SocietyDartmouth, NS · Performing arts
  8. 2019North Cape Coastal Tourism Area Partnership Inc.Alberton, PE · Religious, civic, professional org
  9. 2019Sydney Mines & District Little League AssociationSydney Mines, NS
  10. 2019The PEI HRIA Inc.Charlottetown, PE · Mining, quarrying, oil and gas
  11. 2019RDÉE Î.-P.-É. inc.Wellington, PE
  12. 2019Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of New Brunswick Inc.Saint John, NB
  13. 2019Cajun Cedar Log Cottages LimitedMargaree Forks, NS
  14. 2019Atlantic Provinces Economic CouncilHalifax, NS · Professional, scientific, technical
  15. 2019Cape Breton Regional MunicipalitySydney, NS · Municipal government
  16. 2019The Tank Shop Inc.Caraquet, NB · Fabricated metal products
  17. 2019Mi'kmaw Economic Benefits Office of Nova ScotiaSydney, NS · Indigenous public admin
  18. 2019Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick Inc.Fredericton, NB · Religious, civic, professional org
  19. 2019Research Money Inc.Toronto, ON · Professional, scientific, technical
  20. 2019L'Association Coopérative des Pêcheurs de L'Ile LtéeLamèque, NB · Food manufacturing
  21. 2019Lyceum Heritage SocietySydney, NS · Religious, civic, professional org
  22. 2014Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Inc.Winnipeg, MB
  23. 2014Superior Glove Works LimitedActon, ON
  24. 2014CertainTeed Gypsum Canada, Inc.Mississauga, ON
  25. 2014Portsmouth Atlantic Ltd.Charlottetown
  26. 2014Les Tourbières Berger Ltée/Berger Peat Moss Ltd.Saint-Modeste, QC
  27. 2013Scottywood CorporationWest Vancouver, BC
  28. 2013Halifax International Security ForumWashington, DC
See how much each recipient received, and how each award compares to the typical one. Included in Premium ↓

Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure

See all Business Development Program winners →

What it actually funds

This program most often pays for facility builds

45% of 146 awards to businesses since April 2023 went to building or expanding a facility, and 44% to emergency relief and recovery.

Where the money went share of 146 awards

  • Building or expanding a facility45% 66

    Projects of this kind typically received $125K since April 2023.

  • Emergency relief and recovery44% 64

    Projects of this kind typically received $89K since April 2023.

  • Marketing and sales5% 8

    Real projects funded, in the government’s own words

    • Develop marketing assets to promote year-round tourism
    • Support a digital marketing project to increase visitors from outside Atlantic Canada
  • Other project types 5%services for other businesses or a community, studies, plans and outside advice, adopting existing technology and more

Rare here: buying equipment or machinery (<1%). Only 9% of these projects created something new; most bought or expanded something that already exists.

Real projects funded in the government’s own words

Building or expanding a facility

  • Enhance customer experience by establishing an event space and modernizing accommodations
  • Establish glamping resort in Kouchibouguac, NB, to increase tourism activity in the region

Emergency relief and recovery

  • Support debris removal and trail rebuilding as a result of Hurricane Fiona
  • Support cash flow requirements for the execution of a major contract
More about these projects

New, or more of what already works?

9% created something new75% bought or expanded something that already exists

The remaining 16% were a mix of both, or the description did not say.

  • 34%Leaves a physical asset behind
  • 0%Aimed at markets outside Canada
  • <1%Claims an environmental benefit

How we know: we read the government’s published description of each award; an AI classifier sorted them, and we hand-checked a sample (92% correct). Individual awards can be misfiled, so read the shares as approximate. 29 more awards had descriptions too vague to sort and are left out. Federal disclosure lists awards above $25,000 only. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.

Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

Free

Program Description

Provides interest-free, repayable contributions to help small and medium-sized enterprises in Atlantic Canada grow, improve productivity, and become more competitive.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) located in Atlantic Canada (NL, PE, NS, or NB)
  • Must be incorporated; no minimum operating history — ACOA funds both expansions and new businesses ("finance your next expansion or start a new business")
  • Must be profitable (or have a viable path to profitability)
  • Project must support business growth, productivity improvement, or competitiveness
  • Non-profit organizations may apply for community economic development activities
Provinces
Newfoundland & Labrador Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia New Brunswick
Industries
All
Business Stage
Growth Expansion Established

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Low
First-Timer
Friendly

Funding Details

Amount
Varies (Repayable Contribution)
Type
Forgivable Loan
Level
Federal
Financing share
Up to 50% of eligible costs
Deadline
Ongoing

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Low
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Moderate
Accessibility
4/5

Accessible — straightforward requirements

Competition
2/5

Below average competition

Difficulty
3/5

Moderate — standard requirements

Approval Rate
Processing Time
Budget Trend
Premium See your real odds, processing time and budget trend for this program — and exactly what it takes to win it.

How to qualify

Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like

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Insider Tip

The BDP is still listed on ACOA's website, but the 2023 evaluation showed commercial activity collapsed to just 6 projects by 2021-22.

Premium See what trips up most applicants for this program — and how to avoid it.

Rejection Pitfalls 8

  • Business not located in or benefiting Atlantic Canada (NL, PE, NS, NB)
+7 more pitfalls
Premium See the most common reasons applications get rejected — before you submit yours.

Success Profile

Premium See what successful applicants for this program actually look like.

Evaluation Criteria

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Premium All 8 pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to secure BDP

Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

Premium 6 steps 7 docs

Application Steps

1 Initial contact with regional ACOA office (mandatory) Call 1-888-576-4444 or contact your regional ACOA office. Describe your project informally. Do NOT submit a cold application — ACOA expects pre-consultation. An ACOA program officer will confirm fit and recommend the appropriate program (BDP vs REGI BSP).

Required Documents 7

✓ Completed Application for Financial Assistance form
✓ Incorporation documents and ownership details (names and percentage ownership)

Eligible Expenses 10

Ineligible Expenses 11

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

Premium The full guide for this program also covers:
  • 5 more application steps
  • 5 more required documents
  • 10 eligible expenses
  • 11 ineligible expenses
  • Deadline notes
  • Ineligible organizations

Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

Premium 6 partners

Compatible Programs

SR&ED Tax Credit NRC IRAP CanExport SMEs Provincial programs (NSBI, NBIF, Innovate NL, Innovation PEI) BDC Financing ACOA REGI Business Scale-up
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

Premium See which programs combine with this one — and how much more you could get.

How BDP Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

Free
Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
Business Development Program (BDP) - ... Varies (Repayable Contribution) Moderate Reimbursement Ongoing
NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program $100,000–$500,000 Hard Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Ongoing
CanExport SMEs Up to $50,000 Moderate Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Between intakes — the...
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency ... Up to 50% of capital costs Moderate Reimbursement Ongoing
Regional Development Corporation - Ru... Varies Moderate Reimbursement Ongoing

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about BDP

Free
Can sole proprietors apply?
No. Must be incorporated and have operated for over two years. Non-profits can apply for community development only.
What's the realistic award size?
Typical commercial projects: $25K–$500K. Most BDP-I innovation projects were $250K or less. Capital projects require 50% co-funding (e.g., $50K ACOA on $100K total).
Do I need to consult ACOA before applying?
Yes. Submitting without prior consultation is a common rejection reason. Call 1-888-576-4444 to discuss your project first.
Can I stack with other programs?
Yes, but total government funding can't exceed 100% of eligible costs. Compatible with SR&ED, IRAP, CanExport, and provincial programs. Not compatible with REGI Business Scale-up for same project.
How long until I get paid?
Reimbursement model: pay upfront, submit receipts. Approval takes 3–6 months after submission. Budget availability fluctuates year-round.

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