Guidelines

• Businesses funded under this program must demonstrate viability through a sound business plan.
• Applicants must contribute a minimum of 10% equity to the project.
• Equity must be in the form of cash and must be unencumbered.
• Applicant(s) must be of Métis Ancestry operating a business in Saskatchewan.
• If a married or common-law couple own the business and only one is Métis, the Métis person must be integral to the business and the contribution will be no more than one-half of the maximum for eligible project costs.
• If there is a partnership, the business must be 51% owned by a Métis individual and the contribution will be in proportion to the Métis ownership.
• The Métis applicant must be actively involved in the business full-time.
• CCDF’s non-repayable grant, when combined with other Government grants and the client’s equity, should not exceed 50% of eligible project costs.
• Costs incurred prior to CCDF’s receipt of an application will not be eligible for funding.
• The contribution will not support a business that will significantly harm another business (i.e. a second car wash in a small town that cannot support two).
• No administration fees.
• Funding is approved based on need.

Repayment

• This funding is a non-repayable grant.

Eligible Costs:

• Leasehold improvements
• Capital costs
• Marketing costs (website, signage, business cards, other)
• Business support costs (legal and/or bookkeeping for the first year only, environmental studies, business valuations of an existing business, training). Other conditions will apply).

Non-Eligible Costs:

• Bars (alcohol provider), gambling (VLTs), sexually exploitive in nature, pawnshops, payday loans, tobacco retailer or manufacturer, cannabis.
• No passive investments (real estate, apartment buildings, a business someone else is managing)
• Contribution towards an asset that can be perceived to be for personal use (car or pick-up-truck)
• Basic farming & ranching
• Political bodies for political purpose
• Cultural activities
• Payments of dividends

• During the control period, financial statements must be prepared and a report outlining the economic benefits of the project (i.e. jobs created) annually.
• The applicant must reimburse CCDF for selling significant assets financed by MEEP within the first three years of operations.
• If the business does not remain in operation or changes in any significant way during the control period (i.e. acquisition of a partner), the non-repayable MEEP contribution will be deemed to be repayable and collection efforts will commence.