Eligibility for CanExport Community Investments funding
Who can apply
Eligible recipients are Canadian communities and non-profit, locally based organizations that are seeking assistance, for example:
to offset costs associated with developing marketing tools aimed at foreign investors;
for specific FDI training;
to identify potential investors and/or coordinate interactions with them; or
to develop and implement multi-year international investment attraction and retention strategies.
Please note that eligible recipients must be incorporated (legal entities) and able to enter into legally binding agreements.
The adjudication committees may support the provision of a contribution to a community or not-for profit organization acting as a third party or intermediary on behalf of a number of eligible communities.
Specifically excluded as eligible recipients are departments, agencies, Crown corporations and other organizations at the federal or provincial level.
Eligible and ineligible expenses
Applicants should carefully review the following lists of eligible and ineligible expenses before completing their application form. The first list of eligible and ineligible expenses is arranged by activity category. The subsequent list of ineligible expenses applies to all activities. Please be sure to align the expenses listed for each component of your project with the correct eligible expenses.
Eligible and ineligible expenses
Component Type
Eligible
Ineligible
FDI Strategic Planning and Analysis
Research and studies: identification of targets, comparative competitive analyses, development of business cases, business retention and expansion studies etc.
Economic data: collection of community and economic data for investment profiles, etc.
Strategic FDI planning: development of strategic plans, community consultations
Translation: translation of documents or website content into either of Canada's official languages or foreign languages
Consultant fees1 and intern salary2
Research activities not associated with investment attraction, retention and expansion
Collection or purchase of statistical data not associated with investment attraction, retention or expansion activities
FDI tool and material development
Promotional material (print or electronic): design and layout only
Software customization (but not the cost of software license or off-the-shelf add-on modules)
Website development: development and/or major redesign, addition of significant architecture and functionality
Translation: translation of documents or website content into either one of Canada's official languages or foreign languages
Cost affiliated with site selection criteria/certification
Production of FDI promotional videos
Consultant fees1 and intern salary2
Regular website maintenance and updating web content, site hosting, software licensing
Corporate logo design, costs of printing, pressing CDs or DVDs
Design and layout of non-investment ads (promoting tourism, for example), cost of ad placement in any media
Branding
No presence of political representatives in the recorded video is allowed
FDI training
Training as part of the community's investment attraction and retention strategy for employees of the Community (or economic development agency) at different level of expertise, including FDI customized training
Travel costs (only for economic development staff and only in association with an investment training program), including transportation3, airport departure taxes, fees and insurance, and a per diem4, which includes accommodation, meals, and incidentals
Note: when low ratio of staff is requesting customized training, collaboration with regional partners is encouraged
Consultants hired to facilitate a session (i.e., moderator/facilitator)
Conferences and forums
FDI Lead Generation and Meetings with Potential Investors
Meeting room rental abroad
Travel costs for maximum of two employees of the organization per trip (economy fare5 and per diem4
Talent attraction mission (includes meeting rooms, material, collection of data)
Research to target companies
Translation: translation of documents or website content into either of Canada's official languages or foreign languages
FDI attraction seminar
Costs to develop targeted cases for follow-up with potential investors
Consultant fees1 and intern salary2
Logistics
Travel costs incurred by partners or consultants
Travel costs incurred by potential investors
1 Consultants are expected to have a specific expertise outside of what the community would normally have.
2 An intern should be a graduate student, an undergraduate in their last year of studies, or a recent graduate (recent is defined as in the last three years). The mandate of the intern must be FDI specific, with a contract of up to one program calendar year, and a maximum of $50,000 (CECI covers 50%, therefore a maximum of $25,000).
3 Travel (transportation) - If a traveller chooses to use bus, car, or train to travel to an event as an alternative to flying, the claimed expense cannot exceed what an equivalent straight route economy class airfare would be expected to cost.
4 Travel (per diem) - a per diem of $500 per day incurred by travellers for accommodation, meals and incidentals and will therefore reimburse applicants 50% of a per diem incurred.
5 Travel (Airfare) - Only the cost of return economy class airfare for the straight route is eligible. Applicants are expected to provide economy airfare estimates in the application that are reasonable, economical and take into account, where possible, advance booking.
Ineligible expenses related to all activities
Ineligible expenses related to all activities
Expense type
Ineligible
Consultants
Consultant or contractor fees are ineligible where there are indications of an employer-employee relationship (e.g. contractor/consultant shares office space, has business cards of the organization, has a title of responsibility within the organization, has a presence on the website of the recipient, etc.)
A contractor or consultant cannot be a representative from a current CanExport Community Investments recipient organization
Taxes
GST, PST, HST, VAT or taxes applied by foreign governments
Trade show/conference/forum participation
Registration fees at international trade shows or conferences (in Canada and abroad)
Booth design / purchase / assembly and shipping
Design of promotional material specifically for a trade show
Overhead costs such as pre-show mailing
Stationery and long distance phone calls
Consultant costs for organizing outgoing missions (including training participants)
Cost of developing an advertisement (design and layout) for show-specific publications
Hospitality
Cost of meals or alcohol; lodging; clothing and uniforms; and all giveaways
Activities or projects related to attracting infrastructure for tourism and motion picture industries
E.g.: to develop ski resorts, theme parks and film production facilities
Capital costs
Infrastructure development
Capital expenditures to acquire or enhance assets
Software licenses
Electronics (computers, fax, machines, digital cameras, etc.)
Demonstration aids
Capital costs include the direct costs of acquisition, construction, expansion, modification, conversion, transportation, installation and insurance (during construction) of fixed assets, as well as the cost of licensing and franchising fees
Overhead and operating costs
Postage, including postage for direct mail campaigns
Phone
Office space rental
Photocopying
Salaries and benefits of personnel
Miscellaneous
Activities to attract investment from inside Canada
Costs incurred before the application's approval date
Activities for which one or more partners expect to receive compensation in the form of a commission, finder's fee, or other forms of remuneration
Promotion activities related to properties or business investment in which one or more partners receives a personal or corporate financial gain
Giveaways (gifts, events/shows/concert tickets, logo items, cups, mugs, pens, etc.)
