To find out if you are eligible for Self Employment Assistance, contact:

Service Canada

English Enquiries 1-800-206-7218

http://servicecanada.gc.ca/en/home.html

To qualify you must be unemployed or working less than 20 hours a week and:

• You have an EI (Employment Insurance) benefit period established with Service Canada, or,
• You have an EI benefit period ended within the last 36 months, or
• You are re-entering the labour force after having left it to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. The benefit period must have begun within the last 60 months during which you were paid maternity or parental benefits, and you have no re-call rights to your previous employer.

Your proposed business must be:

• A full-time business venture
• A new business, or
• An existing business in which you had no prior ownership, and
• Suitable for public funding (e.g. must not exploit sex, religion or politics).

The business concept may be:

• Seasonal in nature; however, you must demonstrate how you will devote a full-time effort to the business for the duration of Self Employment Assistance (SEA) period.
• A home-based venture.
• A conversion of a hobby to a business.

The business cannot be:

• Based solely on commission or solely contracted by another business.
• A part-time business.
• Previously owned or similar to a business previously owned by you, the applicant.

You must also demonstrate that you can finance the start up and operation of the business.

If you are considering a partnership or incorporation, you will be required to demonstrate through the partnership agreement or letters of incorporation that you are the decision-maker in control of the business.

If you are considering a franchise, you will be required to demonstrate the franchiser is not providing training or support to you the franchisee, and that you are the decision-maker in control of the business.

Francais

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