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The Self Employment Program assists
individuals who are unemployed to create jobs for themselves and
others by providing them with various types of support during
the business start up period. The program offers new
entrepreneurs income benefits for up to 52 weeks, as well as
business management training and counseling.
Who Can
Apply:
To be eligible* for
participation in the Self Employment (SE) Program, you must be
an unemployed individual ("insured participant") as defined by
Section 58 of the Employment Insurance Act. This means that you
are an individual whom:
-
An unemployment benefit
period has been established or has ended within the 36
months (3 years) prior to the date requesting assistance; or
-
A benefit that included a
maternity or parental claim has been established within the
60 months (5 years) prior to the date of requesting
assistance, after which you remained out of the labour
market in order to care for a newborn or newly adopted child
and are not seeking to re-enter the labour force.
* Eligibility, as described above, does not
necessarily entitle individuals to participate in the SE
Program. A selection process takes into account the following:
The Successful Applicant Must:
-
Be unemployed.
-
Be referred from an Employment Assistance
(EAS) Provider.
-
Have a controlling interest in the
proposed business.
-
Reside within the South Eastern Region of
BC and be legally entitled to work in Canada.
-
Be available for a 10 week period to
participate in a business development support program that
includes writing a business plan.
-
Create a business plan which proves
viability and potential for long term employment.
-
Want to start a "new to you" business-
one that you have not had previous ownership in.
-
Be approved for funding before the
business can be started or ownership legally transferred.
One cannot start their business, advertise or in any way
perceive to be in business until such time where an
extension contract has been approved and signed.
-
Have a business venture suitable for
public funding and not exploit sex, religion, or politics.
-
Provide evidence of personal investment
equal to 25% of the total provided by the funder.
-
Create a year round, full-time (minimum
35 hrs/week) employment position. Seasonal businesses will
not be considered unless these seasonal businesses combined,
a create year round venture.
Disqualifications:
There are certain business situations that do
not qualify for SE funding:
-
Businesses who generate their revenues
from commission
-
Take-over of a business that had
previously been declared bankrupt
-
A business that directly competes with a
client currently on the SE Program may not be considered
-
Competition with existing businesses of a
similar nature in the same geographic area may not be
considered. A marketplace review may be required to
determine feasibility.
What Financial Assistance Will You
Receive?
Under the SE Program, if you are
receiving or are eligible for Insurance Benefits, you will
continue to receive these benefits until your claim ends. At
that time, you may receive continued financial support.
How Do I Apply?
-
Contact your local Employment Assistance
Provider and discuss all employment options available to
you.
-
If you are referred to the SE Program,
you will need to find a business opportunity to fit your own
unique skills, talents and interests. You must have either
education or experience in the area you wish to
pursue.
-
Once your referral is received by CFEK,
you will be contacted to set up an appointment for an
orientation session. This meeting will review a variety of
topics such as: program qualifications, logistics and
desired outcomes.
-
Once it is determined that you may be a
suitable candidate, an application will be provided. It will
need to be completed in its entirety and sent to the CFEK
office. When the application is received, it will be
reviewed and processed.
-
You should receive a response within a
week of the deadline date for applications, as identified on
the
SE Program Application
Schedule.
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