NL Business Growth Program
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Winning means you must credit the funder publicly. 16 ask that.
- Scored mainly on market demand and growth. 19 lead with that.
- Asks 28 written answers. The median programme we have read asks 5.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Non-repayable provincial contributions to help NL businesses start, innovate, scale, and expand sales. Covers up to 50% of eligible project costs for productivity improvements, commercialization, market growth, and business development across all sectors. Separate Development & Commercialization stream available up to $750,000.
Eligibility Requirements
- For-profit businesses (sole proprietors, partnerships, corporations), co-ops, or commercial non-profits in NL
- Must demonstrate commercial viability
- Must confirm access to the remaining funds needed to complete the project, with a minimum 20% demonstrated contribution from the applicant
- Must be in good standing with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (Companies and Deeds Online, WorkplaceNL, Office of the High Sheriff, Department of Finance, and the Office of the Comptroller General)
- Must be in good standing with the Canada Revenue Agency
- Project must not be in direct competition with local market entities
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $200,000 (standard) or $750,000 (D&C stream)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Moderate — standard application process
Moderate competition — prepare a strong application
Moderate — standard requirements
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipContact your regional JGRD office before applying — they'll guide you to the correct stream.
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How NL Business Growth Program judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on gov.nl.ca, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-10.
6 of the sources
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What NL Business Growth Program favours
Make title brief and show project purpose◦
“Provide a brief, concise title that conveys the purpose of the proposed project.”
The form
Before you apply
- 1Contact a JGRD representative before applyingyes/no + written
Please contact a JGRD representative prior to submitting an application to discuss your proposal.
- 2Eligible Applicantsselection
- 3Applicants must demonstratecheckboxes
- 4Ineligible Applicantscheckboxes
Commercial application form
- 5Applicant Identificationshort answer
- 6Project Costs and Financingtable
- 7List Affiliated /Associated Companieslist
- 8Employmenttable
- 9Existing Debt with Governmenttable
- 10Debt Settled or Written Off by Governmenttable
- 11Applicant’s Declaration / Consent and Disclosurecheckbox
Commercial project proposal
- 12Project Titleshort answer
- 13Business Descriptionwritten answer
Provide a brief history of the company. Describe the type of product(s) or service(s) your business offers. You may also outline your company’s strategic plans and goals.
- 14Project Descriptionwritten answer
- 15Productivity Improvement and Innovationwritten answer
- 16Knowledge and Technical Assistancewritten answer
- 17Growth and Internationalizationwritten answer
- 18travel for market developmentwritten answer
- 19Ownership / Affiliated Companies / Project Leadership Teamwritten answer
- 20Key Collaboratorswritten answer
- 21Summary of Progress to Datewritten answer
- 22Regulatory Approvalswritten answer
- 23Intellectual Propertywritten answer
- 24Project Costs and Financingwritten answer
- 25Commercialization Strategywritten answer
- 26Supporting Documentation Checklistcheckboxes
D&C application form
- 27Section 1: Applicant Detailsshort answer
- 28Good standing questionsselection
- 29Section 2: Project Detailsshort answer
- 30Financial or legal commitments already madeyes/no + written
- 31Project Descriptionwritten answer
- 32Technology Readiness Level (start and anticipated)selection
- 33Section 3: Project Statement of Work — Description of Major Activitiestable
- 34Milestonestable
- 35Project Scheduletable
- 36Section 4: Detailed Project Costspreadsheet
- 37Project Cash Flow Forecasttable
- Section 5Section 5: Detailed Project Financingspreadsheet
- Section 6Section 6: Confidentiality & Declarationcheckbox
D&C project proposal (Appendix 1)
- 40Executive Summarywritten answer
- 41Project Overviewwritten answer
- 42Company Background, Ownership and Leadership Teamwritten answer
- 43Research and Development Teamwritten answer
- 44Summary of Equipment and/or Facilitieswritten answer
- 45Key Collaboratorswritten answer
- 46Technical Project Plan and Summary of Progress to Datewritten answer
- 47Project Activitiestable
- 48Project Milestonestable
- 49Project Location and Travelwritten answer
- 50Regulatory Approvalswritten answer
- 51Intellectual Propertywritten answer
- 52Project Costs and Financingwritten answer
- 53Commercialization Strategywritten answer
D&C document checklist (Appendix 2)
- 54Appendix 2: Required Documentation Checklistcheckboxes
NL Business Growth Program states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Will this make the business grow?
Show them Show how the project lifts sales, productivity or jobs, and tie it to one of the four priorities.◦
In the funder’s words · 2
- Commercial viability
- Investments under the Business Growth Program will be aligned with the following priorities
- 2
Can this team actually do the work?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 3
Is the rest of the money really secured?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 4
Do they owe government anything?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
3 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“An assessment of your project will not commence until JGRD has received a complete application including the application form and all supporting documentation.”
“I acknowledge that failure not to disclose relevant information may result in cancellation of this application by JGRD.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 16 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
13 more rules that can reject you · 4 more criteria · 42 more prompts
Do you pass?
16 can rule you out; 1 is a preference. Tick the ones you meet.
You
Past projects may limit support
Contributions may be limited or declined based on the nature of an applicant's previously proposed/approved projects.
Your business
NL growth-focused or innovative firm
Growth-focused, innovative firms including sole proprietors, partnerships or corporations operating within Newfoundland and Labrador that demonstrate commercial viability
Your organisation
NL co-op or non-profit with revenue
Co-operatives or non-profit organizations operating within Newfoundland and Labrador that demonstrate an ability to generate commercial revenue or are pursuing international trade or economic development opportunities.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Commercial ceiling50 per cent, max $200,000
Contributions will be non-repayable and normally up to 50 per cent of total eligible project costs, to a maximum of $200,000 over 24 months per project, per company. The maximum amount that can be disbursed per fiscal year is $100,000.
D&C ceilingmaximum $750,000
Maximum BGP funding is normally up to $750,000.
Government assistance cap80 per cent of eligible costs
Total combined government assistance (provincial, federal, municipal) shall not exceed 80 per cent of total eligible project costs.
GST/HST treatmentOnly tax not refunded by CRA
Applicants who are entitled to a Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) rebate or credit on a portion of GST/HST paid on goods and services, deemed eligible under a BGP project are permitted to claim only the portion of tax not refunded by CRA.
Your shareMinimum 20 per cent applicant contribution
A minimum 20 per cent demonstrated project contribution is required from the applicant.
StackingGovernment assistance capped at 80 per cent
Total combined government assistance (provincial, federal, municipal) shall not exceed 80 per cent of total eligible project costs.
What it pays for · 3
- Capital costs such as special purpose equipment, machinery and other R&D related infrastructure.
- Direct costs such as materials and consumables, travel to conduct research activities, patent searches and filing fees, testing or certification fees, consultant and subcontractor fees.
- Eligible costs must be incremental to the company and directly related to the research project
From application to money
- Talk to JGRD firstTalk to JGRD officer first
- Submit signed applicationSubmit signed form, proposal, documents
- Assessment and expert adviceJGRD may seek expert advice
- Letter of FinancingLetter of Financing sets offer
- Results monitoring reportResults monitoring after D&C approval
In the funder’s words · 5
- Talk to JGRD first
- Contact your regional JGRD officer to talk through the project before you write the proposal.
- Submit signed application
- Send the signed form, the proposal and the supporting documents to your JGRD office, or to [email protected] for D&C.
- Assessment and expert advice
- JGRD may ask for more information, and some projects are referred to outside experts, including confidential scientific reviewers for D&C.
- Letter of Financing
- A “Letter of Financing” sets out the offer and the public-disclosure agreement you accept.
- Results monitoring report
- D&C approvals are subject to results monitoring after the project ends.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win NL Business Growth Program
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 4-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 4-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 4
Eligible Expenses 8
Ineligible Expenses 5
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow NL Business Growth Program Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL Business Growth Program | Up to $200,000 | Moderate | Reimbursement | 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 |
| Business Development Program (BDP) - ... | Varies (Repayable Contribution) | Moderate | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| REGI Business Scale-up and Productivi... | Typically $100,000-$2,000,000 | Hard | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about NL Business Growth Program