Entrepreneur in the Making

A Nigerian women in a chef's jacket smiles with an array of food and cake in front of her.

Sekinah Alagbe grew her catering business, Saffy's Eat and Treats, after receiving funding from the Scotiabank Entrepreneur in the Making Program. Read more about Sekinah's entrepreneurial journey

Funding for your small business

To help kick-start or expand businesses across Nova Scotia, funding is available to NSCC students and alumni.

If you have a savvy business idea, and the desire to launch or grow a company, apply for the Scotiabank Entrepreneur in the Making (EITM) program.

The EITM program is available at all 14 NSCC campuses with eight (8) $3,000 grants, one grant allocated per region (Northern, Valley, Southwest, Eastern, Metro, Sydney Waterfront, Ivany Campus & eCampus), thanks to the generous support of Scotiabank.

Eligibility

Application requirements:

Be a current NSCC student or alumni. Students must be enrolled in any part-time (40% or more course load) or full-time program at NSCC
Student applicants must be in good academic standing
Alumni applicants are eligible, pending verification of graduation status by NSCC
Have viable business goals and objectives
Be an entrepreneur looking to start or expand your business
Clearly describe entrepreneurial aspirations through the program’s application
NSCC and Scotiabank employees are not eligible to apply for this grant

All applications are welcome. Preference will be given to applicants from equity-deserving groups*. Eligible applicants can also apply for EITM's Black and African Nova Scotian Cohort and Mi'kmaq and Indigenous Cohort when they open for applications.

Program details

Successful applicants will receive:

One-time funding, up to a maximum of $3,000
Peer to Peer Scrum sessions
Optional financial planning through Scotiabank**
Mentorship and networking opportunities**
Access to programming that includes webinars and workshops**

$24,000 in funding is available across all campuses each year from Scotiabank.

Funding overview

Scotiabank offers $24,000 in funding through EITM for NSCC students and alumni, with one recipient in each region.

**Thanks to the generous program development funding by Scotiabank, all EITM grant recipients benefit from these additional wraparound learning opportunities.

Judging criteria

Applications will be judged based on:

Uniqueness of the product or service being offered
Clarity of application
Applicant’s knowledge of the proposed customer base/industry
Experience and ability of applicant in relation to the product or service
Awareness of the logistics (ex: planning, production and distribution)
Demonstrated understanding of the resources required for project success

Applications open

Applications for the Entrepreneur in the Making program are open now until May 4, 2026.

Apply now

*In Canada's Employment Equity Act, currently the four designated groups are defined as women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities; whereas members of visible minorities means persons, other than Indigenous peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour. As members of equity-deserving groups, NSCC will also give preference to applications from qualified candidates of a minority sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression.