Blog Post
Funding and Support Options for New Brunswick SMEs Seeking To Leverage Sustainability for Competitiveness
The following summary highlights the key funding and support options available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in New Brunswick identified through the Green Horizons discovery work. Opportunities are organized into five practical categories to help businesses reduce costs, innovate, and grow:
- Sustainability and energy-efficiency incentives
- Federal clean-growth tools
- Export and international expansion supports
- Training and advisory services
- General financing and capital
The list is not exhaustive, but reflects the most relevant mechanisms currently available to NB SMEs pursuing sustainable, competitive growth.
Provincial Sustainability and Energy-Efficiency Programs (NB Power and GNB)
The Green Horizons report identifies several provincial programs that help SMEs reduce energy use and operating costs while advancing decarbonization.
Commercial Building Retrofit Program
- Financial incentives to upgrade lighting, heating, ventilation, and other systems in commercial buildings.
- Aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce electricity consumption for eligible SMEs.
- Rebates for purchasing energy-efficient equipment and technologies.
- Designed to lower the upfront cost of improvements that reduce energy use.
Industrial Energy Efficiency Program
- Support for larger or energy-intensive facilities to implement process and equipment upgrades.
- Focus on measurable energy savings and productivity improvements.
New Construction Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Program
- Incentives and technical support for high-efficiency design and construction of new commercial or industrial buildings.
Fuel Savings Transportation Program
- Encourages efficiency improvements in vehicle fleets (for example, through better routing, technology upgrades, or driver training).
- Allows eligible customers to generate renewable electricity (such as solar or wind) and offset their consumption, effectively reducing energy costs over time.
These programs are generally delivered by NB Power in partnership with the Province of New Brunswick, and are positioned in the report as key tools to support SME decarbonization.
Federal Clean-Growth and Zero-Emission Programs
The Green Horizons scan highlights several federal tools that support SME transition to low-carbon operations.
Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles (iMHZEV)
- Support for businesses adopting electric or fuel-cell trucks and buses.
- Particularly relevant for logistics, transportation, and delivery SMEs.
- Voluntary federal initiative that encourages businesses to adopt net-zero plans.
- While not a direct grant program, participation can help SMEs align with emerging ESG expectations and access related tools.
Federal Clean Technology Options and Benefits
- A suite of federal measures (tax incentives, grants, and programs) that reward investment in clean technologies and emissions-reducing projects.
- The report refers to these as an important, but complex, layer of support that SMEs can tap into with appropriate guidance.
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) – Clean Growth and Sustainability Streams
- ACOA’s Sustainable Development Strategy and clean-growth initiatives direct funding toward clean technologies, energy efficiency projects, and community-level resilience initiatives involving SMEs.
- Investments are aimed at helping firms green their operations, participate in emerging clean-energy industries, and diversify local economies.
Exporting and International Growth Supports
The report notes that many New Brunswick SMEs need support to access markets beyond the United States and to meet evolving sustainability requirements in export markets. It lists several export-focused programs and agencies.
- Provides training programs, consulting, and sometimes cost-shared projects that build management, export, and market-development capacity.
Opportunities New Brunswick (ONB)
- Offers advisory services, financial assistance, and export-development support for growth-oriented firms.
- Plays a central role in aligning provincial economic strategy with SME sustainability and export goals.
Government of New Brunswick Strategic Initiatives Fund
- Provincial fund referenced as a source of project-based support for strategic economic initiatives, including those that advance sustainability or export readiness.
Local Chambers of Commerce
- Provide networking, training, and, in some cases, access to funded programs (for example, sustainability training delivered in partnership with national organizations).
Federal and National Export Support
- Cost-shared funding to help SMEs enter or expand in new international markets (for example, travel, trade shows, market research, marketing).
Export Development Canada (EDC)
- Financing, insurance, and risk-management solutions tailored to exporting firms.
- Helps SMEs manage cash flow and risk when selling into foreign markets.
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
- Growth financing, advisory services, and, in some cases, climate-focused loans that support modernization and expansion.
Trade Commissioner Service (TCS)
- On-the-ground trade officers who help firms identify opportunities, navigate regulations, and connect with qualified partners abroad.
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME)
- Industry association that offers training, advocacy, and sometimes funded programs for manufacturers and exporters, including productivity and lean initiatives.
- Federal program supporting clean-technology research, development, and demonstration projects in energy, mining, and forestry sectors.
- Particularly relevant for innovative SMEs in resource and industrial sectors.
Industry-Specific Export Support
AgriMarketing Program – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Funding to help agri-food businesses and organizations develop and expand export markets, often through branding, trade events, and market-development activities.
Training, Advisory, and Decarbonization Support
While not all of these are direct funding programs, these are a few enablers for SMEs seeking to access capital and implement funded projects.
Green Economy Canada Training Bootcamps
- Short, structured programs that build sustainability literacy, help SMEs identify practical projects, and prepare them to engage with incentives and financing.
- Regional hub providing coaching, peer learning, and technical support for SMEs to measure and reduce emissions.
- Helps firms identify and leverage applicable funding and rebate programs.
Follow Along
This blog is part of the research summary series for the Green Horizons project. Its findings are drawn from the Green Horizons Discovery Report. To learn more about the project, visit www.ponddeshpande.ca/green-horizons.
