Actually a loanLoanOpen
NL Harvester Enterprise Loan Program (HELP)
NL Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture + IET · Provincial
In plain language
Loan guarantee program covering core enterprise-development activities for independent fish harvesters: up to $2M for license acquisition, $3M vessel-only, $4M for combining enterprises. Separate down-payment loan tier of up to $450K (15% of eligible cost) from IET, plus an interest rebate to bring down bank-financing cost. Total province backing supports a $10M envelope. The guarantee is not free money — you still owe the bank. Realistic fit: established harvesters acquiring licenses or rebuilding vessels, not new entrants without DFO credentials. Slow — DFO licensing alignment is the usual bottleneck.
Realistic range
$200,000 – $4,000,000
Avg award
$800,000
Max advertised
$4,000,000
Cost share
—
Accessibility
3 / 5
Effort
4 / 5
Deadline
Continuous intake
Repayable?
Yes
Who qualifies
Entity types
Sole Proprietor, Incorporated
Sectors
Fisheries
Regions
NL Wide
Demographics prioritized
None specifically
What you'll have to report
Bank loan documents, vessel/license appraisals, DFO licensing confirmation, annual financial statements, insurance proof, catch reports.