Opportunities NB (ONB) is New Brunswick’s lead economic development agency, providing tailored support to help businesses invest, grow, scale, and tap into new markets for their products and services. Our support continues to include flexible support for job creation, productivity improvements, market development and innovation.
In response to U.S. tariffs, ONB has enhanced its support to increase resiliency, protect jobs, and support long-term sustainability.
Do you have questions about tariff-related support for businesses? The impact of tariffs will vary from one business to the next and our Business Navigators are available to provide one-on-one guidance and connect you with resources.
Business Navigators Service:
- Phone: 1-833-799-7966
- Email: nav@navnb.ca
New Initiatives to Support Businesses
1. Repayable Loans for Working Capital
- Purpose: Short-term financial assistance for exporting businesses facing disruptions to ongoing operations due to tariffs (e.g., revenue loss, increased costs, and supply chain disruptions).
- Support: Repayable support for businesses. All lending decisions will be subject to due diligence by the ONB team.
- Eligibility: Available for exporting businesses in sectors directly impacted by tariffs. Businesses must be able to demonstrate the impact of tariffs on their operations and have an action plan to mitigate those impacts.
2. Competitiveness and Growth Program
- Purpose: Enhance the long-term sustainability of export-intensive companies by addressing competitiveness gaps, stabilizing operations and employment, and stimulating investment and growth. The financial assistance is intended to:
- help limit eroding competitiveness driven by external cost controls, and
- support higher value strategic investments into productivity leading to longer-term sustainability of the company.
- Support: Flexible, performance-linked financial assistance. Requests for financial support will be assessed individually.
- Eligibility: Industrial, export-intensive companies with operations that are significant to New Brunswick’s overall economic vitality.
3. Strategic Assistance for Tariff-Impacted Sectors
- Purpose: Strategic assistance to help tariff impacted businesses improve productivity, become more competitive, increase exports, and grow on a national and international scale. Businesses can receive support for costs associated with:
- Professional services for businesses entering new export markets (i.e. market research, regulatory guidance, trade compliance consulting).
- Market adaptation strategies, diversification support, and assistance in developing new supply chain solutions.
- Contingency planning related to trade and supply chain disruptions.
- Support: Tailored strategic assistance is available to help tariff impacted businesses adjust to new challenges. Requests for financial support will be assessed individually.
- Eligibility: New Brunswick exporting businesses seeking to invest in innovation and productivity, market development or sector specific initiatives with expanded eligibility for tariff-impacted sectors.
How Businesses Can Apply for Financial Support
ONB’s financial support is tailored to the needs of individual businesses.
Businesses can apply for financial support by reaching out to their regular contacts at ONB, the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries (DAAF), and Natural Resources and Energy Development (NRED). Businesses that do not have an existing contact can connect with a Business Navigator for guidance.
We are building a resilient and competitive economy for New Brunswick.
