The Self Employment Benefit (SEB) program provides training and support to assist eligible unemployed individuals develop, launch and operate a viable business.
Program Length
Program training and support is based on individual participant needs to a maximum of 40 weeks.
Participation Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be unemployed
- Be legally entitled to work in Canada
- Be at least 18 years of age and one year out of school
- Have a viable, self sustaining business idea
- Be able to work full time towards developing and setting up the business
- Have established a current Employment Insurance (EI) benefit period; received EI benefits within the past 3 years; received maternity or parental benefits within the previous 5 years, or receiving Saskatchewan Assistance Plan benefits, and
- Not have participated in a Self Employment Program funded by the province of Saskatchewan or Human Resources Development Canada within the past five years
Eligible Business Ideas
Eligible business ideas must be:
- Full time; year round business idea(s); or seasonal business that provide an annual income for the participant to be self sufficient year round
- A new business or an existing business, in which the participant has had no prior ownership, and
- A sole proprietorship or partnership where the participant owns 51% or more of the venture
Ineligible Businesses
Businesses that are not eligible include:
- A business that a participant owns and has been operating, and a tax return has been filed with Revenue Canada
- A business where revenue is mainly from commission sales, this includes sales agents
- A business which is "family owned"
- A business involved in multi-level marketing or pyramid selling
- A business which is a subsidiary of, or financially supported by another company, or
- A business operating outside of Saskatchewan
Income Support
Participants may be eligible for income support from EI or the Skills Training Benefit (STB) ONLY while participating in training.
