PEI Broadband Fund for Businesses

The availability of stable, high‑speed Internet infrastructure is critical for access to essential resources and public services, and to enable economic growth and diversification. The Prince Edward Island Broadband Fund provides financial assistance to local Prince Edward Island internet service providers (ISPs), communities and businesses for the installation of infrastructure for enhanced broadband services. Through this program, partnerships and collaborations are encouraged and support is provided for increased service levels, improved access and consumer choice for connectivity.

The Prince Edward Island Broadband Fund (PEIBF) provides a contribution of up to 50% of the eligible costs for a project approved for funding. Applications must be submitted prior to the start of a project; any expenses incurred before the submission of an application are ineligible.

Section 1: Program Guidelines

Applicant Eligibility

You may be eligible to access the Prince Edward Island Broadband Fund (PEIBF) if you are:

A Prince Edward Island for-profit business that is a sole proprietorship, partnership, cooperative or limited liability company that requires access to new or upgraded services to their business premises.
Not-for-profit businesses
Teleworking access

New project submissions from an applicant in default on any reporting, project completion or financial obligation to Innovation PEI will not be reviewed until a resolution to the default is reached.

Project Eligibility

A project may be eligible for PEIBF support where costs will be incurred for a business to gain access to new or upgraded internet services to their business premises.

Projects related to operational costs, repairs or maintenance for existing infrastructure are not eligible for PEIBF support. More details are provided in the Eligible and Ineligible Costs section of this guide.

Contribution Limitations

The contribution from PEIBF is to a maximum of 50% of the eligible costs of the approved project. The maximum, total grant contribution from all Government of Prince Edward Island sources cannot exceed 50%. Where a project receives any other grant funding from the Government of Prince Edward Island, the contribution from PEIBF may be reduced.

All applicants will be required to inform PEIBF of financial assistance received or requested for the project prior to the approval of a contribution. Furthermore, the contribution agreements will contain a continuing disclosure obligation, for the duration of the agreement, concerning other government assistance.

Proposal Evaluation

All applications will be evaluated on provision of the information requested, including completeness and suitability of the information, and will be assessed on factors including:

Eligibility of the applicant business;
Incremental broadband improvement and quality of the proposed service to the business premises;
Applicant’s ability to complete the project, including evidence of funds for the balance of project costs; and
Availability of PEIBF budget.

Innovation PEI reserves the right to offer partial awards and/or to negotiate project scope changes with applicants. Proposals will be evaluated based on compliancy with the information requested, suitability of the information, and quality of the proposed service.

Innovation PEI reserves the right to deny a grant application or request for payment if it suspects or detects fraudulent intent.

Financing and Related Requirements

The applicant must demonstrate that all remaining financing is in place, contracted, and sufficient to see the project through to its completion.

Administration and Process

The PEIBF is administered by Innovation PEI on behalf of the Province of Prince Edward Island. There is no administration or application fee charged to applicants prior to any funding being approved through the PEI Broadband Fund.

If your project is approved, a letter of offer will be sent to you. This will create a contract between yourself and Innovation PEI, and will clearly stipulate the obligations of both parties. More detail regarding monitoring of your project and required reporting is included within the Claiming Payment section below.

Claiming Payment from PEIBF

The applicant will submit the required financial and status reporting, including supporting documentation, to Innovation PEI at project completion, as detailed within the contract between the parties. Innovation PEI may also request and conduct and onsite inspection to further evidence the status of the project.

Once Innovation PEI has determined that all required documentation has been received, and validated the value of the payment available from the PEIBF, it will issue payment to the applicant via cheque or electronic funds transfer.

The financial reporting will include costs incurred and paid to date, and evidence of same, as more particularly detailed in the letter of offer.

Eligible Project Costs

Eligible costs are those direct costs that can be specifically identified and measured as having been required and incurred to implement and complete the project, including but not limited to the direct labour and materials costs for connection of the business premises.

Ineligible Project Costs

Ineligible costs include, but are not limited to, the following:

Costs incurred before the project application date, or after the project completion date;
Costs related to developing the application for funding;
Taxes for which the applicant is eligible for a tax rebate and all other costs eligible for rebates;
Cost of any good or service received through donations or in-kind.
Data and monthly service charges are not eligible through the PEIBF.

Innovation PEI reserves the right to adjust eligible and/ or ineligible costs within the PEIBF. All eligible and ineligible costs specific to an approved application will be detailed within the letter or offer.

Proposal Inquiries and Questions

Proponents are encouraged to work with Innovation PEI staff in the preparation of their application and proposal. Inquiries regarding PEIBF can be addressed by contacting 902-368-6300, toll free at 1-800-563-3734, or via email at myinternet@gov.pe.ca

Section 2: Application Guide

Proposal Requirements

Each application to the PEIBF must include:

Prince Edward Island Broadband Fund application form via online webform or in signed PDF format via email or hard copy
Proposal Description as detailed below (If submitted electronically, the project proposal file must be provided in either a Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format and must be print ready.)

Supporting Documentation Requirements

Your proposal must include all of this information:

History and description of your business
1. Background of business
2. Employee levels
3. Total annual sales
4. Ownership/management team
5. Products/services and target market: A brief overview of what you sell and to whom.
6. Current broadband service status of project location, and proposed service status at project completion
Information on the estimated costs
1. Itemized project cost estimate must be supported by written quotation(s)
Financial and business information
1. Existing businesses are required to provide detailed Financial Statements for the previous two years.
2. New businesses and businesses planning expansions are required to submit complete business plans.
Financial Requirements
1. Sources of project funds (total sources of funds must equal total project cost):
  1. Amount requested through PEIBF
  2. All other sources of funds
  3. Provide appropriate contact information for confirmation of financing (for example, lending institutions, banks, government loans and/or grants)