How to land a 71000 contract using government grants your client gets the grant you get the sale

    Napanee, Ontario -- September 2003 When Goodyear Canada's Napanee, Ontario tire plant received more than $17,000 to finance a solar energy pilot project, the impetus came from the contractor doing the project. Goodyear may have got the actual grant... tiny RenewABILITY Energy Inc. got the $71,000 job. RenewABILITY supplied the solar panels for the project, which helps to heat the plant and cut heating costs. While clients may already be sold on the obvious benefits of energy saving renovations, 100 percent of them would like to take advantage of government incentives, says RenewABILITY's Gerald Van Decker. When selling a project, he assists clients in applying for funding -- usually by filling out forms in draft form, which the client then reviews and modifies. "It's simple," he says. "It hardly takes any time at all." With the signing of the Kyoto Accord, there's even more emphasis on reducing commercial and individual energy consumption, and the government will help fund many of these projects through such programs as the renewal Energy Development Initiative (REDI). Firms and contractors who capitalize on these programs reap the rewards. For RenewABILITY, a small, three-person company, increasing sales using government grants is a smart way to go. Even if you're a contractor who might install energy efficient windows or insulation, get to know what grants and incentives are available, and help your clients apply.     SMALL BUSINESS FUNDING REPORT August 2003, Volume V, Number 8 www.grants-loans.org   James Byrne is an Director of  http://www.grants-loans.org/; Visit the site (http://www.grants-loans.org) for more information about Canadian Government Grant Loans For Small Businesses.