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.