New Dawn CEDIF Companies

The New Dawn CEDIF family of companies (New Dawn Innovation Fund, New Dawn Community Investment and New Dawn Holdings) have been participating in the CEDIF program since 2004.

Over ten years, New Dawn CEDIFS have raised $11 million for direct investment in Cape Breton. To learn more about where these funds have been invested, see below.

What is a CEDIF?

Each year Nova Sco­tians in­vest more than $600 mil­lion in RRSPs. Less than 2% of this is rein­vested in Nova Sco­tia. With New Dawn Holdings, your in­vest­ment dol­lars stay in Cape Bre­ton where they are put to work in your com­mu­nity and you earn a 35% non-refundable provincial income tax credit, in addition to annual dividends.

By in­vest­ing in a lo­cally-owned busi­ness with a strong and con­sis­tent growth tra­jec­tory, your in­vest­ment en­ables a local busi­ness to ac­cess the cap­i­tal it needs to ex­pand its fa­cil­i­ties and op­er­a­tions and to con­tinue to meet the de­mand for its prod­ucts.

New Dawn Holdings al­lows both in­vestors and busi­nesses to fur­ther the vi­sion of cre­at­ing a self-re­liant peo­ple in a vi­brant com­mu­nity.

 Ben­e­fits of In­vest­ing

• RRSP el­i­gi­ble
• No An­nual Man­age­ment Fee
• 2.5% Annual Dividends (*)
• 35% Provin­cial Non-Re­fund­able In­come Tax Credit
• 100% of your money in invested in Cape Breton

How it Works

A $1000 in­vest­ment would qual­ify for a non-re­fund­able provin­cial in­come tax credit of $350 on your 2015 re­turn.

Al­ter­na­tively, an in­vestor may carry this non-re­fund­able in­come tax credit for­ward for 7 years or back for 3 years.

The min­i­mum in­vest­ment is $1000 and the max­i­mum in­vest­ment is $15,000 per year, per share­holder.

The in­vest­ment is for a 5 year pe­riod. Your investment may be rolled over after 5 years for an ad­di­tional 20% eq­uity tax credit (if the CEDIF meets certain conditions). Your investment may be rolled over once more at the 10 year mark (if the CEDIF meets certain conditions) for another 10% eq­uity tax credit.

That’s a 65% equity tax credit (or $650 on your original $1000 investment) over 15 years on all investments.

Existing RRSPs with other financial institutions can be transferred, without penalty into CEDIF self-directed RRSPs. In transferring existing RRSPs into self-directed CEDIF RRSPs, you qualify for the 35% non-refundable tax credit on the full transfer amount.

Selecting New Dawn Investments

All potential New Dawn Holdings investments are reviewed and approved by the Investment Committee appointed by the New Dawn Holdings board.

Potential investment recipients must be active for-profit businesses based in Cape Breton and listed with the Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stock Companies.

Prospective investees must be commercially viable, have a sound business plan reflecting local market conditions, good management, and potential for growth and profitability.

Following approval of a five-year investment, New Dawn CEDIF businesses must submit annual financial statements for board assessment and pay interest monthly.

All investees must allow New Dawn Holdings to appoint, with full Board rights and responsibilities, a representative of New Dawn Holdings to their Board.

THIS CEDIF OFFERING MAY BE A HIGH RISK INVESTMENT. THIS OFFERING IS MADE THROUGH AN OFFERING DOCUMENT, WHICH CAN BE OBTAINED FROM AN AUTHORIZED SALES AGENT (Leonard Murray, New Dawn Holdings, PO Box 1055, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Phone (902) 539-9560 Ext. 0). THIS OFFERING CONSTITUTES AN EXEMPT OFFERING OF THESE SECURITIES ONLY IN NOVA SCOTIA BY AUTHORIZED SALES AGENTS.  INVESTORS SHOULD READ THE OFFERING DOCUMENT BEFORE MAKING AN INVESTMENT DECISION.

*Past performance does not indicate future results

PizzaGO!

Co-founded by Matt Stewart and Rob Myers, the PizzaGO! provides digital ordering solutions for independent restaurants. For pizza consumers, PizzaGO! provides a web and mobile application that lists local pizzerias and allows consumers to order and pay online.

The way consumers order and interact with restaurants has changed significantly in the last 5 years. 69% now order food online; however 80% of independent restaurants do not offer it. Larger chains have invested heavily in online ordering and have increased their average cheque by up to 20%. Existing solutions do not effectively meet the complex needs of independent pizzerias.

PizzaGO! provides digital ordering solutions for independent restaurants. The web-based software allows operators to easily manage incoming orders, promote specials, and communicate ordering details with customers. The PizzaGO! solution can increase a restaurants revenue by pushing upsells and promoting specials directly to their target customers. Merchant accounts can also be setup in as little as one day and requires minimal work on behalf of the client.

PizzaGO! provides a web and mobile application that lists local pizzerias and allows consumers to order and pay online. In addition, a white label app is offered to restaurants which is branded with their colors, and is best used for promoting to their existing customers.

PizzaGO! currently has two restaurants using its product. One began in January, 2015 as a live test. The second location will be live on the App as of June 10, 2015.

Big Spruce Brewery

Well-known across Cape Breton and Nova Scotia, Jeremy White and Big Spruce Brewing, have been growing hops and brewing craft beer in Nyanza, Cape Breton for the last three years. In that time demand has come to exceed the breweries supply and production capacity. In the coming months, Big Spruce will begin the process of securing and outfitting a second brewery and retail location nearby to their first on-farm brewing operation.

The 2015 New Dawn Innovation Fund invested in Big Spruce Brewery.

Nyanza, Nova Scotia
bigspruce.ca

Retakes and Revelry

Retakes & Revelry is on the path to becoming Cape Breton’s first and only conceptual amusement photography studio.  The studio, outfitted with professionally designed sets and costumes, offers visitors the ability to picture themselves in moments from our cultural past and our present.

From standing on watch as a solider at the Fortress of Louisburg, to serenading friends and family with bagpipes in Scottish tartan and hauling lobster-filled traps over the side of a swaying boat, Retakes and Revelry instantly captures these moments for studio visitors via photograph, while giving them a brief history lesson, and an interactive cultural experience.

Retakes & Revelry was a 2015 New Dawn Innovation Fund investment.

314 Charlotte Street, Sydney
retakesandrevelry.com

Live Ship

With their BioNovations Traystor Seafood Transportations Systems, Live Ship is working to transform the way we think about and organize live seafood transportation across the globe. Their approach to the packing, care and monitoring of live seafood before and during transport significantly reduces stock mortality and provides consumers in Europe and Asia with a more affordable and better quality product. Live Ship will use their 2015 CEDIF investment to complete prototyping and deploy its first transportations units.

The 2015 New Dawn Innovation Fund invested in Live Ship.

Fireblade Holsteins

Having secured a 20-year COMFIT from the Nova Scotia Department of Energy, to create and sell renewable energy to Nova Scotia Power, Fireblade Holsteins in Mabou is poised to become Cape Breton’s first zero-emissions farm. Funds from the 2015 CEDIF will enable to purchase and set-up of a German Ruckert Bioreactor to convert the waste from the farm’s more than 100 Holsteins into a usable on-farm and off-farm power source.

The 2015 New Dawn Innovation Fund invested in Fireblade Holsteins.

Mabou, Nova Scotia
fireblade.ca

Halifax Biomedical

Halifax Biomedical Inc. (HBI) is an Evidence-Based Orthopaedic clinical measurements company headquartered in Mabou. HBI is a world leading provider of micro-instability assessment services using very precise proprietary Stereo Radiography (SR) imaging technology (HALIFAX exams). Founded in 2005, Halifax Biomedical now employs 17 specialists in medical imaging technology and has projected sales of $10.6 million for 2015. CEDIF fund have been used by the company to refine a Mobile Imaging Unit for use in number of American hospitals.

The 2014 New Dawn Innovation Fund and 2015 New Dawn Innovation Fund invested in Halifax Biomedical.

Mabou, Nova Scotia
halifaxbiomedical.com

Nova Stream

Located in downtown Sydney and co-owned by Scott Moore and Darcy Campbell, NovaStream provides video production, live streaming and professional event visuals. With a number of major contracts lined up for 2015, CEDIF funds have been used to upgrade commercial camera, computer, projection and live streaming equipment, and to take advantage of emerging and rapidly growing opportunities for live video streaming throughout Atlantic Canada.

The 2014 New Dawn Innovation Fund and 2015 New Dawn Innovation Fund invested in Nova Stream.

New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation
37 Nepean Street, Sydney
novastream.ca

Marcato Digital

Marcato Digital specializes in the creation and development of web-based management solutions designed to maximize efficiency in the festival and music industries. Its two flagship applications, Marcato Festival & Marcato Musician, are now being used worldwide, by over 2000 users. From $132,000 in 2011, the company is on target for sales of $1.2 million in 2014. In 2014, Marcato Digital was able to use CEDIF funds to rebuild its platform for scalability, security, compatibility and performance.

The 2013 New Dawn Innovation and 2014 New Dawn Innovation Fund made investments in Marcato Digital.

Sydney, Nova Scotia
marcatofestival.com

Advanced Glazings

Founded in 1995, Advanced Glazings Ltd. is headquartered and manufactures from facilities on Kings Road in Sydney. Advanced Glazings Ltd. is a pioneer and leader in engineered architectural daylighting and greenhouse insulation. Their line of  Solera® light diffusing glass products have been used on more than 900 projects worldwide and represent the best insulating glass product in the world (R5-R18). CEDIF funds in 2013 were used to expand marketing of Solera +Lumira in partnership with Cabot Crop (NYSE CBT).

The 2013 New Dawn Innovation Fund made an investment in Advanced Glazings.

870 Kings Road, Sydney
advancedglazings.com

Media Spark

MediaSpark is an award-winning software development, publishing, and gamification company. Under its GoVenture brand, MediaSpark designs and sells software simulations and applications, mobile games, board games, card games, e-books, and more. GoVenture products are available in thousands of schools around the world and have reached over one million users.  MediaSpark has recently developed GoVenture World, an online business simulation and Community Oasis, a highly-specialized website platform designed to facilitate crowdsourcing, content aggregation, and social content management for hyperlocal news publishing and community economic development.

The 2013 New Dawn Innovation Fund invested in Media Spark.

55 Townsend Street, Sydney
mediaspark.com

Protocase

Since 2012, Protocase has expanded both its operations and its market. In addition to constructing a second manufacturing facility, the company has grown from sixty to eighty full-time employees, experienced a 59% increase in revenue and added more than one thousand new customers. In 2014, Protocase used CEDIF funds to expand upon its traditional electronic enclosure manufacturing, adding 45 Drives to its list of products and services. 45 Drives represents the most customizable, affordable data storage solution on the planet.

The 2012 New Dawn Community Investment Fund Ltd. and 2014 New Dawn Innovation Fund have made investments in Protocase.

Harbourside Industrial Park, Sydney
protocase.com