Propelling to the Top
through Buyouts and
Entrepreneurship
Business Buyout
Acquire an SME and propel your career through business buyout
Entrepreneurship
Start your project with expert support
Our certified partners.
Two structural economic
challenges. One response
Quebec and Canada face two simultaneous challenges that together represent a historic economic opportunity for new buyers.
Businesses declare their intention to sell in Quebec each year — with a persistent gap between intentions and transactions due to a lack of qualified buyers.
Of transfers concern small and medium-sized businesses — the core of the buyout market.
Annual income in qualified jobs targeted by NIYA's Economic Mobility pillar — positions where qualified immigrant talents are heavily underrepresented.
- Businesses without buyers
Thousands of viable SMEs risk closing for lack of prepared buyers — taking jobs, know-how, and local economic fabric with them.
- Underutilized qualified talents
Thousands of professionals — particularly immigrants — hold positions well below their actual skills, for lack of a structured bridge to employers.
- A qualification deficit, not a talent deficit
Financial institutions refuse takeovers for lack of solid files. The problem is not the lack of candidates — it is the lack of structured preparation.
- A fragmentation of programs
Existing programs are isolated, short-term, and poorly integrated into real markets. NIYA is the missing orchestrator.
Two Axes. One Excellence
NIYA has deliberately chosen to focus its action on two complementary axes — and to do them better than anyone else in Canada. Excelling on two fronts is infinitely better than spreading ourselves thin over six.
Business Buyouts
& SME Transmission
Prepare, qualify, and certify buyers capable of taking over existing businesses — preserving jobs, assets, and economic know-how.
- →100-hour and 9-module certification training
- →Rigorous qualification grid (120 points)
- →Official 'NIYA® Buyer' certification
- →Public registry of certified buyers
- →Structured transactional support
- →24-month post-acquisition follow-up
Economic Mobility
& Qualified Careers
Sustainably integrate professionals — particularly qualified immigrants — into high value-added jobs, in alignment with IRCC, MIFI, and MTESS priorities.
- →Skills assessment and recognition
- →Integrated francization in the workplace
- →Coaching and placement in $80k-$150k/year jobs
- →24-month progress tracking
- →Structured employer partnerships
- →Peer network and mentoring
The 'NIYA Wave' Model
A structured and reproducible cycle — from candidate selection to post-acquisition success.
Selection & Qualification
Establishment of a seller portfolio and rigorous selection of a cohort of 8 to 12 candidate buyers.
Certification Training
100 hours and 9 intensive training modules: business valuation, financial structuring, negotiation, leadership posture.
Certification & Matchmaking
Obtaining 'NIYA® Buyer' certification and confidential matchmaking with selling businesses.
Support & Follow-up
Structured transactional support, followed by 24-month post-acquisition monitoring to ensure success.
Three Key Audiences
One Platform
Buyers
Serious and fundable buyers who want to take over a business rather than start from scratch.
- → Executives and leaders
- → Immigrant professionals with capital and experience
- → From family businesses
- → Investors wishing to operate
Sellers
Late-career entrepreneurs who want to sell to someone prepared who will protect their legacy.
- → Businesses of 5 or more employees
- → Value of $250k and more
- → All sectors — service, manufacturing, distribution
- → Sales horizon 12 to 36 months
Institutional Partners
Governments, financial institutions, firms, and organizations aligned with economic productivity.
- → BDC, Desjardins, banks
- → IRCC, MTESS, MIFI, WD Canada
- → RCGT, MNP, Mallette firms
- → Local chambers of commerce and MRCs
- → Futurpreneur, support networks
Certified NIYA® Buyer
The certification that transforms a candidate into a fundable and credible buyer with institutions.
- ✓100-hour and 9-module certification training completed
- ✓Score ≥ 90/120 on the qualification grid
- ✓All deliverables validated by experts
- ✓Validation by the NIYA Approval Committee
- ✓Signed adherence to the NIYA Charter
- ✓Registration in the NIYA Public Registry
A Certification that
Changes Everything for FIs
Financial institutions refuse takeovers for lack of solid files. The NIYA® certification is designed to make buyers fundable — by giving them the skills, documentation, and credibility that banks and credit unions demand.
- 01Business Financial Valuation
Reading financial statements, valuation, identifying hidden risks.
- 02Financial Structuring and Access to Capital
Financing structure, BDC loans, seller financing, down payment.
- 03Due Diligence and Negotiation
Document analysis, managing HR during transition, negotiation strategy.
- 04Owner-Leader Posture
Leadership, governance, change management, first 100 days.
NIYA Does Not Work Alone
We build an ecosystem of institutional partners whose objectives align directly with our mission.
Financial Institutions
Pipeline of qualified and fundable buyers — reducing default risk on buyout loans.
- · Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
- · Desjardins Group
- · National Bank, RBC, BMO, Scotiabank
- · Investissement Québec
Governments and Public Agencies
Direct alignment with economic integration, SME succession, and regional development priorities.
- · IRCC — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
- · MTESS — Ministry of Labor (Quebec)
- · MIFI — Ministry of Immigration (Quebec)
- · CED — Canada Economic Development
- · Services Québec
Accounting Firms and Advisors
Access to certified and prepared buyers — due diligence, valuation, and tax structuring mandates.
- · Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton
- · MNP, Deloitte, BDO Canada
- · Mallette, EY, KPMG
- · Regional partner firms
SME Sales Brokers
Certified buyers reduce sales cycles and increase transaction success rates.
- · Transaxion / DVAL
- · Active regional brokers in Quebec
- · Local chambers of commerce
- · Business transfer organizations
Real Figures
Defensible Projections
All NIYA projections are based on verifiable public data and conservative assumptions, audited annually by an independent body.
Phase 1 Economic Impact
Cumulative salary contribution + value of business takeovers generated over the first 3 years of operation.
People Supported in 3 Years
1,265 qualified job placements + 120 buyer certifications + transversal leadership support.
Cumulative Impact by 2030
Conservative 5-year projection — Phase 1 and Phase 2 combined, including salary contribution, takeovers, and jobs maintained.
The People Behind NIYA
Solid governance led by professionals committed to business buyouts and economic mobility in Canada.
Victoria Allen
Founder and President of Niya
General management, strategic vision, external representation.
Mark Novak
Vice-President
Support to the president, risk oversight, contribution to major decisions.
Kaoutar Razzouk
Board Secretary
Drafting minutes, managing official documents, convening board meetings.
Yare Sow
Board Treasurer
Oversight of financial management, annual budget preparation, presenting financial reports to the board.
Nadine Darakji
Board Member
Participation in quarterly meetings, contribution to financial guidance and relations with institutions.
Aurelia Barros
Project Manager
Operational coordination, action plan follow-up, support to general management.
Be Part of the Solution
NIYA is looking for serious partners, determined buyers, and sellers who want a clean exit. Choose your role.
I want to sell my business
I am looking for a qualified and prepared buyer to ensure continuity.
Propose My BusinessI am an institutional partner
I want to explore a collaboration with NIYA (financing, partnership, referral).
Partner with NIYA