Business Financing in Canada
Funding is a crucial element for any business looking to start, grow, or innovate. In addition to traditional options such as bank loans or relying on investors, there is a frequently underestimated alternative: grants. This detailed guide explores the various sources of grants available, as well as the financial services and sustainable funding strategies for businesses in Canada. By following the outlined steps, entrepreneurs can identify grants suited to their projects, whether they are government programs, innovation funds, or initiatives specifically targeting certain sectors. Grants are an advantageous solution, often non-repayable, allowing businesses to fund their projects without resorting to debt.

The Leadership Fund
Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security- From $1,500 to $3,000
- Health care and social assistance

Achievement Incentive and Group Sponsorship Grant
Government of Ontario- Maximum amount : 17,000 $
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Retail trade

Jewish Community Impact & Ongoing Grants
The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba- No Condition
- All industries

Host a municipal intern
Government of Alberta- Maximum amount : 62,500 $
- Public administration

Seniors' Transportation Grants
The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba- No Condition
- All industries

OAC — Francophone arts service organizations – operations
Ontario Arts Council (OAC)- Minimum amount : 75,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Sustainable Growth Investment — Young Entrepreneurs
La Financière agricole (FADQ)- Maximum amount : 45,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Workforce Development Program
Government of Manitoba- No Condition
- All industries

Skills for Success Program — Training and Tools Stream
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)- No Condition
- All industries

Alberta Innovates — Alberta Digital Traction Program
Government of Alberta- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Garden Grant
Whole Foods Market Foundation- From $3,500 to $3,500
- All industries

Economic Development Organization Operating Support Program (PAFODE) — Component 2 : Operating support for organizations supporting strategic sectors and regional economic development
Gouvernement du Québec- Maximum amount : 800,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Other services (except public administration)

Protein Industries Canada — Capacity Building
Protein Industries Canada- From $50,000 to $150,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

Local Road Assistance Program
Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility of Quebec- No Condition
- Public administration

PME MTL — Commerce X Design
PME MTL- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 20% of project cost
- Retail trade

RBC Foundation - ICD-RBC Foundation Scholarship
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)- Maximum amount : 2,590 $
- All industries

Atlantic Fisheries Fund – Atlantic innovation, infrastructure or science partnerships funding
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)- Up to 70% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services

OAC — Music – French-language projects
Ontario Arts Council (OAC)- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Yarmouth Area Community Fund
The Community Foundation of Nova Scotia- No Condition
- All industries

Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (PAEN)
Ministère de l'économie, de l'innovation et de l'énergie du Québec (MEIE)- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Construction

Sponsorship Opportunities
Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D)- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities Program (ACSD)
Government of Ontario- From $25 to $665
- Up to 28% of project cost
- All industries

Reciprocity Health Fund
The Community Foundation of Nova Scotia- No Condition
- All industries

Eurogia Cluster's 30th Call for proposals – Clean Technologies
National Research Council Canada (NRC)- Up to 70% of project cost
- Utilities
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

CMF — POV Program
Canada Media Fund (CMF)- Maximum amount : 400,000 $
- Up to 49% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
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Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation & Southern Ontario Prosperity Program — Not-for-profit organizations
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev)- Minimum amount : 125,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services

Raphael Foundation
The Community Foundation of Nova Scotia- From $1,000 to $5,000
- All industries

Agri-Food Supply Chain Infrastructure Investment Stream
Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC)- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Retail trade

Bridgetown Area Community Fund
The Community Foundation of Nova Scotia- No Condition
- All industries

Toronto Eco-Roof Incentive Program
City of Toronto- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 20% of project cost
- All industries

West Hants Community Fund
The Community Foundation of Nova Scotia- No Condition
- All industries

E-tools for Exporting
LearnSphere- From $5,000 to $15,000
- Up to 45% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Construction

JEDDI Training Bursary
Canadian Worker Co-op Federation- Maximum amount : 1,000 $
- Educational services

AgriAssurance Program — Kosher and Halal Investment – For-profit
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Youth Opportunity Grant
The Home Depot Canada Foundation- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- All industries

Micro & Leadership Grants
West Vancouver Community Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Forest Biomass Program — Exploring biomass pathways stream
Government of Ontario- Maximum amount : 130,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

FoodTech Next
Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN)- From $100,000 to $250,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Transformation Grants
West Vancouver Community Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Musicaction — Incubator project
Musicaction- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

NADF Financing
Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- All industries

First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund — Capacity Funding
Government of British Columbia- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 37.5% of project cost
- Utilities

One-time assistance for Indigenous media
Gouvernement du Québec- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 90% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries

Small Business Support Program — Small Business Opportunities Fund
Government of Nunavut- No Condition
- Retail trade
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services

PRIMA — SI2TEC – Feasibility Studies
Advanced Materials Research and Innovation Hub (PRIMA)- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

Capital Assistance – Stream 1: Restoration of heritage assets
Gouvernement du Québec- Maximum amount : 20,000,000 $
- Up to 60% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Public administration

Video Games Business Development Program
Canada Media Fund (CMF)- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Information and cultural industries

NGen — Sustainable Manufacturing Challenge
Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen)- No Condition
- Manufacturing

Biofood Innovation Program Component 4 – Financial support for innovation partnership initiatives
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ)- From $50,000 to $901,700
- Up to 60% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services

Arts Abroad — Translation
Canada Council for the Arts (CCA)- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
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Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA)
Public Safety Canada (PSC)- Up to 90% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Utilities
- Construction
- Manufacturing

Indigenous Employment Training Partnerships Program
Government of Alberta- No Condition
- All industries

Rio Tinto Alcan Canada - Diavik Communities Contribution Programme
RioTinto Alcan- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Aboriginal Business Investment Fund
Government of Alberta- From $150,000 to $750,000
- All industries

Efficient Trucking Program
Government of Manitoba- Up to 50% of project cost
- Transportation and warehousing

Public transit development assistance program – Stream 4 : Other financial assistance
Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility of Quebec- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Transportation and warehousing
- Public administration

Project Development Fund
Creative BC- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Job Creation Partnership Northwest Territories
Government of the Northwest Territories- No Condition
- All industries

Food Processing Growth Fund (FPG)
Investment Agriculture Foundation (IAF)- From $100,000 to $1,000,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Manufacturing

Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF)
Government of Ontario- From $200,000 to $5,000,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Manufacturing

Développement Vaudreuil-Soulanges — FSE
Développement Vaudreuil-Soulanges- No Condition
- All industries

Museums Assistance Program - Collections Management
Department of Canadian Heritage (LJI)- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

Taking Action on Tower Renewal Program (TATR)
City of Toronto- Maximum amount : 5,000,000 $
- Up to 25% of project cost
- Real estate and rental and leasing

Indigenous Cannabis Business Fund — Community Planning & Engagement
New Relationship Trust- Maximum amount : 12,000 $
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Retail trade

Aboriginal Business Loans — Youth and Womens Loans
Ulnooweg- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Community Interaction Program — Study projects
Government of Canada- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Up to 70% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Other services (except public administration)

OVIN — Content Partnerships Program
Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN)- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Manufacturing
- Transportation and warehousing
- Educational services

Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) — Business Project Grants
Government of Ontario- From $500,000 to $1,500,000
- Up to 15% of project cost
- Manufacturing

AgriStability — Saskatchewan
Government of Saskatchewan- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Élan Madeleine Féquière Scholarship
Centre culturel afro-canadien de Montréal (CCAM)- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Artificial Intelligence Behaviour Monitoring Solution
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)- Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $
- Public administration

Community Facilities Improvement Program
Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage of Nova Scotia- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- All industries

Efficiency Nova Scotia — Beneficial Management Practices Program
Efficiency Nova Scotia- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

AFA — ISCP Residency in New York Funding
Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA)- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Agriculture Wildlife Program (AWP)
Government of British Columbia- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
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Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program (CCSP) 2025-26
Government of Ontario- Up to 20% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services

The Newfoundland and Labrador Disaster Financial Assistance Program (NL-DFAP)
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador- Up to 70% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity Program — Productivity Enhancement
Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN)- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Grants & Sponsorships
DUCA Financial Services- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Support program for remote communities
Recyc-Québec- Maximum amount : 950,000 $
- All industries

Water Program — On-farm irrigation stream
Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP)- Maximum amount : 35 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

CAAIN — 2024 Smart Farm Network Competition
Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN)- Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $
- Up to 40% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund (BCMJF) — Project Readiness
Government of British Columbia- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 20% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Scale AI — STEM Youth Awareness Program
Scale AI Cluster- No Condition
- Educational services

Canada-Québec initiative to help mitigate the impact of excess rainfall in Québec in 2023 on certain regions and agricultural productions
La Financière agricole (FADQ)- From $75 to $350,000
- Up to 70% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Advisory Services Program — Component 2 – Support for the dissemination of information and business co-development activities
Gouvernement du Québec- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Educational services

Epson's Focused Giving Community Relations Program
Epson Canada, Limited- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Alberta Innovates — Bioenergy and Circular Economy
Alberta Innovates- No Condition
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

MRC La Côte-de-Beaupré — Young Promoters Fund (FJP)
MRC La Côte-de-Beaupré- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Biofood Innovation Program Component 3 – Business innovation in the commercial fisheries and aquaculture sector
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ)- From $20,000 to $210,000
- Up to 90% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

Live Music
Creative BC- From $2,000 to $50,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Healthy Choices Fund
Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services- From $5,000 to $20,000
- All industries

Energy Innovation Program — Methane Measurement and Mitigation
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)- Up to 75% of project cost
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Community Investment Fund (York Region)
Regional Municipality of York- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)

Alberta Innovates — Summer Research Studentships
Alberta Innovates- From $50,000 to $1,900,000
- Health care and social assistance

- No Condition
- All industries

Business Foundations
Creative BC- From $2,000 to $10,000
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries

Upskilling for Industry Initiative (UII)
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services

Music PEI Funding Program
Music PEI- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Grassroots Growth Program
Government of Ontario- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting