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.

Language Grants
- Maximum amount : 8,000 $
- All industries

Community Energy Diesel Reduction (CEDR) Program
- Maximum amount : 4,000,000 $
- All industries

Demo Recording
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Canada Periodical Fund — Special Measures for Journalism
- Minimum amount : 2,500 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries

Strategic Partnerships Initiative
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Utilities
- Transportation and warehousing
- Professional, scientific and technical services

New Canadians Event Fund
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries

Celebration and Commemoration Program - Commemorate Canada
- No Condition
- All industries

Destruction of PFAS compounds in contaminated media
- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) - Community Facility Enhancement Program Small
- Maximum amount : 125,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries

Invest Ottawa Accelerator Program
- No Condition
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

TAO — Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
Commemorative Partnership Program - Community War Memorial
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent — Rural Development Fund (FDR)
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)

Community Initiatives Program (CIP) - Major Sport Event Grant
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Support for Non-profit Organizations
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Music PEI — Microgrants
- Maximum amount : 300 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Agri-food Funding
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

RDN Grants - Electoral Area 'A' Recreation and Culture Grants
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

CIRA Net Good Grants
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Information and cultural industries
- Educational services
- Public administration

- Maximum amount : 17,000 $
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Retail trade

Aboriginal Business Contribution Program (ABCP)
- Maximum amount : 249,999 $
- All industries

Sustainable Development Support Program for Mining Sector Companies — Stream B
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

Diversity and Community Capacity Fund and Community and Cultural Identities Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Arts Infrastructure and Programming Fund
- Maximum amount : 9,000 $
- All industries

Funding for First Nation and Inuit Policing Facilities (FNIPFP)
- No Condition
- Public administration
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Cultural Equity and Accessibility Funding (CEAF)
- From $15,000 to $40,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Tourism Development Fund (TDF)
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services

- Maximum amount : 125,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster (COB)
- Up to 20% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Northern Energy Advantage Program (NEAP)
- No Condition
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Manufacturing

RBC Foundation - ICD-RBC Foundation Scholarship
- Maximum amount : 2,590 $
- All industries

Investing in Women's Futures
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Food Product Development Assistance
- No Condition
- All industries

Enabling Accessibility Fund - Enabling Accessibility Fund for mid-sized projects
- From $500,000 to $3,000,000
- All industries

Reciprocity Health Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Fondation Québec Philanthrope - Armel-Larochelle Program
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

- Up to 80% of project cost
- All industries

Laval Tourism — EPRTNT 2025-2027 – Accommodations
- From $35,000 to $250,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Accommodation and food services

CQRDA — SI2TEC
- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

Social Development Partnerships Program - Disability Component (SDPP-D) - Organizational Capacity Development Stream
- From $250,000 to $500,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Bridgetown Area Community Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Ethnocultural Community Support Program (ECSP)
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

Mécénat Placements Culture
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries

Aide aux projets - Accueil
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Information and cultural industries

Appel de projets pour l'invitation à des diffuseurs et programmateurs hors Québec
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

ID Gatineau - Business Support Fund
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing

Francophone Community Grants Program - Community and Culture Stream
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- All industries

Micro & Leadership Grants
- No Condition
- All industries

Francophone Community Grants Program - Economic Development Stream
- Maximum amount : 50 $
- All industries

Kakivak Association — Economic Opportunity Fund
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Retail trade
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services
- Other services (except public administration)
Find tailored funding for your business
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Coast Funds Economic Development Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Toronto Cultural Festivals Funding Program
- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Farm fuel and rural utility programs
- Maximum amount : 5,250 $
- Up to 25% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Utilities

CALQ —Creation
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Music Industry Initiatives
- From $2,000 to $60,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Funding for the Fraser River Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative
- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Up to 40% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Public administration

Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) in the Prairie provinces
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Culture and Heritage Grants and Contributions Program - Inuit Language Promotion and Protection Contributions
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- All industries

Community Environmental Projects Grant Program (CEPGP)
- From $200 to $10,500
- Educational services
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Zero Emission Transit Fund
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Transportation and warehousing

AFA — Arts Presenting Project Funding
- Up to 65% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

TACC New Relationship Trust (NRT) Entrepreneur Equity Match Grant
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Up to 25% of project cost
- All industries

Public transit development assistance program – Stream 2 : Financial assistance for regional public transit
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Transportation and warehousing
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Business Planning, Skills Development and Agriculture Education
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Childcare Research, Policy Development, and Innovation Grants
- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

Museums Assistance Program - Collections Management
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

City Grant Program - Child Care Grants
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

Job integration contract
- No Condition
- All industries

Environment - Special Initiatives
- No Condition
- All industries

Business Energy Rebates
- Maximum amount : 4,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Retail trade
- Accommodation and food services
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

- Maximum amount : 90,000 $
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Manufacturing

OVIN — Regional Future Workforce Program
- No Condition
- Manufacturing
- Educational services

Financial assistance to develop the production, processing and marketing of Nordic biofood products
- Minimum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Accommodation and food services
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- No Condition
- All industries

Civil Society - Strengthening Civic Space
- No Condition
- All industries

ÉCLO Regional Fund – Stream 2
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- All industries

Equipment and Technology Advancement Program
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Construction

Kosher and Halal Investment Program
- Maximum amount : 2,000,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Summer Student Farm Worker Bursary
- From $1,500 to $3,000
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

2001 London Alliance Canada Summer Games Fund
- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

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

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

Tourism Development Program (TDP)
- Maximum amount : 40,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Accommodation and food services

- No Condition
- All industries

Community Tourism Destination Development Fund
- Maximum amount : 375,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services

Equity + Emerging Development
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement in the North — For-Profit
- No Condition
- All industries

Entrepreneurial Outreach and Navigation Program — #BeTheDrum
- No Condition
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

AgriAssurance Program — National Industry Association
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Toronto — Commercial Façade Improvement Grant Program
- From $2,500 to $12,500
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Retail trade
- Real estate and rental and leasing
- Accommodation and food services
- Other services (except public administration)

- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Invest Nova Scotia — Greenshoots
- Maximum amount : 40 $
- Up to 90% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

National Flagging System Program (NFS)
- Minimum amount : 25,000 $
- Public administration

Cultural Funding - Youth in Culture Program
- Maximum amount : 1,000 $
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

- No Condition
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant (CAPG)
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Alberta Innovates — International Technology Partnership (ITP) Program
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Intercultural Conversations
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries