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.

- No Condition
- All industries

OAC — Public Art Galleries: Operating
- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Donation Program
- No Condition
- All industries

WindsorEssex Community Foundation - KidStartGrants
- Maximum amount : 500 $
- All industries

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

AFA — Queen's Platinum Jubilee Scholarship for Performing Arts
- Maximum amount : 7,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (AICFI) - Harvester Training
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

WindsorEssex Community Foundation - Community Impact Grants
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Northern Healthy Communities Fund
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 90% of project cost
- Health care and social assistance
- Public administration

Sustainable Growth and Adoption Program (SGAP)
- From $40,000 to $100,000
- Up to 60% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

innovÉÉ — PARTENAR-IA — Industry
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Up to 35% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Construction
- Manufacturing

ARBJ — Entrepreneurial Skills Development Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity Program — Clean Tech in Agri-Food
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Farm Credit Canada - FCC AgriSpirit Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

The Low Carbon Economy Fund — Indigenous Leadership Fund
- Maximum amount : 6,000,000 $
- All industries

Future Fisher Program
- Maximum amount : 12,000 $
- Up to 2% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Forest Biomass Program — Modernization stream
- Up to 35% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

First Nations Training to Employment Program
- Up to 51% of project cost
- All industries

Heritage grants - Heritage Incentive Program
- Maximum amount : 4,000,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Real estate and rental and leasing
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Volta AI
- Maximum amount : 14,000 $
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Durham Region Para Sport and Recreation Funds
- Maximum amount : 3,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Enfant Soleil - Sport and Susatainable Health Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Arts Across Canada — Circulation and Touring
- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Cultural Industry Organizations Project Grant
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- All industries

J. Armand Bombardier Bursary Program
- Maximum amount : 3,000 $
- Up to 10% of project cost
- Educational services
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OCI — Critical Industrial Technologies initiative (CIR)
- From $50 to $1,000,000
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Construction
- Manufacturing

BCAC — Arts Infrastructure Program
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Mi'kmaw Cultural Activities Program
- No Condition
- All industries

International Development and Relief
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

Community Addictions Prevention and Mental Health Promotion Fund
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

NBIF — Emerging Concepts and Technologies Program
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Scotiabank - Climate Action Research Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

NED Grants Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Workforce Training and Employment — Labour Market Partnerships
- No Condition
- All industries

Arts Funding Program - Three-Year Operating Funding
- No Condition
- All industries

Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program
- Up to 10% of project cost
- All industries

Community Development Fund
- Up to 90% of project cost
- All industries

- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Accreditation program for private archives
- No Condition
- All industries

Communities and Artists Shifting Culture
- From $2,500 to $15,000
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

TACC Business Equity Program
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- All industries

Arts Funding Program - Annual Operating Funding
- No Condition
- All industries

- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Arts Funding Program - Equity Grants
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

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

Childcare Program Stabilization Grants
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

CMHC - Affordable Housing Fund - Black-led Organizations
- No Condition
- All industries

Disaster Financial Assistance Program — Non-profits
- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Alberta — Efficient Grain Handling Program
- From $500 to $100,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Innovative Solutions Canada — Zero emissions technologies for industrial process heating
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Manufacturing
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CMF — Distributor Program
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 49% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries

Northern Industries Innovation Fund
- From $10 to $50,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Manufacturing
- Transportation and warehousing

Economic Diversification Fund (FDE) for the MRC des Sources territory
- No Condition
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Retail trade

La Ruche — ImpACTE Fund
- From $5,000 to $25,000
- All industries

Arts Funding Program - Operating Grants
- No Condition
- All industries

- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services
- Other services (except public administration)

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

- Up to 50% of project cost
- Transportation and warehousing

EPRTNT — Structuring the tourism offer
- From $30,000 to $100,000
- Up to 30% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Up! Program
- From $200,000 to $10,000
- All industries

Community Priorities Grants
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Product and Market Development Program — Agricultural Industry Organizations
- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade

- Maximum amount : 200 $
- Educational services

Campus Alberta Small Business Engagement (CASBE) Program
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Prince's Operation Entrepreneur
- Maximum amount : 390,000 $
- All industries

Value-adding Equipment Program
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Support Policy For Businesses
- Maximum amount : 40,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services

- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

Support for festivals in the Greater Montréal region
- From $50,000 to $700,000
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta - Community Impact Award
- No Condition
- All industries

Gen AI Call for Projects
- Minimum amount : 750,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Ontario Creates Industry Development Program
- From $5,000 to $35,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Commercial Buildings Retrofit Program
- Maximum amount : 1,250,000 $
- Up to 25% of project cost
- Retail trade
- Real estate and rental and leasing
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

Adoption and Permanency Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Research Funding Programs
- Maximum amount : 750,000 $
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Health care and social assistance
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Forest Biomass Program — Innovative bioproduct manufacturing stream
- Maximum amount : 5,000,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Utilities
- Construction
- Manufacturing

OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

French Language Services Program
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Information and cultural industries
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)

Indigenous Intellectual Property Program Grant — Small scale initiative stream
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Arts et lettres de Montréal - Territorial partnership - Ecoresponsibility and sharing
- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Support program for organizations working with people experiencing homelessness
- Up to 2% of project cost
- Health care and social assistance

Tim Hortons — Smile Cookie
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Support program for the development of reserved designations and promotional terms — Component 3
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Livestock Strategy Program — Pollination Expansion
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Arts and Culture Grant
- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Up to 65% of project cost
- All industries

Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP)
- Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Metcalf Foundation - Environment Program: Carbon Landscapes
- No Condition
- All industries
Investment Readiness Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Transportation Assets Risk Assessment (TARA) Program
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Transportation and warehousing

CanNor Jobs and Growth Fund — Not-for-Profit
- Up to 90% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Health care and social assistance

- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Public administration

Community Enhancement Program — Enhance Your Community Stream
- Maximum amount : 2,000,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Supported Employment
- Maximum amount : 7,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Saskatchewan Arts Board Grants
- No Condition
- Information and cultural industries
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

True Patriot Love Foundation - Bell True Patriot Love Fund
- From $5,000 to $75,000
- All industries

Youth-led Community Health Grants Program
- Maximum amount : 3,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

OTF — Family Innovations Test Grant
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 10% of project cost
- Health care and social assistance

Product and Market Development Program — Agri-Businesses
- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Mineral Exploration Support Program For Critical And Strategic Minerals
- From $40,000 to $400,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

BioCreate Program
- From $100,000 to $150,000
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Health care and social assistance