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.

Cultural Economic Development Program - Heritage
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

First Peoples' Cultural Council - Arts Funding Program
- No Condition
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Paralympic Sport Development Fund
- From $5,000 to $20,000
- All industries

Val-Saint-François — Eco-responsible fund
- From $500 to $5,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Cultural Learning and Sharing (CLS) Grant Program
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Black-Mandated Funding Framework
- No Condition
- All industries

OVIN — C/AV and Smart Mobility — Stream 1
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Transportation and warehousing

Affordable Housing Grants
- No Condition
- All industries

Ontario Power Generation - Regional Empowerment Grant Program
- From $2,000 to $10,000
- All industries

Community Development Funds - Mayor's Community Development Fund
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

United Way Hastings & Prince Edward Inc. - Innovation Fund - Small Grants (Organizational Capacity and Collaboration)
- Maximum amount : 7,500 $
- All industries

The Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP)
- Maximum amount : 60,000 $
- All industries

Community Development Funding
- No Condition
- All industries

London Community Grants Program - Multi-Year Stream
- No Condition
- All industries

Musicaction — Musical Showcases – Stream 2 - National Tour
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Operating Grant for Indigenous-led Organizations
- From $2,500 to $50,000
- All industries

Indigenous Priorities Grants
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

FortisBC — Custom Performance Program
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Utilities
- Manufacturing
- Other services (except public administration)

- No Condition
- All industries

Canada - UK 2024-2025 multisector collaborative industrial research and development
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Health care and social assistance

Critical Minerals Innovation Fund
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

The Christmas Cheer Foundation
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

Professional cultural organizations - Projets culturels pour les camps de jour
- No Condition
- All industries

Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF) – Development
- No Condition
- Information and cultural industries
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
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The Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund
- No Condition
- All industries
Sponsorships, Grants & Donations
- No Condition
- All industries

Fondation J. Armand Bombardier
- No Condition
- All industries

Milton Community Fund
- Up to 25% of project cost
- All industries

STEP Program
- No Condition
- Real estate and rental and leasing

ALS Society of Canada - ALS Canada Trainee Award Program
- Maximum amount : 165,000 $
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

Culture and Heritage Grants and Contributions Program - Cultural Communications Program
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

PrairiesCan — Regional Economic Growth through Innovation — Regional Innovation Ecosystems (RIE)
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

District of Sicamous Community Service Grant
- No Condition
- All industries

Product Development Partnership Program
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Accommodation and food services

Lac-Mégantic Economic Assistance Fund (FAELM)
- No Condition
- Manufacturing
- Accommodation and food services
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

- Up to 50% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

City of Salmon Arm Grants-in-Aid Program
- No Condition
- All industries

GreenShield Cares
- No Condition
- All industries

Fonds de développement des entreprises d'économie sociale (FDEÉS)
- No Condition
- All industries

Growing Greenhouses Program
- From $2,000,000 to $4,000,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

City Grant Program - Arts and Culture - Project Assistance
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Skills Development Fund (SDF) — Capital Stream — GROW Pathway
- Up to 49% of project cost
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Health care and social assistance

ÉCLO Regional Fund – Stream 1
- Up to 75% of project cost
- All industries

Funding for Sport Groups
- No Condition
- All industries

Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association - Community Rink Affordability Grant
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

Community Investment Program - Small Capital Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Mille et UN Fund for Young People
- From $10,000 to $200,000
- All industries

Canadian Relations Support Program - Tier 2: Canadian networks
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries
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Small Grant Accessibility Program
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- All industries

FESBC — 2025-27 Wildfire Risk Reduction Funding
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Public administration

- No Condition
- All industries

Video Games Business Development Program
- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Information and cultural industries

Lake Ecosystem Grant Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Prairieaction Foundation - Education & Awareness Grant Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Zero Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative - ZEVAI Indigenous-led projects pilot
- No Condition
- All industries
Newfoundland and Labrador Community Housing Growth Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Combatting Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) Grant
- No Condition
- All industries

- From $1,000 to $30,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Relève Alimentaire Québec Award
- From $5,000 to $10,000
- Up to 60% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Accommodation and food services

Sport Support Program - National Multisport Services Organization
- No Condition
- All industries

My Great Neighbourhood Grant
- From $1,500 to $7,500
- All industries

Indigenous Climate Action Grants
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

- Maximum amount : 1,000 $
- All industries

- No Condition
- All industries

Orange Shirt Day Fund
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

Tourism Growth Program (TGP)
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 15% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Community Pathways to Justice: Grant to Support Survivors of Gender Based Violence
- From $50,000 to $150,000
- All industries

The Low Carbon Economy Fund - Implementation Readiness Fund
- No Condition
- Public administration

Nanaimo Youth Resilience Grants
- Maximum amount : 1,156,699 $
- All industries

Family and Community Support Services Grant
- No Condition
- All industries

- Maximum amount : 70,000 $
- All industries
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Sporting Events Support Program
- From $1,000 to $15,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Plug In Thunder Bay
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Promoting Health Equity: Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund - Incubator Stream
- No Condition
- All industries

Professional cultural organizations - Programme d'oeuvres murales et de vidéoprojections architecturales
- Maximum amount : 40,000 $
- All industries

Active Communities Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

MRC Brome-Missisquoi — RénoRégion Program
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

Indigenous Reconciliation Initiative - Cultural Stream
- No Condition
- All industries

True Patriot Love Foundation - Military Creative Arts Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

- No Condition
- Information and cultural industries
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Anti-Human Trafficking Community Supports Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Emergency Treatment Fund: Call for Proposals
- No Condition
- All industries

ivari's Healthy Steps Program
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

North Peace Savings Community Legacy Fund
- From $5,000 to $50,000
- Other services (except public administration)

BlueShore Financial - Sponsorship Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Alberta Innovates — Health Innovation Platform Partnerships Program
- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Health care and social assistance

Impact Investing
- From $100,000 to $500,000
- All industries

CQRDA — PARTENAR-IA — Business
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Construction
- Manufacturing

Building BC - Women’s Transition Housing Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

B.C. — Agri-Business Planning Program
- From $500 to $22,500
- Up to 70% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

Community Workforce Response Grant — Indigenous Communities Stream
- From $15,000 to $300,000
- All industries

Renewable Recreation Funding Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Rural Growth Initiative - Economic Growth Program
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

Gender Equity Action Fund (GEAF)
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

The Ontario Trillium Foundation - Seed Grants
- From $10,000 to $100,000
- All industries

Interministerial Women's Secretariat Grant Program
- No Condition
- All industries