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.

Indigenous Housing Capital Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Building BC - Supportive Housing Fund - Request for Pre-Qualification (RFPQ)
- No Condition
- All industries

AFA — Provincial Arts Service Organizations Operating Funding
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Emerging Talent Awards as part of the 2025 Rendez-vous Génome Québec
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund
- From $75,000 to $1,000,000
- All industries

Nova Scotia Health Mental Health & Addictions Program Grants
- No Condition
- All industries

- Maximum amount : 3,000,000 $
- All industries

AgriStability — Prince Edward Island
- Minimum amount : 400 $
- Up to 60% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Quebec Economic Development Program - Foster official languages
- No Condition
- All industries

SSHRC Connection Grants
- From $7,000 to $50,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Equity and Inclusion in The Arts Fund - Grow Grant
- From $2,000 to $20,000
- All industries

Ontario Automotive Modernization Program (O-AMP)
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing

Distress Line Equity Fund
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- All industries

Commission for Environmental Cooperation - North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- All industries

National AccessAbility Week Funding
- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- All industries

- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- Up to 30% of project cost
- All industries

Public Interest Law Participation Fund
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

ARBJ — Targeted Financing Program (TFP)
- Up to 20% of project cost
- All industries

Community Impact Funding
- No Condition
- All industries

Research Grants on Education: Small
- Maximum amount : 50 $
- All industries

Wah-ila-toos: Clean Energy Initiatives in Indigenous, rural and remote communities
- No Condition
- Utilities
Nova Scotia’s Community Housing Growth Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Community Naturalization and Tree Planting Grants
- From $2,500 to $2,500
- All industries

First Peoples' Cultural Council - Language Grants
- From $50,000 to $300,000
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Indigenous Marine Coordinator Component
- Maximum amount : 125,000 $
- All industries
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Water Quality Grants
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Entreprendre Sherbrooke — Propulsion Fund Sherbrooke
- From $1,000 to $20,000
- Up to 70% of project cost
- Retail trade
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services
- Other services (except public administration)

Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Quality Improvement Projects
- Maximum amount : 2,000,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Edmonton Immigrant and Refugee Communities Grant Program - Space Subsidy Grant
- From $5,000 to $6
- Up to 80% of project cost
- All industries

- Maximum amount : 500 $
- All industries

Together For Our Youth
- No Condition
- All industries

OAC — French-language broadcasting - how it works
- Minimum amount : 75,000 $
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Canadian Music Assistance
- No Condition
- All industries

CQRDA — Providers-Clients
- Maximum amount : 2,000,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Manufacturing

Indigenous Labour Market Fund
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries

Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta - WestMET Community Grant Fund
- Maximum amount : 35,760 $
- All industries

Centre for Women in Business
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Other services (except public administration)

INVEST North Program — Investment — Launch Stream
- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Saskatchewan Product Development Program (PDP)
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

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

Alberta Media Fund — Project Script Development Grant
- Maximum amount : 55,000 $
- Information and cultural industries

Grants for Community Groups
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

CMHC - Affordable Housing Fund - New Construction - Rapid Housing Sub-Stream
- Maximum amount : 963,000,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries

Grassroots - Stepping Stones Grants
- Maximum amount : 1,000 $
- All industries

Region of Waterloo Arts Funding
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

Street performers on the pedestrianized Plaza Saint-Hubert
- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

The 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
- No Condition
- All industries

- Up to 25% of project cost
- All industries

Bell Canada - Bell Let's Talk Diversity Fund
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- All industries

Community Services Recovery Fund
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries
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Impact Canada - Deep Space Food Challenge
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Impact Canada - Housing Supply Challenge: Round 2 - Getting Started
- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- Real estate and rental and leasing

Dufferin Vision Fund Grants
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Quality of Life Granting Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Formations de courte durée (COUD) — Requalification and skills enhancement
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries

Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Access to Justice Services Agreements
- No Condition
- Public administration

Community Cultural Partnership Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program - Organizational Capacity Building component
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- All industries

- No Condition
- All industries

Guelph-Wellington Community Agriculture Challenge
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- All industries

Green Community Grant Program
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

ELRL Community Grant Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Maple Leaf Community Fund
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

Yvonne L. Bombardier Visual Arts Scholarship Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Mississauga Foundation - Novo Nordisk Chronic Disease Fund
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

Francophone Community Grants Program (FCGP)
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)

CMHC - Seed Funding
- Maximum amount : 350,000 $
- All industries

Ontario Autism Program Workforce Capacity Fund
- From $50,000 to $400,000
- All industries

Community Grants and Partnerships
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- All industries

RDN Grants - Oceanside Recreation Services Grant
- No Condition
- All industries

Yukon Francophonie Day
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Call for letter of intent
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- All industries

Cultural Spaces Grant Program - Capital Grants
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- All industries

InTO the Ravines Grant
- Maximum amount : 1,000 $
- Other services (except public administration)
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Mississauga Foundation - Hazel McCallion Fund for Arts, Culture and Heritage
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

London Community Grants Program - Capital Grant Stream
- No Condition
- All industries

Burlington Arts and Culture Fund
- Maximum amount : 7,000 $
- All industries

Methanex Gives - Medicine Hat
- No Condition
- All industries

CMHC - National Housing Strategy Research and Planning Fund
- From $75,000 to $250,000
- Up to 25% of project cost
- All industries

- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- All industries
Sector Transformation Fund - Local Projects
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- All industries

Community Culture Grants - Community Public Art Grant Program
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- All industries

Ottawa Rural Clean Water Grants Program (ORCWGP)
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Cultural Spaces Grant Program - Affordable Spaces operating grants
- From $25,000 to $40,000
- All industries

Community ACCESS-Ability Program
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

KSW Calgary Holocaust Education & Commemoration Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

NGen — Pilot Projects
- From $50,000 to $200,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Nova Scotia Seafood and Agriculture Strategic Investment Fund
- From $500,000 to $1,125,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

Community Foundation of Central Alberta - Women & Girls Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Albert Hall Seniors Enhancement Fund
- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Genome Prairie — Precision Health Initiative
- Maximum amount : 6 $
- Up to 45% of project cost
- Health care and social assistance

Grassroots - Neighbour Grants
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

National Bank Financial Group - Sponsorships
- No Condition
- All industries

Children and Youth Grants
- Maximum amount : 3,000 $
- All industries

Community Funding Program - Civic Events funding
- Maximum amount : 3,000 $
- All industries

Community Grants - FCSS Building Bridges Grants
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- All industries

Business Growth — Attracting and retaining talent
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Health care and social assistance

Sponsorships and Corporate Programs
- From $100 to $5,000
- All industries

- No Condition
- All industries