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.

Heritage Preservation Partnership Program - Publication Grants
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

ÉCLO Regional Fund – Stream 3
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Other services (except public administration)

Change Can’t Wait!
- No Condition
- All industries

General Financial Assistance Program
- No Condition
- All industries

City of North Vancouver Community Grants
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Metcalf Foundation - Inclusive Local Economies Program: Opportunities Fund
- Maximum amount : 90,000 $
- All industries

Call for Indigenous Producers for ISO Delegation to Prime Time
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- Up to 51% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries

- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Up to 20% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Musical Performances by Charitable Ensembles
- No Condition
- All industries

Recreation Grant - New Projects and Initiatives
- Maximum amount : 7,000 $
- All industries

Tourism Growth Program in British Columbia
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 15% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Indigenous Economic Development Fund — Business and Community Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Aboriginal Participation Fund (APF) — Mining conferences funding Sub-Stream
- No Condition
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

A.P.E Fund
- Maximum amount : 1,000 $
- Other services (except public administration)

Aboriginal Participation Fund (APF) — Advanced exploration and development support
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

Aboriginal Participation Fund (APF) — Education and relationship-building
- No Condition
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

Culture and Heritage Grants and Contributions Program - Youth & Elders Committees
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Goodspark Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Sponsorships and Charitable Partnerships
- No Condition
- All industries

Geniuses in business
- No Condition
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

PRIMA — Call For Projects In Artificial Intelligence And Quantum Technologies
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Up to 35% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Transportation and warehousing
- Information and cultural industries
Toronto Enterprise Fund (TEF) - Sustain Existing ESEs
- No Condition
- All industries

Schoolyard Tree Planting Grant Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Educational services

Mitacs — Canadian Science Policy Fellowship
- No Condition
- All industries

JEDI — Aboriginal Development Fund — Business and Entrepreneurship Development
- Maximum amount : 16,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries
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InnoFood — Food innovations for a sustainable future
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Up to 40% of project cost
- Manufacturing

Women in Skilled Trades Initiative
- Maximum amount : 3,000,000 $
- Up to 10% of project cost
- Construction
- Manufacturing

Social Innovation Project Grants
- No Condition
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program — Collaboration projects
- From $3,000,000 to $3,000,000
- Up to 30% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Community Arts Investment Program (CAIP) - Artist Collective Stream
- No Condition
- All industries

Self Employment Training
- Up to 86% of project cost
- Construction
- Retail trade
- Information and cultural industries
- Finance and insurance

- No Condition
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services
- Public administration

Nature Inspiration Awards
- From $5,000 to $5,000
- All industries

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

Disability Related Employment Supports (DRES)
- No Condition
- All industries

Indigenous Intellectual Property Program Grant — Travel stream
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries
Sector Transformation Fund - Sectoral Impact Projects
- No Condition
- All industries

Whitetooth Affordable Ski Program
- From $1,400 to $5,000
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

OAC — Northern Arts Projects
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

PME MTL — Social Initiatives
- From $5,000 to $50,000
- All industries

Funding Support for Community Organizations
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)

Aboriginal Participation Fund (APF) — Mineral development advisor stream
- No Condition
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

Honouring the Children Grant
- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- All industries

Limited Duration Two-Year Operating Grant
- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Up to 30% of project cost
- All industries

Innovation and Development Labour Rebate Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Tourism PEI Festivals and Events Fund
- From $1,000 to $2,500
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services

Project Grant Program – Organizations
- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- All industries

SME in action
- No Condition
- Manufacturing

Cultivating biodiversity in agricultural environments
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
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Community Foundation of Central Alberta - Community Grants Microgrant Program
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

Community Development Funds - Performing Arts Community Development Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Alberta Innovates — Industry Commercialization Associates
- Maximum amount : 120,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Clean Fuels Awareness Projects
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Construction
- Manufacturing

OVIN — R&D Partnership Fund – Advanced Charging and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Stream
- Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $
- Up to 33% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Transportation and warehousing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Manitoba — Incoming Buyer Program
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Wholesale trade

- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Public administration

Creative Industries Fund in Nova Scotia
- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 25% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Program
- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Leadership and Mentorship Grant
- Maximum amount : 40,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

JEDI — Aboriginal Development Fund — CED
- Maximum amount : 16,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries
TD Bank Group - The TD Ready Challenge
- Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $
- All industries

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

Fondation François Bourgeois
- No Condition
- All industries

General Charities Grants
- From $5 to $5,000
- All industries

IDEaS — Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems Concept Development
- Maximum amount : 2,500,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Call for Indigenous Producers for an ISO Delegation to Cannes International Film Festival
- Maximum amount : 4,500 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Youth Suicide Prevention Grant Program
- From $40,000 to $175,000
- All industries

VQA Wine Support Program
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Community Housing Supply Grant Pilot Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Homelessness Services Grants
- Maximum amount : 3,000 $
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

CMF-Quebecor — Fund Intellectual Properties Intended for International Markets Production Support Program
- Maximum amount : 300,000 $
- Up to 6% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries

Youth in Action Grants
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- All industries

Sport Support Program - National Sport Organization
- No Condition
- All industries
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Building BC - Community Housing Fund
- From $171,211 to $178,059
- All industries

Panel innovation platform (PIP)
- From $100,000 to $375,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) - Community Facility Enhancement Program Large
- From $125,001 to $1,000,000
- All industries

Major Events
- Maximum amount : 800,000 $
- Up to 20% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Trade Mission Support Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Manufacturing
- Transportation and warehousing
- Information and cultural industries

Economic Development Fund — Tier 2
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- All industries

OAC — Media Artists Creation Projects
- Maximum amount : 40,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

Canada United Small Business Relief Fund
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Retail trade
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Quebec city — Valo-Capitale — commercialization of innovation
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

AgriScience Program — Projects – Not-for-profit
- Up to 70% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Emerging Innovators Challenge
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

Alberta Innovates — Industry R&D Associates Program
- Maximum amount : 105,000 $
- Up to 25% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

CALQ — Professional Development
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Program and Operating Grants
- No Condition
- All industries

Youth Action Fund
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- All industries

- No Condition
- All industries

Professional cultural organizations - Soutien aux projets des organismes culturels professionnels
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Professional cultural organizations - Cultural projects for children with special needs attending adapted leisure organizations
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries

N.B. Indigenous Agriculture Development Program
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Centretown Heritage Façade Improvement Program
- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Retail trade

Festivals and Special Event Grant
- No Condition
- All industries

Alberta Innovates — Clean Resources
- Maximum amount : 2,000,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Manufacturing

Cégep de Sept-Îles
- No Condition
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program
- No Condition
- All industries