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.

Northern Isolated Community Initiatives (NICI) Fund
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

AgriScience Program — Projects — for-profit organizations
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program (FNECP)
- No Condition
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

Children's Hospital Aid Society
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

OAC — Market Development Travel
- From $1,000 to $2,000
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

The Marion Ethel Kamm and Frederick John Kamm Foundation
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Health care and social assistance

Capital Project Grants - Social Policy - Childcare Small Capital Grants
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Multi-Species Research and Development Fund
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 90% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Prairieaction Foundation - CARE Grant Program
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

OAC — Music Recording Projects
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Grants and Loans
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

La Ruche — Mille et UN Fund
- From $5,000 to $100,000
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Indigenous Genomics Training and Capacity Program – Ontario
- Maximum amount : 400,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

2SLGBTQIA+ Beyond Belonging Grant Program
- From $10,000 to $100,000
- All industries

EPRTNT — Hosting
- From $50,000 to $100,000
- Up to 30% of project cost
- Accommodation and food services

CQDM — PARTENAR-IA — Industry
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Up to 35% of project cost
- All industries

Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage - Community Historical Anniversaries Programming
- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

The Accelerator
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

Community Facility Enhancement Program Large (CFEP)
- From $125,000 to $1,000,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Musicaction — International Commercialization – Stream 2 - Career development in a target market
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Interactive Digital Media Fund — Concept Definition
- From $10,000 to $50,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

- Up to 40% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

IP financing - Women
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Human Development Fund
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Other services (except public administration)

- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
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OAC — Dance Projects
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Edmonton Public Teachers Charity Trust Fund
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

Disaster Response
- No Condition
- All industries

Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 25% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

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

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

Agricultural and Sector Show Support Program – Stream 1.3
- Maximum amount : 115,000 $
- Up to 70% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

- No Condition
- Educational services

Charitable Giving - Partner Grant Program
- Maximum amount : 3,000 $
- All industries

Grow Ontario Market Initiative
- Maximum amount : 60,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade

Flavelle Family Foundation
- From $50 to $10,000
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Athlete Assistance Program (AAP)
- Maximum amount : 27,500 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
Industry Development Partnerships
- No Condition
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Community Economic Development Funding Program
- From $5,000 to $50,000
- All industries

Compensation for Employers of Reservists Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Atlantic Fisheries Fund — Innovation
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Community Challenge grant
- Maximum amount : 1,000 $
- All industries

Commercialization, Consulting and Mentoring
- Maximum amount : 16,250 $
- Up to 65% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Construction

Ontario — Biosecurity Enhancement Initiative
- Up to 35% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Transportation and warehousing

Annual Research Grants
- From $10,000 to $100,000
- Health care and social assistance

Loisir et Sport Montérégie — Transport Fund
- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

The Physicians' Services Incorporated Foundation - New Investigator Grants
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Sherbrooke — Renovation assistance program for commercial premises and facades
- From $500 to $50,000
- Retail trade

- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Manufacturing

Seafood Accelerator Program – Product Development and Technical Support
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
Find tailored funding for your business
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Forest Operations Modernization Program
- From $5,000 to $250,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Harm Reduction Grants
- From $50,000 to $150,000
- All industries

Energy Savings for Business Program
- From $500 to $250,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Utilities
- Manufacturing
- Retail trade

The Physicians' Services Incorporated Foundation - Healthcare Research by Community Physicians
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Amplifying Communities Initiative
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)

MRC de D’Autray — Self-Employment Support Measure (STA)
- No Condition
- All industries
Bourses d’études supérieures pour des étudiants de deuxième et de troisième cycle
- From $7,500 to $10,000
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services

Regional partnership and digital transformation agreement for tourism 2022-2025 – Attractions, activities and facilities
- From $30,000 to $95,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Moffat Family Fund - Moose Jaw & District
- From $1,000 to $20,000
- All industries

Nunavut Entrepreneurship Incentive
- No Condition
- All industries

Youth Gang Prevention Fund (YGPF)
- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Commemorate Canada Program
- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
Subventions pour des projets dans la communauté qui favorisent l’adoption de saines habitudes de vie
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Youth Climate Action Fund Micro-grant
- From $1,500 to $7,000
- All industries

Grants for emerging artists: Creative Spark Vancouver
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

PISAQ – Stream 3
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Financial Assistance Program from the Fonds de la sécurité routière
- Maximum amount : 350,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Transportation and warehousing

UERAB Grants
- No Condition
- All industries

Safety Grants Program
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Hire for Talent
- No Condition
- All industries

MRC La Matapédia — Program for Restoring Underutilized Agricultural Lands 2023-2025
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Quebec International — Starting a business and making it grow
- No Condition
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Finance and insurance
- Health care and social assistance

Falls prevention and healthy aging grant
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Agriculture Stewardship Program
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries
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OTF — System Innovations Grant
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 15% of project cost
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Alberta Media Fund — Alberta Made Production Grant
- Maximum amount : 125,000 $
- Up to 25% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

General Business Loans
- Maximum amount : 1,150,000 $
- Up to 90% of project cost
- All industries

Lands and Economic Development Services Program
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Construction

Dairy Innovation Program (DIP)
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) funding
- No Condition
- All industries

Support for Projects Facilitating Access to Creative Spaces
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Up to 90% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Cultural Infrastructure Development Program
- From $100,000 to $20,000,000
- Up to 35% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Public administration

Truth and Reconciliation Fund
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

Public transit development assistance program – Stream 1 : Financial assistance for urban public transit
- Up to 65% of project cost
- Transportation and warehousing
- Public administration

Tremplin Grant - Indigenous Arts
- Maximum amount : 3,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Fund to support attraction and sustainable settlement in Côte-Nord
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Official Languages Economic Development Initiative in Quebec — Not-for-profit
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Support for D/deaf Artists or Artists with Disabilities (Individuals, Collectives and Organizations)
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Small-Scale Food and Beverage Processing Equipment Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

- No Condition
- All industries

Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program (PEFIP) — Stream 1
- Up to 70% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Listen, Hear Our Voices — Small projects
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries

Business and Professional Development for Publishers — Grants
- Maximum amount : 2,500 $
- Up to 60% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

B.C. Indigenous Agriculture Development Program – Stream 2
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Up to 51% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

MTRIC — Start Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 70% of project cost
- Manufacturing

Inuktut Versioning Fund
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 33% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries

- Minimum amount : 75,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

- Up to 80% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Arts-based programming
- From $15,000 to $120,000
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation