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.

Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program — Stream 2
- Up to 85% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

- Up to 33% of project cost
- Public administration

Uplifting single mothers grant
- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Alberta Innovates — Enabling Better Health through Artificial Intelligence
- Maximum amount : 800,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Perennial Crop Development Establishment
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Extraordinary Grants for Major Church Development/Redevelopment
- Up to 20% of project cost
- Other services (except public administration)

ACOA Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative — Indigenous Stream
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Manufacturing

Heritage Property Grant Program - Cost sharing grant
- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Capital Grants for Church Development/Redevelopment
- Up to 20% of project cost
- Other services (except public administration)

Junior Exploration Assistance Program
- Maximum amount : 225,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

ACOA Jobs and Growth Fund — Indigenous Stream
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Production Program
- From $50,000 to $200,000
- Up to 30% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

- Up to 20% of project cost
- All industries

Community Enhancement Program — Rural Enhancement Funding Stream
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 90% of project cost
- All industries

Mackenzie Together Grants
- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

Ville de La Tuque — RRF stream 4 - Support for vitality
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Retail trade
- Accommodation and food services
- Other services (except public administration)

Northern and Regional Economic Development Program
- From $20,000 to $300,000
- Up to 75% of project cost
- All industries

Johansen Larsen Foundation
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Toronto Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology (IMIT) Program
- Up to 70% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

CQRDA — PARTENAR-IA — Academic
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Up to 40% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Resiliency Grants
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

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

Climate and Equity Lab Grants
- From $50,000 to $52,500
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Strategic Charitable Partnership Grant
- No Condition
- All industries

- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
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Economic Development Organization Operating Support Program (PAFODE) — Component 1 : Operating support for organizations supporting entrepreneurship
- Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $
- Up to 60% of project cost
- All industries

Tourism Growth Program in southern Ontario
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

The Thames Valley Education Foundation - The Learning Enhancement Fund
- Maximum amount : 500 $
- Educational services

Mission Inclusion - Support for Quebec Organizations - Community Projects
- Maximum amount : 55,000 $
- Other services (except public administration)

AgriAssurance Program — Kosher and Halal Investment – Not-for-profit
- Maximum amount : 350,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Manufacturing

The Thames Valley Education Foundation - The Caring Fund
- Maximum amount : 500 $
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

Emergency And Climate Change Adaptation Fund
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 90% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

OCI — Innovating Digital Health Solutions (IDHS)
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Health care and social assistance

On-Farm Efficiency Program
- From $500 to $150,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Annual Grant Program - Community Impact Grant
- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Northern Indigenous Economic Opportunities Program (NIEOP) — Entrepreneurship and Business Development
- No Condition
- All industries

EUREKA!
- No Condition
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

OAC — Literary Organizations: Operating
- No Condition
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Yukon Film — Training Fund
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

ERA — Tailings Technology Challenge
- From $1,000,000 to $15,000,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

Tourism Growth Program in Atlantic Canada
- Up to 15% of project cost
- Accommodation and food services

Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) - Indigenous Energy Support Program
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- All industries

Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) Program
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Retail trade
- Transportation and warehousing
- Real estate and rental and leasing

Ontario 400th Celebrations Program
- No Condition
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

Alberta Innovates — LevMax-Health
- No Condition
- All industries

Ontario — Growing Future Opportunities Initiative
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

REGI — Jobs and Growth Fund — CED (QC) — Not-for-profit
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

INVEST North Program — Investment – Locate Stream
- Maximum amount : 5,000,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

- From $100 to $2,500
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

OCI — ENCQOR 5G Technology Development (SME) Program
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
Find tailored funding for your business
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Canadian Cancer Society - Awards for Excellence in Cancer Research
- From $20,000 to $20,000
- All industries

Environment Fund Grant
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- Other services (except public administration)

- From $500 to $3,500
- Health care and social assistance

Energy Innovation Program — Renewable Energy Demonstrations
- No Condition
- Utilities

Brockville and Area Community Foundation
- From $500 to $11,800
- Other services (except public administration)

Canadian Cancer Society - Research Training Awards
- No Condition
- All industries

innovÉÉ — Demonstration in a real environment
- Maximum amount : 350,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Transportation and warehousing

Mobilize Grant - Truth & Action
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Annual Operations Assistance
- No Condition
- All industries

Canadian Cancer Society - Canadian Cancer Society Emerging Scholar Research Grants
- Maximum amount : 120,000 $
- All industries

Heritage Grants - Heritage Façade Rehabilitation Program
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Retail trade
- Information and cultural industries

Nova Scotia Health & QEII Health Sciences Foundation Health Equity Fund
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Business Rebate Program
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 25% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Utilities
- Construction
- Manufacturing

Agri-Food Market Development and Access
- Maximum amount : 45,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

OCI — Technology Demonstration Program (TDP)
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Manufacturing
- Retail trade
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Building Sector Capacity, Growth and Competitiveness
- From $50,000 to $2,500,000
- Up to 25% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

Maureen Tonge 'Living Your Legacy' Fund
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

Helen & John Parker Community Fund
- From $1,000 to $12,000
- Other services (except public administration)

Tourism Cooperative Marketing Fund
- From $2,500 to $50,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Transportation and warehousing
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services

Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy – Investments in Training Equipment
- Maximum amount : 5,000,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Construction

Eva Henderson Memorial Fund
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

Sharon Morrison Memorial Indigenous Education Fund
- No Condition
- All industries

Assurance Systems Program
- No Condition
- Manufacturing

Mary Beth Miller Memorial Fund
- From $1,000 to $7,000
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Community Justice Grants
- No Condition
- All industries
Access over 10 000 different funding opportunities
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Legacy Community Development Grants
- From $5,000 to $25,000
- All industries

Smart Agriculture Living Lab Call for Proposal
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Holy Family Lutheran Legacy Fund
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Gardens for Good
- From $6,500 to $6,500
- All industries

Arts Across Canada — Translation
- No Condition
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

Gladys and Albert Eggenberger Agricultural Fund
- From $1,000 to $12,000
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Community Grants - International Community Boards
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

- No Condition
- All industries

Energy Innovation Program — Smart Grids
- No Condition
- Utilities

Get Her Elected Fund
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- Public administration

SHRF — Solutions Program – Innovation + Impact Grants
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
- Health care and social assistance

Gary Robinson Memorial Fund
- From $1,000 to $8,000
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)

Chris Argue Memorial Fund
- From $1,000 to $7,000
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Transal — Alu 4.0, Digital Locomotive
- Maximum amount : 400,000 $
- Up to 46.3% of project cost
- Manufacturing

MRC Joliette — Business Assistance Fund (FAE) – Stream 1
- Maximum amount : 7,000 $
- All industries

Law for the Future Fund
- No Condition
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Other services (except public administration)

Transal — Consortium TIC
- Up to 15% of project cost
- Manufacturing

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

Weaving Justice Grants
- Maximum amount : 10,000,000 $
- All industries
Robert and Judith Clark Foundation for Animal Rights
- From $5,000 to $25,000
- All industries

Nunavut Arts Program
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Job Opportunity for Youth Grant
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Other services (except public administration)
First Nations Market Housing Fund
- No Condition
- Real estate and rental and leasing

Community Conservation Fund
- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
