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.

Strong Roots Community Grant Program
- From $10,000 to $50,000
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)

Scugog Youth Initiative Grant
- No Condition
- All industries

- No Condition
- All industries

Manitoba Council for International Cooperation Inc. - Relief and Rehabilitation Fund
- From $10,000 to $25,000
- All industries

Perennia — On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF)
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 85% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Tourism Product Diversification and Marketing Program — Business Planning and Transition Assistance
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 15% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Accommodation and food services

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

Community Initiatives Grants
- From $500 to $5,000
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

The Canada Community Security Program (CCSP)
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Up to 70% of project cost
- All industries

Conference or Event Sponsorship Grant
- From $200 to $3,000
- All industries

Exploring Collaboration Grants
- Maximum amount : 2,500 $
- All industries

- No Condition
- All industries

Community Environmental Improvement Grant
- No Condition
- All industries

ARBJ — Company follow-up program (PSE)
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

General Community Crisis Response Fund
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

Green Transition Fund
- From $75,000 to $3,000,000
- All industries

Provincial Agrifoods Assistance Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Ottawa Community Foundation - Community Initiative Grants
- From $15,000 to $25,000
- All industries

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

Durham Community Foundation Community Grants
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)

- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

FAIS — FINANCIAL ALLOCATION 2025-26
- No Condition
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

PacifiCan — Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI)
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Manufacturing

The Indigenous Lifeways Fund
- From $1,000 to $50,000
- All industries

- No Condition
- All industries
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Multicultural Initiatives Fund - Annual and Project Funding
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Wholesale trade
- Educational services

First Nations Well Being Fund
- Maximum amount : 35,000 $
- Transportation and warehousing
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Public administration

Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities Program
- Maximum amount : 2,000,000 $
- All industries

Coopération bilatérale Québec-Bavière
- No Condition
- All industries

Manitoba Council for International Cooperation Inc. - Development Fund
- From $6,500 to $130,000
- All industries

RDN Grants - Community Grants
- No Condition
- All industries

Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus Charitable Foundation - James & Lawrence Meier Grant
- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

Indoor Space Improvement Grant
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

Island Community Food Security Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)

- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

Sustainable Jobs Training Fund
- From $8,000,000 to $15,000,000
- All industries

Cast & Learn Grants
- From $10,000 to $40,000
- Other services (except public administration)

Fonds régions et ruralité (FRR)
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- All industries

- From $50,000 to $500,000
- Information and cultural industries

Innovator Award
- From $150,000 to $300,000
- All industries

Community Salmon Program
- From $1,000 to $25,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Stanley Creators Fund
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Other services (except public administration)

Call For Proposals: Increasing the Fluidity of Canada’s Supply Chains
- Maximum amount : 500,000,000 $
- All industries

Research Library Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Grassroots Grants
- From $500 to $5,000
- All industries

- Minimum amount : 350,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Manufacturing

Neighbourhood Small Grants
- Maximum amount : 500 $
- All industries

AWS Imagine Grant Canada
- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- All industries

Mary Wakefield Animal Welfare Grants
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- All industries

- No Condition
- All industries
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- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

Développement agroalimentaire
- No Condition
- All industries

PlanH - Community Connectedness Grants
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Public administration

Child Care Renovation Expansion Grant
- Maximum amount : 2,000,000 $
- All industries

PlanH - Healthy Public Policy Grants
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Health care and social assistance
- Public administration

Building Safer Communities Grant
- No Condition
- All industries

Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program — COVID-19 Resilience stream
- Up to 100% of project cost
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Public administration

MHTP Funding
- No Condition
- All industries

Critical Technology Initiatives
- Maximum amount : 60,000,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

SOCAN — Travel Assistance
- Maximum amount : 1,000 $
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
ConnectUp - Standard Grants
- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance

Nova Grants
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) – Tech for Healthy Aging
- Maximum amount : 300,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Health care and social assistance

Community Spirit Grant
- Maximum amount : 2,500 $
- Health care and social assistance

Agriculture Enhancement Grants
- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

Culture Days Hub Sponsorship
- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta - Lanfine Wind Community Grant Fund
- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- All industries

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Fund – Stream 1
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

Indigenous Peoples Partnering for Climate
- Maximum amount : 15,000,000 $
- All industries

- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)

SportPG Hosting Grant Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Cancer Research for Screening and Prevention Program Fund
- Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $
- All industries

Small Grants Competition
- Maximum amount : 3,500 $
- Other services (except public administration)

- From $5,000 to $15,000
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
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Community Capacity Building Fund
- Maximum amount : 3,000 $
- All industries

Shuswap Community Foundation Grants
- No Condition
- All industries
S'Cool Life Fund
- No Condition
- Educational services
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

- Up to 90% of project cost
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

CleanBC Industry Fund - Innovation Accelerator Request for Proposals
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Manufacturing

Community Empowerment for Economic Development (CEED) Program
- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

ViaSport - BC Ferries Sport Experience Program
- Maximum amount : 7,500 $
- All industries

CleanBC Industry Fund - Project Feasibility Studies Request for Proposals
- Up to 75% of project cost
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Utilities
- Construction
- Manufacturing

Daryl K. Seaman Canadian Hockey Grants
- From $5,000 to $150,000
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

The Lyle S. Hallman Foundation - Grass Roots Support
- No Condition
- All industries

- From $500 to $5,000
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Oil Spill Response Challenge
- Maximum amount : 2,000,000 $
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
- Professional, scientific and technical services

Call for Proposals to Address GBV through Promising Practices and Community-based Research - Stream 2: Community-Based Research
- Maximum amount : 400,000 $
- All industries

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

- From $2,500 to $5,000
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Enbridge Gas Quebec — Cash incentives – Dishwasher Energy Star
- From $1,400 to $3,060
- Accommodation and food services

Skills for Success - Research and Innovation Stream
- Maximum amount : 7,500,000 $
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

- No Condition
- All industries

- No Condition
- Health care and social assistance

- From $2,000 to $5,000
- All industries

Skills for Success - Training and Tools Stream
- Maximum amount : 10,000,000 $
- Educational services

Heritage Grant Program
- No Condition
- All industries

Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas
- No Condition
- All industries

Supports for Newcomer Integration Grants
- No Condition
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)

OTF — Youth Innovations Test Grant
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- Up to 15% of project cost
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration