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.

Museums Assistance Program - Canada-France Agreement
Department of Canadian Heritage (LJI)- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries

Museums Assistance Program - Access to Heritage
Department of Canadian Heritage (LJI)- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Enhancement of Official Languages Program - Promotion of Linguistic Duality Component - Promotion of Bilingual Services
Department of Canadian Heritage (LJI)- Maximum amount : 300,000 $
- All industries

Community Development Grants
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities- No Condition
- All industries

Community Culture Grants - Community Culture Development Fund
City of Red Deer- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- All industries

Fonds Communautaire Du Grand-Havre
The Community Foundation of Nova Scotia- From $4,000 to $4,000
- All industries

Rural Community Building Grants
City of Ottawa- No Condition
- All industries

Grants in Aid
Town of Ladysmith- No Condition
- All industries

Community Change Grants
Strathcona County- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- All industries

Heritage Preservation Partnership Program - Heritage Awareness Grants
Alberta Culture and Status of Women- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

SickKids Foundation - Community Conference Grants
The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

Environment - Addressing the Freshwater Challenge
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

SickKids Foundation - SickKids WomenPowered
The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

CFNS VISIONS Fund
The Community Foundation of Nova Scotia- No Condition
- All industries

Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (OCAF)
Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Ministry of Sport (OCAF)- No Condition
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Alberta Conservation Association - ACA Research Grants
John D & Catherine T Macarthur Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Alberta Conservation Association - Minister’s Special Licence (MSL) Resident Draw Grants
John D & Catherine T Macarthur Foundation- From $3,750 to $50,000
- All industries

Community Investment Operating Grant
City of Edmonton- From $500 to $15,000
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries

BC Conservation and Biodiversity Awards
Canada Gives Foundation #CG0767- From $10,000 to $50,000
- All industries

Looking Forward Grants
Manitoba Arts Council- Maximum amount : 35,000 $
- All industries

Community Investment Grants
United Way British Columbia- No Condition
- All industries

Church-Based Grants
Mustard Seed Foundation- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Arts & Culture Grants - Celebrations & Events Grants
City and District of North Vancouver; North Vancouver Recreation & Culture Commission- Maximum amount : 17,500 $
- Up to 40% of project cost
- All industries

Arts & Culture Grants - Programming & Project Assistance Grants
City and District of North Vancouver; North Vancouver Recreation & Culture Commission- Maximum amount : 12,500 $
- All industries

Arts & Culture Grants - Operating Assistance Grants
City and District of North Vancouver; North Vancouver Recreation & Culture Commission- No Condition
- All industries
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Arts & Culture Grants - Community Public Art Grants
City and District of North Vancouver; North Vancouver Recreation & Culture Commission- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Stark Family Fund
Community Foundation for Kingston & Area- From $1,500 to $12,875
- All industries

Community Action Initiative (CAI) - Community Counselling Grants
Province of British Columbia- Maximum amount : 120,000 $
- All industries

Community Action Initiative (CAI) - Gathering Our Voices: Northern Indigenous Communities Convening Grant
Province of British Columbia- From $10,000 to $10,000
- All industries

Community Action Initiative (CAI) - Capacity Building Grant for First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and Urban Indigenous led Bed-based Treatment and Recovery Operators
Province of British Columbia- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

Community Action Initiative (CAI) - Lived and Living Experience Employment Grant
Province of British Columbia- Maximum amount : 60,000 $
- All industries

MacArthur Foundation
John D & Catherine T Macarthur Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Weston Family Foundation - Rapid Response Program
The W. Garfield Weston Foundation- Maximum amount : 300,000 $
- All industries

Weston Family Foundation - Northern Conservation Program
The W. Garfield Weston Foundation- From $450,000 to $1,500,000
- All industries

Indigenous Arts & Culture Fund
City of Toronto- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- All industries

Civil Forfeiture Grant Program - Indigenous Healing
British Columbia Ministry of Public Safety- Maximum amount : 40,000 $
- All industries

Civic Engagement for Social Change
The Catherine Donnelly Foundation- From $10,000 to $50,000
- All industries

Cultural Grants Program - Cultural Indigenous Funding (CIF)
City of Vancouver- From $15,000 to $40,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Cultural Grants Program - Cultural Operating Funding Program (COF)
City of Vancouver- No Condition
- All industries

Taylor Taliesin Foundation
Canada Gives Foundation #CG 0632- No Condition
- All industries

Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador Communities Program
Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

Call for Applications: Youth Civic Engagement
Max Bell Foundation- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Up to 200% of project cost
- All industries

Re-Imagine Downtown Activation Grant
City of Lethbridge- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- Up to 100% of project cost
- All industries

Collective Fund for Climate and Ecological Transition
The Foundation of Greater Montreal- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Resident Directed (ReDi) Grants
Columbia Basin Trust- No Condition
- All industries

International Sustainable Development Program
Rockefeller Brothers Fund- No Condition
- All industries

Small-scale Ecosystem Grants
Columbia Basin Trust- Maximum amount : 80,000 $
- Up to 80% of project cost
- All industries

PollinateTO Community Grants
City of Toronto- No Condition
- All industries

Major arts, cultural festivals, agricultural fairs programs - Festivals Program
City of Ottawa- No Condition
- All industries

Major arts, cultural festivals, agricultural fairs programs - Fairs Program
City of Ottawa- No Condition
- All industries
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Research Grants and Fellowships
PVA's Spinal Cord Research Foundation- Maximum amount : 200,000 $
- All industries

EcoAction - Stream 1 - Community-led Freshwater Action across Canada
Canada Water Agency (CWA)- From $25,000 to $100,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Future Generations Foundation
National Indian Brotherhood Trust Fund- Maximum amount : 400,000 $
- All industries

Mental Health Grants
ECHO Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Emergency Response Grants
United Way British Columbia- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

Aging in Motion (AIM): Transportation Supports & Innovations Enhancement Grant
United Way British Columbia- From $10,000 to $100,000
- All industries

School’s Out Summer
United Way British Columbia- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- Educational services

Lotteries Yukon Funding Programs - Funding for Communities
Lotteries Yukon; Yukon Lottery Commission- No Condition
- All industries

Children and Youth Program Grants
The Winnipeg Foundation- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- All industries

Arts Funding Program - Grow Forward Grants
Capital Regional District- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

Reaching Home
United Way British Columbia- No Condition
- All industries

Participatory Action Research Grants
Vancouver Foundation- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
- All industries

Joyce Gemmell Jessen Habitat Conservation Fund
South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, Inc.- From $17,000 to $35,000
- All industries

South Saskatchewan Vital Community Fund
South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, Inc.- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- All industries

Heritage Program Grants - Community Museum Grants Program
Manitoba Ministry of Sport, Culture, and Heritage- From $1,350 to $3,150
- Up to 90% of project cost
- All industries

BIPOC Grants
The Edmonton Community Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Heritage Program Grants - Heritage Grants Program
Manitoba Ministry of Sport, Culture, and Heritage- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Lotteries Yukon Funding Programs - Funding for projects
Lotteries Yukon; Yukon Lottery Commission- No Condition
- All industries

London Endowment For Heritage Grant (LEHF)
London Community Foundation (LCF)- No Condition
- All industries

Bishop James P. Mahoney Institute of the Family Grant
Saskatoon Community Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Vital Focus Grants
Saskatoon Community Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Youth Endowment Saskatoon Grants
Saskatoon Community Foundation- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

Transforming Systems Grant
Vancouver Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Donor Advised Funds
Vancity Community Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Mi'kmaq Arts Program
Arts Nova Scotia- From $500 to $15,000
- All industries
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Grants to Organizations and Groups
Arts Nova Scotia- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- All industries

Arts Equity Funding Initiative
Arts Nova Scotia- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
- All industries

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

Strategic Opportunity Grants
The Calgary Foundation- Maximum amount : 10,000 $
- All industries

Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund
City of Niagara Falls- From $2,500 to $10,000
- All industries

Arts & Culture Investment Program
City of Barrie- Maximum amount : 5,000 $
- Up to 60% of project cost
- All industries

Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants
Burroughs Wellcome Fund- From $2,500 to $50,000
- All industries

Vision Grants
The Spencer Foundation- Maximum amount : 75,000 $
- All industries

Environment Grants
Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation- No Condition
- All industries

Toronto Foundation - Call for Applications: Black and Indigenous Futures Fund
Toronto Community Foundation- Maximum amount : 20,000 $
- All industries

Climate + Health Excellence (CHEX) Centers
Burroughs Wellcome Fund- Maximum amount : 10,000,000 $
- All industries

The Ontario Trillium Foundation - Youth Opportunities Fund
OTF- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- All industries

The Ontario Trillium Foundation - Resilient Communities Fund
OTF- From $10,000 to $200,000
- All industries

Community Initiatives Program (CIP) - Major Sport Event Grant
Alberta Arts, Culture and Status of Women- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
- All industries

Access Support Fund
Canada Council for the Arts (CCA)- No Condition
- All industries

Arts Across Canada and Abroad
Canada Council for the Arts (CCA)- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- All industries

Cultural Spaces Grant Program - Capital Grants
City of Vancouver- No Condition
- All industries

Operating Assistance
British Columbia Arts Council (BCAC)- No Condition
- All industries

Community Initiatives Fund - Community Grant Program
Saskatchewan Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport.- Maximum amount : 50,000 $
- All industries

Project Assistance
British Columbia Arts Council (BCAC)- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- All industries

Cultural Hotspot - SPARK Projects
City of Toronto- Maximum amount : 9,000 $
- All industries

Community Funding Program - Emerging Community Need Funding
City of Ottawa- Maximum amount : 30,000 $
- Health care and social assistance
- Other services (except public administration)
- Public administration

2001 London Alliance Canada Summer Games Fund
Elgin-St. Thomas Community Foundation- No Condition
- Arts, entertainment and recreation

Port of Vancouver - Community Grants
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Port Metro Vancouver- From $25,000 to $25,000
- All industries

Rail Safety Improvement Program - Infrastructure, Technology and Research (ITR)
Transport Canada (TC)- No Condition
- All industries