Financing for Small Businesses in Canada
Small Business Financing in Canada is essential for entrepreneurs looking to start or expand their ventures. Whether you are launching a new business or scaling an existing one, finding the right financing options can be crucial to your success. Understanding the various loans and credit options available can help you secure the funds needed to fuel your business growth. This article delves into the different loan programs, personal financing methods, and strategies for working with financial institutions to get your small business funded.
534 opportunities available
Grant and FundingClosed
PacifiCan Business Acceleration Pilot (BizAP)
PacifiCan BizAP enhances business scale-up in British Columbia
Grant and FundingClosed
Ontario Junior Exploration Program
Funding for junior mining exploration in Ontario
Grant and FundingOpen
Business Foundations
Supports systemically excluded groups in B.C.'s music industry
Grant and FundingClosed
thriveFORWARD
Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation (NCFDC), Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev), Nventure
Money for technology and industrial companies in Southern Ontario
Grant and FundingClosed
innovÉÉ — PARTENAR-IA — Industry
Funding for Quebec electricity innovative collaborations in AI
Grant and FundingOpen
Transal — Consortium TIC
Supports digital transition through technical expertise adjustments
Grant and FundingClosed
AFA — Theatre Individual Project Funding
Funding for Alberta artists in theatre/performance project development
Grant and FundingClosed
Heritage grants - Heritage Incentive Program
Supports conservation and seismic upgrades of designated heritage buildings
Grant and FundingExpert AdviceClosed
Journalism Futures Fund - Organizational Funding Stream
Multi-year support to strengthen independent journalism organizations
Grant and FundingOpen
AFA — Public Art Galleries Operating Funding
Three-year funding for Alberta public visual arts exhibitions
Grant and FundingSuspended
Workforce Training and Employment — Labour Market Partnerships
Financial support for labour market development in Manitoba
Grant and FundingClosed
Innovative Solutions Canada — Zero emissions technologies for industrial process heating
National Research Council Canada (NRC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
The NRC and NRCan Grant Challenge aims to promote cost-effective net-zero industrial heating processes by providing up to $1.7M CAD in funding.
Grant and FundingOpen
Northern Industries Innovation Fund
Innovation funding for certain northern British Columbia SMEs
Grant and FundingArchived
Business Energy Rebates
Rebates on energy efficiency equipment in Nova Scotia
Grant and FundingClosed
Aboriginal Business Investment Fund
Funding for Alberta Indigenous community development
Grant and FundingExpert AdviceOpen
Innovation Guelph — Rhyze Up! Program
National accelerator supporting women-led businesses to scale sustainably
Grant and FundingClosed
Campus Alberta Small Business Engagement (CASBE) Program
Supports Alberta SMEs collaborating with post-secondary researchers for innovation
Grant and FundingOpen
Support Policy For Businesses
Grants for business expansion and start-up projects
Grant and FundingClosed
Gen AI Call for Projects
Supports collaborative generative AI projects improving operational productivity in Canada
Grant and FundingClosed
OTF — Family Innovations Scale Grant
Supports scaling proven projects for parents, guardians, and caregivers
Grant and FundingClosed
Indigenous Intellectual Property Program Grant — Small scale initiative stream
Innovation Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Government of Canada
Grants for small-scale Indigenous IP-related activities
Grant and FundingOpen
Livestock Strategy Program — Pollination Expansion
Supports PEI beekeepers expanding honeybee colonies and pollination capacity
Grant and FundingClosed
CFI — John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF)
Strategic investment for research excellence and infrastructure development
Grant and FundingClosed
Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP)
Supports rural economic growth, diversification, and infrastructure development
Discover how much grant funding is available for your business
Subsidize your projects with grants!
Use our free grant estimator to quickly identify the available grant amounts for which your company may be eligible.
Grant and FundingOpen
Community Enhancement Program — Enhance Your Community Stream
Money for community economic development in Northern Ontario
Grant and FundingClosed
Small Business Support Program — Sustainable Livelihood Fund
Funds for tourism, arts & crafts and harvesting sectors in Nunavut
Grant and FundingOpen
OTF — Family Innovations Test Grant
Funding for grassroots, caregiver-led projects supporting Ontario families
Grant and FundingOpen
BioCreate Program
Supports southern Ontario biotech SMEs advancing genomics innovations
Grant and FundingClosed
CAAIN — 2024 – 2025 Open Competition
CAAIN supports innovation in agriculture automation and smart farms
Grant and FundingOpen
Program to support the processing of end-of-life tires through reuse, recycling and energy recovery, as well as out-of-province processing.
Support for end-of-life tire processing initiatives
Grant and FundingClosed
Tremplin Grant – Indigenous Arts
Microfunding for Indigenous artists and organizations in Montréal area
Grant and FundingOpen
Alberta Innovates — Product Demonstration Program
Voucher for advanced stage development in Alberta
Grant and FundingClosed
SODEC — Support for entrepreneurial development — Stream 1
Support for enhancing cultural businesses' entrepreneurial development
Grant and FundingClosed
CMF — Conceptualization Program
Funding early digital media projects for conceptual development
Grant and FundingOpen
Regional Development Fund — Regional Development Program
Funding for regional development in Newfoundland and Labrador
Grant and FundingClosed
Small Business Support Program — Entrepreneur Development Fund
Financing for business training and aftercare in Nunavut
Grant and FundingClosed
Honorific grants 2024 — Entreprendre ici
$25,000 grants for ethnocultural immigrant entrepreneurs in Quebec
Researchers And FacilitiesPartnering and CollaborationGrant and FundingExpert AdviceOpen
Alberta Innovates — Tech2Farm
Supports Alberta SMEs to commercialize innovative agri-tech solutions
Grant and FundingOpen
STDP AO 10.2 Space R&D – Small Businesses
Space R&D funding for small Canadian businesses
Grant and FundingClosed
Bee BC Program
Financial support for B.C. beekeeping and Indigenous organizations
Grant and FundingClosed
Alberta Innovates — Digital Innovation in Clean Energy (DICE)
Accelerate digital innovation to drive job creation, reduce emissions, and enhance energy efficiency
Grant and FundingClosed
CMF-SODEC — Predevelopment Program for Television Series Based on Literary Adaptations
Program supports pre-development of Quebec literary adaptations for TV
Other SupportGrant and FundingOpen
Strategic Investments Program — Nunavut Economic Foundations Fund
Funding for Nunavut economic development
Grant and FundingClosed
Small Food Processor Scale-Up Program (SFPS)
Supports scaling operations for food processors in BC
Grant and FundingClosed
Digital Health Sandbox
Accelerates digital health technology adoption in Alberta clinical settings
Grant and FundingArchived
Kakivak Association — Small Tool Grants
Funding for Inuit artists and craftspeople to buy essential tools
Other SupportPartnering and CollaborationGrant and FundingExpert AdviceClosed
ventureLAB — Accelerate AI
Accelerate AI empowers startups with AI innovation support
Grant and FundingOpen
Product and Market Development Program — Agricultural Industry Organizations
Supports agricultural organizations developing new products and markets
Access over 10 000 different funding opportunities
Try the helloDarwin platform today and find programs that fit your needs
The helloDarwin application makes it easy to unlock grants so your business can grow faster—with less hassle and more impact.
Grant and FundingClosed
OMIF — Music Industry Initiatives
Funding for music service organizations in Ontario
Grant and FundingClosed
ACOA — Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative
Funding to recover Atlantic aerospace sector
Grant and FundingOpen
Agri-Industry Development & Advancement — Business Development (Agricultural Organizations and Associations)
Development funds for New Brunswick agri-industry groups
Grant and FundingClosed
Small Distillery Program
Supports Ontario small distilleries' business expansion and job creation
Grant and FundingOpen
Agri-Land Accessibility and Enhancement
Government of New Brunswick, Aquaculture and Fisheries (NB), Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP)
Funding for the development of farmland in New Brunswick
Grant and FundingOpen
Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) — Business Project Grants
Grants to grow or expand in southwestern Ontario
Grant and FundingClosed
Workforce Analysis and Planning Program (WAPP)
Strengthen domestic agriculture by funding workforce development strategies in BC
Grant and FundingExpert AdviceOpen
Launch Lab — Entrepreneurs In Residence (EIR)
Assistance for technology based businesses in Southern Ontario
Partnering and CollaborationGrant and FundingExpert AdviceOpen
Podium Mines
Enhances competitiveness of Quebec mining sector suppliers
Grant and FundingOpen
Export Market Access Program (EMAP)
Money to enhance export marketing for Prince Edward Island businesses
Grant and FundingClosed
INOVAIT Pilot Fund
Funding for AI-integrated image-guided therapy commercialization projects
Grant and FundingClosed
Alberta — Value-Added Program
Alberta supports growth in value-added food sectors
Grant and FundingClosed
BC On-Farm Technology Adoption Program
Cost-shared funding for B.C. farmers adopting new technologies
Grant and FundingClosed
Engage and Sustain — Artistic Catalysts
Grants for organizations promoting the arts
Grant and FundingClosed
CAAIN — 2024 Smart Farm Network Competition
Develop smart farm networks for Canadian agtech innovation
Grant and FundingClosed
Carrot Cache Fund
Supports projects advancing sustainable, just local food systems
Partnering and CollaborationGrant and FundingClosed
NGen — Feasibility Studies
Supports collaborative advanced manufacturing innovation and technology feasibility projects
Grant and FundingOpen
Explore and Create — Professional Development for Artists
Money for artists’ professional development
Grant and FundingClosed
MEDTEQ+ — PARTENAR-IA — Academic
Funding for Quebec R&D collaborations in AI for health technologies
Grant and FundingClosed
EV ChargeON Program
Funding to support the installation of public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Ontario communities outside of large urban centres.
Grant and FundingClosed
Business Incubation & Commercialization Grant Program
Supports Toronto-based incubators fostering entrepreneurship and job creation
Grant and FundingOpenClosing Soon
Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) — Capital Investment Projects
Capital for forest sector innovations
Grant and FundingClosed
Musicaction — Incubator project
Artist export career development through intensive skill sessions
Grant and FundingLoans and Capital investmentsOpen
Renewable and Alternative Energy Program
Funds clean energy technologies for Alberta’s low‑carbon electricity transition
Find tailored funding for your business
Discover more grants on the helloDarwin platform
Look through over 4,000 grants, tax credits, loans and more financial aid on the helloDarwin application.
Grant and FundingOpen
AgriAssurance Program — Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Funding to address agribusiness market and regulatory requirements
Grant and FundingOpen
Digital Main Street – Digital Service Squad Grant (DSS)
Supports Ontario organizations hiring digital advisors for small businesses
Grant and FundingClosed
NGen — Cluster Accelerator Program
Support for Canadian advanced manufacturing cluster development
Partnering and CollaborationGrant and FundingClosed
Canadian Agriculture Technology Innovation R&D Partnering Delegation to Brazil
Supports Canadian agtech SMEs in R&D collaboration with Brazil
Partnering and CollaborationGrant and FundingClosed
NGen — Advanced Manufacturing Technology Program
Funding collaborative projects for transformative advanced manufacturing in Canada
Grant and FundingClosed
Tourism Product Diversification and Marketing Program — Product Development and Enhancement
Funding for tourism product development in the Northwest Territories
Grant and FundingClosed
Skills Development Fund (SDF) — Training Stream
Supports workforce training and retention for Ontario organizations
Grant and FundingOpen
Val-Saint-François — Eco-responsible fund
Non-repayable funding for eco-responsible equipment and leasehold improvements
Grant and FundingOpen
OVIN — C/AV and Smart Mobility — Stream 1
Funding for autonomous vehicles and smart mobility technologies
Grant and FundingOpen
Musicaction — Musical Showcases – Stream 2 - National Tour
Supports national tours for Francophone artists to increase visibility
Grant and FundingClosed
Canada - UK 2024-2025 multisector collaborative industrial research and development
Canada-UK collaborative R&D projects for commercialization potential
Grant and FundingClosed
Critical Minerals Innovation Fund
Funding for innovative critical minerals projects in Ontario
Grant and FundingClosed
Skills Development Fund (SDF) — Capital Stream — GROW Pathway
Skills Development Fund supports Ontario's workforce training needs
Grant and FundingOpen
Tourism Growth Program (TGP)
Boost your company's growth and sustainability with targeted tourism investments
Grant and FundingClosed
The Low Carbon Economy Fund - Implementation Readiness Fund
Support for deploying GHG emissions reduction technology projects
Grant and FundingOpen
CQRDA — PARTENAR-IA — Business
Funding for Quebec innovative collaborations in AI, using aluminium
Grant and FundingOpen
Ontario Automotive Modernization Program (O-AMP)
Support for Ontario automotive suppliers' modernization efforts
Grant and FundingOpen
INVEST North Program — Investment — Launch Stream
Financial aid to start a business in Northern Ontario
Grant and FundingOpen
Saskatchewan Product Development Program (PDP)
Supports Saskatchewan agri-food businesses developing innovative value-added products
Grant and FundingClosed
Alberta Media Fund — Project Script Development Grant
Government of Alberta, Alberta Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women (ACSW), Alberta Media Fund, Alberta Municipal Affairs
Grant for Alberta film script development
Grant and FundingOpen
Mississauga Foundation - Hazel McCallion Fund for Arts, Culture and Heritage
Funding for arts culture heritage projects in Mississauga
Partnering and CollaborationGrant and FundingClosed
NGen — Pilot Projects
Supports collaborative innovation in advanced manufacturing technologies in Canada
Grant and FundingClosed
Tourism Growth Program in British Columbia
Invests strategically in British Columbia's tourism sector growth
Grant and FundingClosed
Indigenous Economic Development Fund — Business and Community Fund
Government of Ontario (ON), Ontario Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation
Grants for Ontario Indigenous businesses, communities and organizations
Explore related grant directories
By Business Size
Grants and Funding for SMB's
Grants and Funding for Small Businesses in Alberta
Grants and Funding for Small Businesses in Atlantic Provinces
Grants and Funding for Small Businesses in Manitoba