There is a wide range of grants available for all industries in Canadian businesses, as well as for specific one-time projects. Among them, there are grant programs for:
Digital transformation
These grant programs aim to optimize business operations, enhance productivity, and increase market competitiveness through the implementation of software and systems such as CRMs and ERPs. The potential funding for this category is approximately $850,000, offering access to a variety of funds, including CanExport Innovation, the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), as well as support for innovation projects and artificial intelligence (AI) through Scale AI, Invest-IA, and Partner.IA. Several innovation tax credits are also available, such as C3I and LTI3.
Wage Subsidies
These financial aids are designed to help businesses by subsidizing the hiring of junior or senior employees or interns. The potential funding is approximately $158,000, and it includes measures such as workforce training, with grants like Workforce Training Measure, Novascience, and Career Ready, in addition to the MITACS and MITACS Elevate programs, which support collaboration between businesses and academia to develop skills.
Commercialization
These grants focus on helping companies develop new markets by covering expenses for business travel, international trade shows, marketing strategies, as well as market and feasibility studies. The potential funding for these grants is approximately $400,000. Available grants include Incubation Vouchers for supporting startups, CanExport SME for international expansion, PSCE, ESSOR for growth support, and Elevate IP for protecting and leveraging intellectual property. This program is intended for businesses aiming to improve operational efficiency and expand their market presence.
Sustainability
These grant programs help businesses adopt environmentally responsible practices within their organization, such as transitioning to greener operations and integrating ESG criteria. These grants cover energy savings, pollution reduction (noise or visual), certifications like BCorp, and all practices related to sustainability. The potential funding for this category is approximately $260,000, with available grants such as the Écoleader Fund, Écoemballage, Écoperformance, and Énergir.
Research and Development
These financial aids are designed for innovation in processes and products, exploring new practices and operations, or developing new products. The potential funding for this category is approximately $2,000,000, with grants including CanExport Innovation, SIPEM PROMPT, Innov R, as well as various tax credits like CDAQ, SR&ED, and C3I.
Construction and Capital Assets
These grants focus on new commercial infrastructure construction or the renovation of stores and offices, including thermal envelope improvements such as windows, ventilation, heating, and insulation. The potential funding for these grants is approximately $2,500,000. Available grants include all funding related to capital assets, such as Hydro-Québec Energy Programs, Bioenergy, Action Climate, as well as numerous municipal and regional grants like Commerce Montréal for the Island of Montreal.