Small business grants are one of the few financing options you don’t have to pay back. However, there’s a reason that businesses turn to other types of financing first. Grants can take a long time to find and are even harder to apply for—plus, the competition is fierce.
To help make it easier to find funding, check out our guide to some of the top small business grants in Canada.
Nationwide small business grants
Canada Summer Jobs
Province: All.
How much you can get: Public and private sector employers can get funding for up to 50% of the minimum hourly wage.
How it works: The Canada Summer Jobs program provides a wage subsidy to help employers provide summer jobs for Canadians aged 15 to 30.
Eligibility requirements: Grant is available to private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees. Also available to non-profit and public sector organizations. Project must provide between six and 16 weeks of full-time work experience during a specified period.
Application deadline: Deadline typically in December.
How it works: This federal government program provides funding to help cover research and development costs for technology. It covers up to 75% of expenses associated with organizing and signing research and development agreements with international partners.
Eligibility requirements: Canadian SMEs, academic institutions and non-government research centres. Must also have the intellectual property rights for the organization’s technology, must have a prototype (Technology Readiness Level 4 or higher) and must intend to commercially launch the technology within five years.
Application deadline: Program has quarterly intake periods.
How it works: This federal government program offers grant funding to help small and medium businesses expand their operations into new international markets.
Eligibility requirements: Business must have 3 – 499 employees and generate annual revenue of at least $300,000 and less than $100 million. Must be planning to explore or expand into a new international market.
Application deadline: August 31, 2026.
Export Development Stream—Creative Export Canada
Province: All.
How much you can get: Up to $90,000 per fiscal year.
How it works: This stream offers grants and contributions to help new exporters increase their capacity and expand into international markets and to help existing exporters build networks and target new international markets.
Eligibility requirements:
Must be Canadian-owned and controlled Be a for-profit company or not-for-profit organization Must have a maximum of $10 million in annual revenues Must have at least 1 full-time employee
Application deadline: Deadline for projects with expenses occurring between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, is July 8, 2026.
Export Ready Stream—Creative Export Canada
Province: All.
How much you can get: Up to $2.5 million.
How it works: This stream provides contributions to support export-ready projects. It’s designed to help creative industries increase the profitability of their exports.
Eligibility requirements:
Must be Canadian-owned and controlled Be a for-profit company or not-for-profit organization Must have a maximum of $500 million in annual revenues Must have at least 1 full-time employee
Application deadline: Next deadline to be announced in winter 2026.
Industrial Research Assistance Program
Province: All.
How much you can get: Up to $10 million.
How it works: This National Research Council program provides funding for small and medium businesses to help improve innovation capacity and take ideas to market. It also provides funding to help cover the cost of hiring young graduates.
Eligibility requirements:
Must be an incorporated small or medium-sized business in Canada
Must have 500 or fewer full-time employees
Must plan to develop and commercialize innovative, technology-driven products, services or processes
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Innovative Solutions Canada
Province: All
How much you can get: Varies.
How it works: The Challenge Stream provides funding for small and medium businesses to develop innovations and prototypes that can solve challenges faced by government organizations. The Testing Stream provides funding to test those innovations in real-world settings.
Eligibility requirements: For-profit Canadian incorporations with fewer than 500 employees.
Application deadline: Varies.
Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen)
Province: All.
How much you can get: Funding amounts vary depending on the program.
How it works: NGen is a non-profit organization that leads Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing. It provides funding through a range of programs that support the use of technology in advanced manufacturing.
Eligibility requirements: Vary.
Application deadline: Varies depending on the program.
Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI)
Province: All.
How much you can get: Varies.
How it works: The RTRI provides $1 billion of funding over 3 years to support small and medium businesses impacted by tariffs.
Eligibility requirements: Check with your Regional Development Agency for eligibility criteria.
Application deadline: Varies.
Small Business Success Grant (SBSG)
Province: All.
How much you can get: Up to $1,500.
How it works: The SBSG offers funding to help Canadians start and grow their business. This grant is offered by advocacy and consulting provider Canada Startups.
Eligibility requirements: Must be a new privately owned business, operate for profit and have less than $10,000 in annual revenues. There are no restrictions on how the grant funds can be used.
Application deadline: September 23, 2026.
Strategic Response Fund (SRF)
Province: All.
How much you can get: Varies depending on the project. Non-repayable contributions will only be provided for projects that will provide significant benefits for Canadians.
How it works: Replacing the former Strategic Innovation Fund, the SRF provides funding for large-scale, transformative projects that help develop economic resilience, improve supply chains and protect jobs in sectors such as steel, aluminum, automotive, forest products, AI and advanced technologies.
Eligibility requirements: Funding is provided for 2 categories of projects. Business Innovation and Growth projects must focus on R&D and commercialization, firm expansion and growth, or investment attraction and reinvestment. Collaborations and Networks projects must focus on large, collaborative projects and innovation networks.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
Province: All.
How much you can get: Varies.
How it works: The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a joint initiative of federal, provincial and territorial governments to support the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. It offers multiple federally funded programs as well as cost-sharing programs between the federal and provincial/territorial governments.
Eligibility requirements: Varies depending on the program.
Application deadline: Varies.
Small business grants in Alberta
Alberta Manufacturing Productivity Grant (AMPG)
Province: Alberta.
How much you can get: Up to $30,000.
How it works: The AMPG provides funding to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers improve their operations, invest in production automation technology and increase their competitiveness in markets in Canada and internationally.
Eligibility requirements: Must be an Alberta manufacturing company with between 5 and 750 employees.
Application deadline: October 31, 2026.
Alberta Export Expansion Program
Province: Alberta.
How much you can get:
Per diems: $400 per day for the first traveller, $200 per day for the second traveller.
Event registrations: 50% of event registration fees, up to $1,000 per organization.
Total funding is capped at $15,000 per year.
How it works: This program supports businesses that promote Alberta exports through international travel to trade events. Funding is provided on a first come, first served basis.
Eligibility requirements:
Must have been operating and had a permanent physical presence in Alberta for at least 1 year.
Must have at least 1 full-time employee working in Alberta.
Must have sent Alberta-based travellers to an international trade or export event in another country.
Application deadline: Must apply no later than 2 months after the first day of participation in a formal event.
Alberta Innovation Employment Grant
Province: Alberta.
How much you can get: Up to 20% of qualifying R&D expenses.
How it works: This provincial government grant is designed to support SMEs that invest in research and development. There’s no formal application process, but corporations can claim the grant when filing their annual tax returns.
Eligibility requirements: Corporations that undertake R&D in Alberta and have less than $50 million in taxable capital.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant
Province: Alberta.
How much you can get: For existing employees, up to 50% of the total eligible training costs, up to a maximum of $5,000 per employee per year. For unemployed people, up to 75% of costs are covered, up to a maximum of $10,000 per person per year.
How it works: This grant helps Albertan employers cover the cost of training current and future employees to improve their productivity skills.
Eligibility requirements: Must have current or potential employees who need training to fill current or future positions. The grant can be used to cover direct training costs such as tuition, textbooks or software, examination fees and travel costs.
Application deadline: It’s recommended that you submit your application at least 30 days before training begins.
Small business grants in British Columbia
British Columbia Employer Training Grant
Province: BC.
How much you can get: 80% of the cost of training up to $10,000 per employee. Maximum annual amount per employer of $300,000.
How it works: This grant provides funding to help you cover the cost of training employees, including prospective new employees.
Eligibility requirements: If the grant is for an existing employee, training must result in increased job security or a better job. If it’s for an unemployed person, training must result in a job. Training cannot be longer than 52 weeks.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Innovate BC
Province: BC.
How much you can get: Varies.
How it works: Innovate BC offers grants and funding programs to foster innovation across BC, helping to turn ideas into real-world solutions.
Eligibility requirements: Vary depending on the program.
Application deadline: Varies.
Northern Industries Innovation Fund (NIIF)
Province: BC.
How much you can get: Up to $50,000.
How it works: This program offers incremental funding to help local business in traditional industries across northern BC. Grants are designed to support innovation projects that help boost the competitiveness of those businesses.
Eligibility requirements: Must have less than 500 employees and revenues of less than $100 million. Must be located within the Northern Development Initiative Trust region.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Small business grants in Manitoba
Export Development Program
Province: Manitoba.
How much you can get: Up to 75 per cent reimbursement for exhibitors, and up to 50 per cent for attendees. Maximum annual funding of $50,000 per company.
How it works: Designed to support business exports, this program provides financial assistance to Manitoba companies to help them participate in trade shows or trade missions outside of Manitoba.
Eligibility requirements:
Must be a Manitoba for-profit SME that produces an exportable product or service.
Must have annual sales revenue of $30,000 to $50 million.
Must have more than half of your workforce residing in Manitoba.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Incoming Buyer Program
Province: Manitoba.
How much you can get: Up to $5,000 or 50% of eligible costs.
How it works: This Manitoba small business grant provides financial assistance to help companies cover the cost of inviting a qualified international buyer to the province.
Eligibility requirements:
Must be a Manitoba for-profit SME that produces an exportable product or service.
Must have annual revenue of $30,000 to $50 million.
Must have more than half of your workforce residing in Manitoba.
Must be covering the cost of an international for-profit buyer’s first visit to Manitoba related to your business.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Innovation Growth Program
Province: Manitoba.
How much you can get: Up to $100,000 per project.
How it works: This program provides non-repayable grants designed to help SMEs commercialize new innovative products and processes.
Eligibility requirements:
Must have fewer than 100 full-time employees or an annual revenue of $15 million or less.
Must be permanently established in Manitoba and pay at least 50% of total salaries and wages to Manitoba resident employees.
Must have $25,000 of owner cash equity investment in the business.
Eligible expenses must be cost-shared on a 50/50 basis.
Application deadline: Typically June 30.
Small business grants in New Brunswick
Student Employment Experience Development (SEED)
Province: New Brunswick.
How much you can get: 100% of minimum wage for 35 hours a week for up to 12 weeks for non-profits and First Nations communities. 50% for municipalities.
How it works: This New Brunswick small business grant provides a wage subsidy to non-profit organizations, First Nations communities and municipalities, so they can offer summer jobs to students.
Eligibility requirements: Student must not be an immediate family member of the employer. Student must either be a high school student entering grade 10, 11, or 12 in September 2026; or be a full-time Grade 12, university or college student in 2025-2026 and attending a post-secondary institution full-time in the fall of 2026.
Application deadline: February.
Small business grants in Newfoundland and Labrador
Regional Development Fund
Province: Newfoundland and Labrador.
How much you can get: Up to 25% of eligible costs.
How it works: This grant provides funding for economic initiatives that promote regional and sectoral development, diversification, innovation and key emerging sectors.
Eligibility requirements: Your business will typically have to contribute at least 10% of the total project cost.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Small business grants in Nova Scotia
Business ACCESS-Ability Grant Program
Province: Nova Scotia
How much you can get: Up to two-thirds of the cost of accessibility improvements, up to $50,000.
How it works: The Business ACCESS-Ability program provides grants to fund accessibility-related improvements to help people with disabilities.
Eligibility requirements: Examples of eligible improvements include ramps, accessible bathrooms and parking, accessible signage and transportation.
Application deadline: February 2027.
Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive (WIPSI)
Province: Nova Scotia
How much you can get: Up to 75% of eligible costs.
How it works: WIPSI provides funding to help cover the cost of training full-time employees to improve your business’s productivity and innovation.
Eligibility requirements: Must be a legally registered business, industry association, sector council or non-profit operating in Nova Scotia. Must have a direct workforce development need.
Application deadline: Applications open 2 times per year in April and October.
Small business grants in Ontario
Ontario Job Grant
Province: Ontario.
How much you can get: Up to $10,000 per person. Employers with under 100 employees that are training new hires who were previously unemployed can access up to $15,000 per trainee.
How it works: This funding program provides financial assistance to help cover the cost of training existing and new employees.
Eligibility requirements: Your business must have current or potential employees who need to be trained to fill current or future positions. Training must be delivered by a third-party provider.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Eastern Ontario Development Fund
Province: Ontario.
How much you can get: For business projects, you can get up to 15% of eligible project costs up to a maximum of $500,000 if your company has fewer than 100 employees and is based in rural Ontario. You can get up to $1.5 million for strategic projects that are foreign direct investments or from companies competing against other jurisdictions.
How it works: This fund is designed to support business and community economic development projects in eastern Ontario. It provides grants and loans to help companies grow their business, improve productivity, invest in innovation and more.
Eligibility requirements:
Must have at least 3 years of operations/financial statements
Must employ at least 10 people (or 5 if you are in rural Ontario)
Must commit to creating at least 5 new jobs (or 30% increase for companies with fewer than 15 employees)
Must invest at least $500,000 in your project (or $200,000 for companies based in rural Ontario)
Must be located in eastern Ontario (or plan to be located there)
Application deadline: September 23, 2026 (Application period 23)
Southwestern Ontario Development Fund
Province: Ontario.
How much you can get: For business projects, you can get up to 15% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum of $500,000 if your company has fewer than 100 employees and is based in rural Ontario. You can get up to $1.5 million for strategic projects that are foreign direct investments or from companies competing against other jurisdictions.
How it works: This fund supports business and community economic development projects in southwestern Ontario. It provides grants and loans to help companies grow their business, improve productivity, invest in innovation and more.
Eligibility requirements:
Must have at least 3 years of operations/financial statements
Must employ at least 10 people (or 5 if you are in rural Ontario)
Must commit to creating at least 5 new jobs (or 30% increase for companies with fewer than 15 employees)
Must invest at least $500,000 in your project (or $200,000 for companies based in rural Ontario)
Must be located in southwestern Ontario (or plan to be located there)
Application deadline: September 23, 2026 (Application period 23)
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)
Province: Ontario.
How much you can get: Varies.
How it works: The NOHFC offers a variety of grants and funding solutions to help entrepreneurs launch new businesses, existing businesses expand their operations, boost productivity, hire staff and more.
Eligibility requirements: Vary depending on the program.
Application deadline: Varies.
Ontario Regional Development Program: Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness Stream
Province: Ontario.
How much you can get: Up to $500,000 for small companies located in rural communities, or up to $1.5 million for strategic projects that are foreign direct investments or from companies competing against other jurisdictions or companies with significant reshoring projects.
How it works: Designed to help small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies, this program offers funding support for capital equipment, technology adoption and skills development.
Eligibility requirements: Must operate in an advanced manufacturing sector, employ at least 10 people, commit to creating at least 5 new jobs and/or upskilled current jobs, and invest at least $500,000 in the project.
Application deadline: September 23, 2026.
Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF)
Province: Ontario.
How much you can get: 10-20% of eligible costs to a maximum of $5 million.
How it works: The OTTF provides financial assistance to help reduce the impact of US tariffs on small- and medium-sized businesses.
Eligibility requirements: Must have at least 3 years of operations/financial statements, must have at least 5 full-time employees, and must be able to demonstrate the impacts of US tariffs.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Starter Company Plus
Province: Ontario.
How much you can get: Up to $5,000.
How it works: This Ontario small business grant provides financial assistance to help you start, expand or buy a company.
Eligibility requirements: You must be 18 years of age or older, not attending school full-time, an Ontario resident and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. You must also contribute at least 25% of the grant amount in cash or in kind.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Summer Company
Province: Ontario.
How much you can get: Up to $3,000 (up to $1,500 upfront and up to $1,500 in additional funding when you complete the program requirements).
How it works: This provincial program provides start-up money to help students run a summer business.
Eligibility requirements: You must:
Go to high school, college or university
Live in Ontario
Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
Be between 15-29 years old
Not be running a business already
Not be working at another job or going to school for more than 12 hours a week during the program
How much you can get: Up to 25% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of $25,000.
How it works: This grant provides financial support for businesses to invest in technology, equipment and infrastructure needed to aid growth.
Eligibility requirements: Your business must operate in an eligible industry and manufacture, process or develop goods or services primarily for export. Examples of eligible costs include renovations or leasehold improvements and machinery/equipment.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Employ PEI
Province: Prince Edward Island.
How much you can get: Up to 50% of an employee’s wages (up to $12.50 per hour) for up to 20 weeks.
How it works: This program provides a wage subsidy to help businesses provide on-the-job training for a new employee.
Eligibility requirements: Employee must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, unemployed and looking for full-time work.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Export Trade Assistance
Province: Prince Edward Island.
How much you can get: Up to 60% of travel costs and up to 75% of incoming buyer costs (up to $3,000).
How it works: This PEI small business grant is designed to help exporters and companies that are ready to start exporting explore global markets. It helps cover travel costs, virtual trade activity and the cost of bringing buyers to the province.
Eligibility requirements: Your business must be an active exporter or an export-ready business.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Future Farmer Program 2.0
Province: Prince Edward Island.
How much you can get: Varies depending on the funding stream.
How it works: This program is designed to help new farmers set up or continue profitable and sustainable commercial farm businesses.
Eligibility requirements: Must be a new agricultural producer. Exact eligibility criteria vary depending on the funding stream.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Innovation Fund
Province: Prince Edward Island.
How much you can get: Up to 50% of eligible costs up to a maximum of $50,000.
How it works: This financial program helps businesses bring new products to market by helping cover the costs of refining and commercializing that product.
Eligibility requirements: Your business must operate in an eligible industry and export products or services that it manufactures, processes or develops. The product must be at a Technology Readiness Level 6, 7, 8 or 9 or equivalent, have potential for export market uptake and have a high probability of successful commercialization.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Marketing Assistance
Province: Prince Edward Island.
How much you can get: Up to 40% of eligible costs up to a maximum of $32,000.
How it works: This small business grant provides financial assistance for marketing costs associated with exporting plans and activities.
Eligibility requirements: Your business must manufacture, process or develop goods or services primarily for export and operate in an eligible industry.
Application deadline: Ongoing.
Small Business Investment Grant
Province: Prince Edward Island.
How much you can get: 15% of eligible costs up to $3,750.
How it works: The PEI Small Business Investment Grant provides financial support to cover the purchase of eligible capital asset costs.
Eligibility requirements: Examples of eligible costs include equipment, leasehold improvements/building construction, technology upgrades and energy-efficient upgrades.
Application deadline: March 31, 2027.
Small business grants in Quebec
Marketing and Export Support Program
Province: Quebec.
How much you can get: Up to 50% of eligible expenses up to $250,000 per year to help SMEs market their products in Quebec. Up to $60,000 available to help SMEs increase their export capacity.
How it works: This program is designed to improve the capacity of SMEs to market their products and services in Quebec and increase their export capacity. Financial assistance is also available to help large companies.
Eligibility requirements: Sales criteria vary depending on the funding stream.
Application deadline: Varies depending on the funding stream.
Small business grants in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund
Province: Saskatchewan.
How much you can get: Up to 30% of the project’s budget up to a maximum of $450,000.
How it works: This Innovation Saskatchewan program funds research and development to support the commercialization of game-changing technological innovations in the mining, energy, healthcare and manufacturing and processing sectors.
Eligibility requirements:
Proposed by a group of active private sector partners that represent the project’s value chain.
Project must be led by a Saskatchewan-based organization.
Project must feature novel and innovative technological solutions.
Industry partners must provide at least 50% of the project’s budget.
Application deadline: 2 deadlines for EOIs per year.
Intake period 1: April 30.
Intake period 2: September 30.
Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership’s Market Access Program
Province: Saskatchewan.
How much you can get: Up to $8,000 per fiscal year for regular STEP members or up to $10,000 for Premium members.
How it works: This program supports the marketing efforts of companies that are entering new markets or returning to a new market outside Saskatchewan.
Eligibility requirements: Must be a STEP member. Funds are provided to help cover the cost of exhibiting in trade shows and participating in STEP-led trade activities. Premium members can also get funding for things like attending trade shows, business meetings and conferences.
Application deadline: No later than 45 days prior to the proposed visit.
Finding small business grants in Canada
This guide provides a small snapshot of small business grants in Canada. There are hundreds of funding opportunities available across the country, and many of them target specific industries or regions.
To find out what small business grants your company may be eligible for, use the Government of Canada’s Business Benefits Finder. By answering questions about your business and the type of financial assistance you need, you’ll be able to view a list of grants that may suit your business.
Is my business eligible for a grant?
Standard small business grants don’t operate like business loans in terms of eligibility requirements, and qualifications for grants and loans can widely vary.
When you apply for grants, you aren’t just convincing donors to give you funding—you’re convincing them to give you funding over everyone else who has applied. That’s one of the big differences between business loans and grants.
Grants tend to have a larger social cause in mind, such as encouraging female entrepreneurs, increasing opportunities for minorities or helping out a particular community. You can also find grants designed to support the growth and development of specific industries or regions.
Bottom line
Finding free funding for your business isn’t impossible, but the competition can be stiff, with many companies vying for the same grant. Make sure you’re ready to invest a lot of time and resources into researching and applying. You might also have to wait a long time to hear back about whether your application was successful. Keep in mind that, in Canada, some business grants may require you to put up money of your own to secure funding.
Didn’t get the grant? Compare small business loans instead
If your business doesn’t qualify for any grants or you’re having trouble securing one, you may want to consider getting a business loan. The obvious downside of a loan is that you have to pay back the money plus interest, but the advantage is that loans can be much easier to apply for and receive.
If you’re considering applying for a business loan, look through your options in our guide to business loans.
Frequently asked questions
A small business loan is money you borrow from a lender that you have to pay back with interest or other fees. On the other hand, a small business grant is funding you don't have to pay back that's typically offered by the government, foundations or corporations.
Some organizations offer small business grants for startups. You'll need to review the grant's criteria to determine if your startup qualifies.
Typically, no. Most grants go to businesses with a track record of operation, so you might want to look at other options like crowdfunding or personal loans if you need funding to start a business.
Yes, grants are generally treated as taxable income. There are some exceptions, however. For example, government grants have to be declared as income if the money is used as an income supplement. But if, for example, it's used to buy property or hire student workers, then you may be able to deduct it as a business expense instead. Different rules apply depending on the exact purpose and use of government money.
If you receive a grant, whether private or from the government, consult a tax professional to learn if you'll need to pay tax on the funding you receive.
Tim Falk is a freelance writer for Finder. Over the course of his 20-year writing career, he has reported on a wide range of personal finance topics. Whether you're investing in stocks and ETFs, comparing savings accounts or choosing a credit card, Tim wants to make it easier for you to understand. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors.
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