Every grant you qualify for.Found in 60 seconds.

Yes! GrantCompass is free to browse, search, and filter all 650+ Canadian funding programs. You can use the matching quiz, save grants, and access all program details without paying anything. For deeper insights, our Premium plan ($29/mo) shows you which programs you're most likely to get, what reviewers actually look for, and why applications get rejected — so you can apply with confidence instead of guessing. We also offer optional grant writing templates for entrepreneurs who want structured help with applications.

Our database is updated weekly. We monitor official government sources across all federal, provincial, and municipal programs to ensure deadlines, funding amounts, and eligibility criteria are accurate. Every grant listing links directly to the official program page so you can verify details before applying.

We primarily list non-repayable grants — funding you don't have to pay back. We also include tax credits (like SR&ED), awards, accelerator programs, and select forgivable loans. Grants are always prioritized first in search results so you see the best opportunities immediately.

We provide grant writing templates and a comprehensive grant writing guide to help you craft strong applications. While we don't write applications for you, our resources walk you through the process step-by-step — from assessing eligibility to structuring your proposal and submitting on time.

All 13. We cover Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut. We also list all federal programs available to businesses nationwide, plus select municipal programs in major cities.

The quiz asks 3 simple questions: your business stage, your industry, and your province. Based on your answers, we filter our database of 650+ programs to show only the grants you're most likely to qualify for. It takes about 60 seconds and no account is required.

Premium answers three questions for every program: Is it worth applying? (approval odds, realistic funding amounts, competitiveness scores) — What does it take to get approved? (insider tips, rejection reasons, required documents, what winners look like) — What's my plan? (a custom funding roadmap with draft applications, stacking strategy, and application sequencing). That's 29 data points per program, plus comparison tools and document tracking. Explore all 650+ programs on our Explore page, or see the full comparison at Pricing.

Canadian businesses can access 650+ funding programs in 2026 (430 currently accepting applications), including 337 non-repayable grants, 40 tax credits, 39 loans, 27 forgivable loans, 72 accelerator programs, and 14 awards. Major federal programs include NRC IRAP (up to $10M for R&D), SR&ED tax credit (enhanced $6M ceiling after Budget 2025), CanExport SMEs (up to $75K), the Strategic Response Fund (up to $50M), and the new BDC LIFT program ($500M envelope launched April 2026). Every province has its own programs — Ontario Centre of Innovation, Alberta Innovates, Innovate BC, Investissement Québec. Budget 2025 launched three new Clean Technology Investment Tax Credits and the AI Compute Access Fund.

Most Canadian business grants require three baseline criteria: a registered Canadian business (federal or provincial incorporation, or sole proprietorship for some programs), operations physically located in Canada, and a CRA Business Number. Beyond those, eligibility varies widely — some programs require incorporation, minimum revenue thresholds, specific industries, or demographic focus (women-owned, Indigenous-owned, youth-led). Our free matching quiz takes 60 seconds and filters the 650+ database to only programs you're likely to qualify for.

The largest active Canadian business funding program is the federal Strategic Response Fund (SRF), which replaced the Strategic Innovation Fund in Budget 2025 with $16 billion over five years. SRF provides up to $50 million for major industrial digitization, clean tech manufacturing, and critical infrastructure projects. Other high-ceiling programs include NRC IRAP (up to $10M), FedDev Ontario BSP (up to $10M repayable), Ocean Supercluster (up to $5M), and Scale AI Mission Critical (up to $5M+). See the full list of largest grants in Canada. Most small businesses target programs in the $50K–$500K range.

Grant approval timelines range from 2 weeks to 12+ months depending on the program. Fast-track programs like Futurpreneur Canada (2–4 weeks), Canada Summer Jobs (6–8 weeks), and Digital Skills for Youth (4–6 weeks) are quickest. Standard federal programs like IRAP, CanExport, and Scale AI typically take 8–12 weeks. Large competitive programs (Strategic Response Fund, FedDev BSP, Global Innovation Clusters) can take 4–6 months or longer. SR&ED tax credit refunds from CRA typically take 60–120 days. See our fastest-approval guide. Plan 3–6 months ahead of when you actually need the funding.

Yes, but eligibility is narrower than for incorporated businesses. Sole proprietors can apply to Futurpreneur Canada (ages 18–39), Canada Summer Jobs, the Student Work Placement Program, most provincial small-business training grants, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Job Grant, and Indigenous Business Development funds. However, larger programs — IRAP, SR&ED enhanced rate, Scale AI, Strategic Response Fund — typically require incorporation as a Canadian-Controlled Private Corporation (CCPC). Before applying, check the eligibility section carefully; many programs accept both sole proprietors and incorporated businesses but pay out different amounts.