CanExport, EDC, Creative Export Canada, AgriMarketing, and provincial programs — with verified eligibility, cost-share ratios, stacking strategies, and what changed for 2026–27.
Canada offers a comprehensive ecosystem of export support spanning non-repayable grants, commercial financing, and free advisory services. The cornerstone is the CanExport program family by Global Affairs Canada, providing up to $50,000 per project for market development activities. Export Development Canada (EDC) facilitated $123.4 billion in trade in 2024 through credit insurance, loan guarantees, and direct financing — serving 27,800+ companies. The Trade Commissioner Service operates in 160+ cities worldwide, providing free market intelligence and buyer introductions. Sector-specific programs like Creative Export Canada (up to $2.5M) and the new AgriMarketing SME stream ($75M over 5 years at 70% cost-share) offer targeted support. Provincial programs add further layers: Ontario’s $50M Together Trade Fund, Quebec’s PSCE ($250K/year), and Alberta’s AEEP. Most critically, these programs can be stacked — but total government assistance cannot exceed 75% of project costs.
CanExport SMEs 2026–27: Maximum per project reduced to $50,000 (from $99,999). Minimum eligibility raised to 3 full-time employees and $300,000 annual revenue. Virtual event participation no longer eligible. U.S. and non-U.S. projects must be separate applications. Program explicitly prioritizes non-U.S. market diversification.
AgriMarketing SME Stream (Feb 2026): Brand-new $75 million program for agriculture and agri-food SMEs, with 70% AAFC cost-share (vs. standard 50%). Projects under $100,000 targeting non-traditional markets get priority. Agriculture businesses are no longer eligible for CanExport — they use AgriMarketing instead.
EDC Trade Impact Program (March 2025): $5 billion over two years in additional financing and insurance capacity for companies affected by U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. Covers credit insurance, export guarantees, and direct financing for all company sizes.
Ontario Together Trade Fund ($50M): Up to $5 million per business for market diversification, capacity expansion, and reshoring. Open to Ontario businesses with 3+ years operations impacted by U.S. tariffs.
Not all export support is created equal. Here is how the three main types work.
No repayment required. CanExport SMEs, Creative Export Canada, AgriMarketing, and provincial programs provide grants that cover a percentage of your market development costs.
EDC provides credit insurance, loan guarantees, and direct financing. You pay premiums or interest — these are commercial services, not grants. Much larger scale than grants.
The Trade Commissioner Service and provincial advisors (BC Export Navigator, Alberta TAP) provide free market intelligence, introductions, and export coaching at no cost.
The core federal programs that fund and support Canadian international trade.
Canada’s flagship export grant for small and medium-sized enterprises pursuing new international markets. CanExport SMEs covers 50% of eligible costs including trade show participation, market research, legal fees, translation, marketing materials adaptation, and business travel to target markets. For 2026–27, the program budget is approximately $31 million, with $3.1 million allocated for U.S. projects and the remainder for non-U.S. market diversification. Applications are assessed on a rolling competitive basis — not first-come, first-served — within a 60 business day assessment period (90 days for U.S. markets).
Key 2026–27 changes: Maximum reduced to $50,000 per project (from $99,999). Minimum eligibility raised to 3 FTEs and $300,000 annual revenue. Virtual events no longer eligible. U.S. and non-U.S. must be separate applications. Agriculture and agri-food businesses are no longer eligible (directed to AgriMarketing instead).
Helps Canadian innovators establish and formalize new collaborative R&D partnerships with foreign partners. Unlike CanExport SMEs (which funds market development), Innovation funds the partnership-building activities needed to launch international R&D collaborations — travel, meetings, and due diligence. Projects under $50,000 total budget are prioritized. Annual cap of $100,000 per organization within any 12-month period. Applications for 2026–27 open March 1, 2026.
Dedicated export funding for Canada’s creative industries, with $33 million over 3 years (2023–2026). The Export-Ready Stream ($7M/year allocation) supports companies with export-ready projects, funding up to $2.5 million per project with a minimum $150,000 project cost. The Export Development Stream ($4M/year) targets new or early-stage exporters, providing up to $90,000 per year. Since 2018, Creative Export Canada has invested $64.6 million across 166 projects from 134+ companies.
Eligible sectors: Audiovisual (film, TV, animation), music, performing arts, publishing, visual art, artistic craft, design (exhibit, fashion, urban), and interactive digital media (when combined with another sector). Applications are competitive with annual intake windows, typically in spring.
Canada’s dedicated export support for agriculture and agri-food businesses, now with two streams. The Industry Stream funds national associations with up to $2 million per year at 50% cost-share (70% for Indo-Pacific diversification). The brand-new Market Diversification SME Stream launched February 13, 2026 with $75 million over 5 years, providing individual agri-food SMEs with up to $100,000 per project at a generous 70% AAFC cost-share. Priority sectors include canola, pulses, pork, fish, and seafood — businesses directly impacted by tariffs.
Important: Agriculture, agri-food, fish, and seafood businesses are not eligible for CanExport SMEs. They use AgriMarketing instead. However, AgTech, food technology, and agricultural machinery companies remain CanExport-eligible.
EDC is not a grant provider — it is a Crown corporation offering commercial financial products that help Canadian exporters manage international trade risk. EDC served 27,800+ companies in 2024, supporting 475,800+ Canadian jobs and $87 billion of GDP. Key products include:
Credit Insurance: Select Credit Insurance (new exporters, up to $500K, 5 buyers, 90% coverage) and Portfolio Credit Insurance (active exporters, unlimited buyers). Protects against buyer non-payment, insolvency, and political risk. Export Guarantee Program: Guarantees up to US$25 million to your bank so they extend working capital. TELP: Up to $250K approved in 2 business days through partner banks (RBC, BMO, CWB). Buyer Financing: EDC finances your foreign buyer directly so you get paid upfront.
Trade Impact Program (2025): $5 billion in additional capacity for exporters facing U.S. tariff disruptions. Covers credit insurance, foreign exchange guarantees, and direct financing for companies of all sizes.
The Trade Commissioner Service is the Canadian government’s free export advisory network, operating in 160+ cities worldwide. Trade commissioners provide market intelligence, introductions to foreign buyers and partners, and guidance on exporting to specific countries. In 2023–24, TCS delivered 118 FTA promotion initiatives focused on CETA, CPTPP, and CUSMA. Eligibility requires a CRA business number, Canadian registration, and international business readiness. This should be your first stop as an exporter — Trade Commissioners also help identify which funding programs you qualify for.
Operates in 12 global tech hubs, helping Canadian technology companies expand internationally through mentorship, workspace, and access to investors, customers, and partners. No cost to join. Specific programs include Cybersecurity and Enterprise AI cohorts. Competitive selection based on export readiness, scalability, and market fit for the target hub.
One of the most common points of confusion. Here is when to use each.
They are complementary: Use CanExport to fund the market research and trade show costs to find a new buyer, then use EDC credit insurance to protect the receivables from that buyer, and use EDC’s Export Guarantee Program to access working capital to fill the order. EDC products do not count toward the 75% government stacking limit because they are commercial services, not grants.
Different programs for different stages of your export journey.
How to combine multiple programs for maximum support. Total government assistance cannot exceed 75% of project costs.
CanExport funds market development (finding buyers); IRAP funds R&D (building the product). These are different activities on the same product, so they stack naturally. A tech company can use IRAP to fund development of a new product feature ($150K), then use CanExport to fund trade shows and market research in the UK ($40K). SR&ED explicitly excludes market research and sales promotion — the exact activities CanExport covers — so there is no overlap.
Provincial programs layer on top: Alberta AEEP covers trade event travel ($15K) while CanExport covers broader market development. Ontario OTTF ($5M) covers market diversification costs for tariff-impacted businesses. Quebec PSCE ($250K/year) covers export activities at 50% cost-share. All stack within the 75% federal limit.
EDC is always additive: Because EDC provides commercial services (insurance, financing), its products do not count toward the 75% government assistance cap. You can receive CanExport + provincial grants + EDC credit insurance and working capital simultaneously.
Province-specific funding that layers on top of federal programs.
Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF): Up to $5M per business ($50M total program). For businesses with 3+ years operations, 5+ FTEs, impacted by U.S. tariffs (30%+ revenue loss or in targeted sectors). Covers market diversification, capacity expansion, reshoring, and equipment. Open since April 2025.
Ontario Creates Global Market Development: Up to $15,000 (50% of costs) for interactive digital media, book publishing, and film/TV businesses. Stacks with CanExport within 75% cap.
Investissement Quebec PSCE: Up to $250,000/year (50% of costs), lifetime cap $500,000. Three streams covering Quebec market preparation, international diversification, and specialized support for high-growth exporters.
ORPEX Network: 21 regional export promotion organizations across Quebec providing export diagnostics, business plans, market studies, and buyer meetings. $15.8M over 2 years plus $2M/year to Investissement Quebec.
SODEXPORT: Up to $160,000 for cultural companies expanding internationally.
Alberta Export Expansion Program (AEEP): Up to $15,000/year for trade event travel. $400/day first traveler, $200/day second. Up to $1,000 event registration. Requires 1+ year Alberta incorporation, $250K–$25M annual sales, <500 FTEs. First-come, first-served. $2M budget for 2025–26.
Trade Accelerator Program (TAP): Free export strategy development program helping SMEs build actionable export plans with mentorship and resources.
Export Navigator: Free personalized export advisory and coaching. No cost to the business. $1.2M from PacifiCan for continued delivery.
CUSMA Compliance Advisory (CCASI): Up to $5,000 (50% of costs) for CUSMA compliance consulting. $900K budget, runs until March 2026.
Trade Accelerator Program (TAP): Strategy, resources, and mentorship for SMEs to develop and activate export plans. Priority markets: Mexico, Vietnam, Taiwan.
ATIGS (Atlantic Trade Strategy): $20M over 5 years ($14M federal via ACOA + $6M from 4 provinces). Supports Atlantic firms in international business and FDI attraction. Contact ACOA at 1-888-576-4444.
Launch Export Atlantic Incubator: Estimated $15,000 worth of export training per company. 32 companies per cohort (8 per province). 7-month program covering business foundations, export readiness, and market entry strategy. Up to 75% of admissible expenses funded.
Contact the Trade Commissioner Service for a free export readiness assessment. Determine your target markets, export capacity, and whether you need grants (market development), financing (risk mitigation), or advisory services. Use TCS’s Export Readiness Assessment Tool (ERAT) to self-assess. Key questions: Do you have senior management commitment? Can you handle increased production? Do you have a competitive advantage vs. local competitors in the target market?
Identify 1–5 target markets where your sales were under $100,000 last year (or under 10% of total sales). Prepare SWOT analysis, competitive positioning, and entry strategy for each market. Build a budget with line-item justification tied to CanExport’s eligible expense categories (A through H). Include realistic sales projections that justify the investment — evaluators want to see a credible path to break-even within the first year.
Submit CanExport SMEs online through the TCS portal before incurring costs (retroactive expenses are ineligible). Assessment takes 60 business days. Simultaneously explore provincial programs — Alberta AEEP is first-come first-served, Ontario OTTF has continuous intake, Quebec PSCE requires Investissement Quebec application. CanExport deadline: May 29, 2026.
Layer EDC credit insurance to protect receivables once you have foreign buyers (up to 90% coverage, any exporter size). Use the Export Guarantee Program for working capital from your bank. Apply for additional CanExport projects as you expand to new markets. Total government assistance across all grant programs cannot exceed 75% — but EDC insurance/financing does not count toward this cap.
Side-by-side comparison of major export funding programs.
| Program | Max Amount | Type | Best For | Cost-Share | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CanExport SMEs | $50,000 | Grant | Market development | 50/50 | Open |
| CanExport Innovation | $75,000 | Grant | R&D partnerships | 75/25 | Open Mar 2026 |
| Creative Export (ERS) | $2.5M | Grant | Creative industries | 75/25 | Annual intake |
| Creative Export (EDS) | $90K/year | Grant | New creative exporters | 75/25 | Annual intake |
| AgriMarketing (SME) | <$100K | Grant | Agri-food exporters | 70/30 | Open (new) |
| AgriMarketing (Industry) | $2M/year | Grant | Agri associations | 50/50 | Contact first |
| EDC Credit Insurance | 90% coverage | Insurance | A/R protection | Premium-based | Always open |
| EDC TELP | $250K–$3M | Guarantee | Working capital | Fee-based | Always open |
| Ontario OTTF | $5M | Grant/Loan | Tariff-impacted ON | Varies | Open |
| Quebec PSCE | $250K/year | Grant | QC exporters | 50/50 | Open |
| Alberta AEEP | $15K/year | Grant | Trade event travel | ~25/75 | Open |
| CIIP (R&D) | $600K | Grant | International R&D | 50/50 | Open |
Answers based on verified government program documentation.
Key figures from EDC, Statistics Canada, and Global Affairs Canada
“During an uncertain economic environment, we strategically deployed capital and took on risk to help more Canadian companies reach global markets. We’re motivated by findings that Canadian companies supported by EDC generate 23% more revenues, employ 16% more workers and are 6% more productive.”
— Scott Moore, Executive Vice-President & CFO, Export Development Canada, EDC 2024 Integrated Annual Report
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