Updated August 2026 · Verified against ACCESS Community Capital Fund guidelines
✓ First-Timer Friendly Not Applicable Est. 1999
Program Private Active

ACCESS Business Lab & Marketplace for Entrepreneurs

ACCESS Community Capital Fund
Maximum Funding
No funding is provided by the Lab or the Marketplace. Both...
Ongoing / open for applications (no posted deadline or intake close date)
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Easy
Payment
Not Applicable
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
Varies
ACCESS Business Lab & Marketplace for Entrepreneurs provides up to No funding is provided by the Lab or the Marketplace. Both deliver structured business skills training, group and one-on-one coaching and mentorship, and (for Lab graduates) in-person and online sales events plus e-commerce platform support. A separate ACCESS Small Business Loan program offers Lab graduates loans of up to $20,000 through Alterna Savings. Two programs for underserved entrepreneurs from ACCESS Community Capital Fund (Ontario): the ACCESS Business Lab, a free six-week business skills-building program for early-stage entrepreneurs with customized workshops from ideation to launch plus group and one-on-one coaching; and the ACCESS Business Marketplace, offered exclusively to Lab graduates, providing in-person and online sales events, real-time sales coaching, and e-commerce platform support. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details

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Program Description

Two programs for underserved entrepreneurs from ACCESS Community Capital Fund (Ontario): the ACCESS Business Lab, a free six-week business skills-building program for early-stage entrepreneurs with customized workshops from ideation to launch plus group and one-on-one coaching; and the ACCESS Business Marketplace, offered exclusively to Lab graduates, providing in-person and online sales events, real-time sales coaching, and e-commerce platform support. Neither program awards money. Completing the Lab is also the gateway to a separate ACCESS Small Business Loan program (up to $20,000, delivered with Alterna Savings).

Eligibility Requirements

  • Underserved entrepreneur, particularly in Ontario
  • For ACCESS Business Lab: early-stage business or business idea
  • For ACCESS Business Marketplace: must be a Lab graduate
  • Commitment to structured business training and mentorship
  • Graduating the ACCESS Business Lab is also a prerequisite for the separate ACCESS Small Business Loan program
Provinces
Ontario
Industries
All
Business Stage
Startup

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Easy
Competition
Low
First-Timer
Friendly

Funding Details

Amount
No funding is provided by the Lab or the Marketplace. Both deliver structured business skills training, group and one-on-one coaching and mentorship, and (for Lab graduates) in-person and online sales events plus e-commerce platform support. A separate ACCESS Small Business Loan program offers Lab graduates loans of up to $20,000 through Alterna Savings.
Type
Program
Level
Private
Deadline
Ongoing / open for applications (no posted deadline or intake close date)

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Low
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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What's in this Playbook

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How to Win

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Insider Tip

Start with the ACCESS Business Lab — it is free, runs six weeks, and it is the gate to everything else ACCESS offers: the Business Marketplace is open exclusively to Lab graduates, and so is the separate ACCESS Small Business Loan (up to $20,000 with Alterna Savings).

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Evaluation Criteria

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

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Application Steps

1 Register for the ACCESS Business Lab Sign up at accessccf.com/businesslab. The Lab is the entry point — the Marketplace and the separate Small Business Loan are both open only to Lab graduates.

Required Documents 5

✓ Proof of Ontario-based business or business idea
✓ Early-stage business concept description

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

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Funding Stack Strategy

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Clawback Risk

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about ACCESS Business Lab & Marketplace for Entr...

Free
Does the ACCESS Business Lab cost anything to take part in?
No. ACCESS describes the Lab as a comprehensive curriculum of free, advanced entrepreneurship training, mentorship and personalized business coaching.
How long does the ACCESS Business Lab program run?
The Lab is a six-week workshop series covering business ideation and validation, business planning, financial management, marketing, legal and more — from ideation through growth and sustainability.
Can I get a loan from ACCESS Community Capital Fund?
Not from the Lab or the Marketplace. ACCESS runs a separate Small Business Loan program with Alterna Savings under which entrepreneurs who have completed the ACCESS Business Lab could access loans of up to $20,000.
Who can apply for the separate ACCESS Small Business Loan?
Applicants must be 18 or older, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or Convention Refugee, reside in Ontario, have completed the ACCESS Business Lab, demonstrate barriers to accessing traditional financing, be in good standing with CRA, and not be in active bankruptcy or a consumer proposal.
What do I get from the ACCESS Business Marketplace?
It is open exclusively to Lab graduates and provides regular in-person and online sales events, real-time sales coaching, access to local markets in high-traffic areas, and e-commerce platform support.

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