Cassels Black-Owned Small Business Grant
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Annual cash grants from a shared pool of up to $100,000, plus pro bono legal services, awarded to Black-owned or Black-operated small businesses in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. Funded by voluntary contributions from Cassels staff and matched by Wheaton Precious Metals, the program has run for four or more consecutive years. Each grant cycle includes cash disbursements across multiple recipients plus free legal support (business structure, contracts, and compliance advice) from Cassels lawyers.
Eligibility Requirements
- Business must be Black-owned or Black-operated
- Must be a small business (specific revenue/employee caps not published — apply conservatively as a small/micro business)
- Physical location in Toronto (ON), Vancouver (BC), or Calgary (AB) — other cities not eligible
- Active operating business (not a concept or pre-revenue startup)
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $100,000 total pool per cycle, distributed across multiple recipients; individual grant amounts not specified publicly
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Deadline
- Annual — 2025 cycle closed June 20, 2025; 2026 cycle not yet announced as of June 2026. Program has run every year since 2020.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipThe geographic restriction (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary only) is a hard limit — businesses in Hamilton, Edmonton, Surrey, or other nearby cities are categorically ineligible.
Rejection Pitfalls 5
- Business is not Black-owned or Black-operated
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
Everything you need to win Cassels Black-Owned Small Business Grant
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 5
Eligible Expenses 6
Ineligible Expenses 2
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
None RiskHow Cassels Black-Owned Small Business Grant Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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