FedDev Ontario — Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP)
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Who actually receives this funding
429 awards on record since 2014. Typical award: $1.75M. Half of all awards fall between $1M and $2.85M. The advertised maximum is $10M — most awards land closer to $1.75M. 100% of recipients are for-profit businesses. Top sectors among classified recipients: Data processing and hosting, Computer systems design services, Other fabricated metal products. Top provinces: Ontario 100%. Covers: FedDev Ontario BSUP contributions — Ontario for-profit scale-up contributions including predecessor program names. Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure data · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Data through Q3 2026.
The typical FedDev Ontario award is $1.75M — the median of 429 awards since 2014, even though the program advertises up to $10M.
Named recipients
Recent recipients include Kinectrics Inc. (Toronto, ON, 2025), Piston Automotive Canada ULC (Mississauga, ON, 2025) and Celplast Metallized Products Limited (Toronto, ON, 2025).
- 2025Kinectrics Inc.
- 2025Piston Automotive Canada ULC
- 2025Celplast Metallized Products Limited
- 2025Eco Guardian
- 2025PiiComm Inc.
- 2025Lucid Corp.
- 2025Cyclic Materials
- 2025Redstone Food Consultants Ltd.
- 2025GH Power Inc.
- 2025Melnik Resources Ltd.
Show 30 more recipients
- 2025Blake Medical Group Inc.
- 2025Traferox Technologies Inc.
- 2025Quantum Bridge Technologies
- 2024Dyck Exterior Installation Inc.
- 2024A.B.M. Tool & Die Co. Ltd.
- 2024Letar Inc.
- 2024Schaaf Foods Inc.
- 2024Scapa Tapes North America ULC
- 2024Nordik Windows Inc.
- 2024Greenfield Ethanol Inc.
- 2024Paradigm Shift Technologies Inc.
- 2024H2 Analytics Inc.
- 2024Sky Acoustics Inc.
- 2024Hydra Dyne Technology Inc.
- 2024Future Transfer
- 2024Imagoh Foods Ltd.
- 2024Voltera Inc.
- 2024Universal Seal Inc.
- 2024Sinteris
- 2024Smarter Alloys Inc.
- 2024Chemicheck Inc
- 2024Proventus Global
- 2024Tipco Inc.
- 2024ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks Americas Limited
- 2024Tristar Coatings Ltd.
- 2024Verdyn
- 2024Metalworks Corporation
- 2024Northland Paving Ltd
- 2024Dajcor Aluminum Ltd.
- 2019Enviroplast Inc.
Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure
This program most often pays for equipment
38% of 128 awards to businesses since April 2023 went to buying equipment or machinery, and 18% to building software or a digital product.
Where the money went share of 128 awards
Buying equipment or machinery38% 49
Projects of this kind typically received $1.5M since April 2023.
Building software or a digital product18% 23
Projects of this kind typically received $1M since April 2023.
Building or expanding a facility17% 22
Projects of this kind typically received $2.7M since April 2023.
Real projects funded, in the government’s own words
- To launch a new health products manufacturing facility in Pickering.
- To scale operations and establish a Centre of Excellence for rare earth elements recycling in Kingston, Ontario.
- To expand operations and strengthen manufacturing capabilities in the manufacturing of electric vehicle parts by expanding existing facilities.
Improving or automating operations9% 12
Real projects funded, in the government’s own words
- To automate its extrusion processes and commercialize a new digital paint product.
Developing a new physical product9% 12
Real projects funded, in the government’s own words
- To develop a new cargo drone model with increased range and carrying capacity.
- To support the design and manufacturing of new equipment for the sheet metal fabrication industry featuring robotic and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
- To commercialize a new benchtop printed circuit board assembly solution that accelerates electronic prototyping.
- Other project types 8%entering new markets or exporting, adopting existing technology, services for other businesses or a community
Only 14% of these projects created something new; most bought or expanded something that already exists.
Real projects funded in the government’s own words
Buying equipment or machinery
- To purchase new equipment to increase manufacturing capabilities and productivity.
- To increase production capacities and grow its clientele through equipment acquisition and process improvements.
Building software or a digital product
- To develop Voice AI Assistants and artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbots.
- To scale-up a digital platform for mental health.
Where in a company’s journey it pays
Most staged projects here were at the grow what works stage (71%).
- 0%Explore an idea
- 6%Build something new
- <1%Test and prove it
- 15%Launch it
- 71%Grow what works
The other 7% were not staged projects (hiring, advice, events) or did not say.
More about these projects
New, or more of what already works?
The remaining 22% were a mix of both, or the description did not say.
- 61%Leaves a physical asset behind
- 9%Aimed at markets outside Canada
- 9%Claims an environmental benefit
How we know: we read the government’s published description of each award; an AI classifier sorted them, and we hand-checked a sample (92% correct). Individual awards can be misfiled, so read the shares as approximate. 45 more awards had descriptions too vague to sort and are left out. Federal disclosure lists awards above $25,000 only. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
What FedDev Ontario BSP winners won next
Among the 35 FedDev Ontario BSP winners who went on to win a different program, 15 (43%) won Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) next, typically about 2 years later. That is about 6.1x its rate across all the funding sequences in this data.
Other programs the same group won next
- Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) 9 (26%), about 5 years later
- CanExport SMEs 8 (23%), 1 to 2 years later
Of 42 winners of this program who later won something else, 7 won a program excluded from this view (Canada Summer Jobs; Enabling Accessibility Fund). Shares here are out of the remaining 35.
Counts winners of this program who later won a different program, using public government recipient disclosure. It describes businesses that went on to win again, not every past winner: recipients who never won a second program are not a path, and federal disclosure only lists awards above $25,000, so smaller first awards are invisible here. Timing is recorded by year only. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Interest-free repayable contributions of $125,000 to $10,000,000 for incorporated businesses in southern Ontario to scale operations, adopt innovative technologies, and improve productivity. Repayment begins one year after project completion with no early repayment penalties.
Eligibility Requirements
- Incorporated business in southern Ontario
- Minimum 5 full-time employees
- Must provide matching funding for at least 50% of eligible project costs
- Only one active FedDev application permitted at a time across all programs
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- $125,000 to $10,000,000
- Type
- Forgivable Loan
- Level
- Federal
- Financing share
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- FedDev Ontario is accepting applications (Business Scale-up and Productivity). Confirm the current intake window on the official page.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Difficult — significant preparation needed
Moderate competition — prepare a strong application
Complex — detailed documentation needed
How to qualify
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipContact FedDev at [email protected] before applying — they actively help shape viable proposals.
Rejection Pitfalls 6
- Located outside southern Ontario (northern Ontario served by FedNor/NOHFC)
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
Everything you need to secure BSP
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 6 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 7-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 8-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 4-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what lenders look for
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 7
Eligible Expenses 8
Ineligible Expenses 11
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow BSP Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FedDev Ontario — Business Scale-up an... | $125,000 to $10,000,000 | Hard | Reimbursement | FedDev Ontario is... |
| NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program | $100,000–$500,000 | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Between intakes — the... |
| Ontario Job Grant (formerly Canada-On... | Up to $10,000 per employee | Easy | Varies | Ongoing — year-round... |
| Ontario Innovation Tax Credit | Up to 8% tax credit | Moderate | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about BSP