Updated September 2026 · Verified against Hamilton Business Centre / City of Hamilton guidelines
✓ First-Timer Friendly Milestone-Based
Grant Municipal Upcoming

Hamilton Starter Company Plus

Hamilton Business Centre / City of Hamilton
Maximum Funding
Up to $5,000,
The Winter 2027 application portal opens October 26, 2026.
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Milestone-Based
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
80%
Hamilton Starter Company Plus provides Up to $5,000, with the applicant providing a 25% investment of the grant amount, which is $1,250. A training and mentorship program from the Hamilton Business Centre with up to $5,000 in grant funding for businesses that are at least six months old and under two years. The program covers up to 80% of eligible costs. The Winter 2027 application portal opens October 26, 2026..

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Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

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Program Description

A training and mentorship program from the Hamilton Business Centre with up to $5,000 in grant funding for businesses that are at least six months old and under two years. The owner must live in Hamilton, hold majority ownership, work at least 35 hours a week in the business with no other job, put $1,250 of their own money in, and complete 12 hours of entrepreneurship training.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Canadian citizen or permanent resident aged 18 or older
  • Not attending school or planning to return to school during the program
  • Devoting at least 35 hours per week to the small business and not employed elsewhere
  • Business is less than two years old and registered at the time of application with a City of Hamilton address
  • Business has been operating for at least 6 months and can show financial activity statements for that period
  • Applicant has majority ownership and can prove ownership or shareholder agreement
  • Able to commit to 12 hours of entrepreneurship training
  • Can provide a 25% investment of the grant amount ($1,250), which may be cash, working capital or in-kind contributions at fair market value such as equipment or machinery, but not sweat equity or loans
Provinces
Ontario
Industries
All
Business Stage
Startup Growth Established

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Friendly

Funding Details

Amount
Up to $5,000, with the applicant providing a 25% investment of the grant amount, which is $1,250.
Type
Grant
Level
Municipal
Co-Funding
Up to 80% of eligible costs
Deadline
The Winter 2027 application portal opens October 26, 2026.

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Upcoming
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
3/5

Moderate — standard application process

Competition
3/5

Moderate competition — prepare a strong application

Difficulty
3/5

Moderate — standard requirements

Processing Time
Budget Trend
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How to Win

Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like

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Insider Tip

The window is the thing most people get wrong.

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Rejection Pitfalls 9

  • The business is under six months old, or two years or older
+8 more pitfalls
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Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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Premium All 9 pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓

How Hamilton Starter Company Plus judges your application

What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.

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Written answers3no length limits stated
Judged on5 criteria
Can reject you40 rules
To attach8 documents

Distilled from 6+ source documents, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-04.

6 of the sources

What Hamilton Starter Company Plus favours

Fund a full-time business when other financing is unavailable◦

“The intent of Starter Company Plus is to help people support a full-time business where other forms of financing are unavailable.”

1 more, in their words

The form2 prompts shown

Waitlist application11 sections
  1. 1First Nameshort answer
  2. 2Last Nameshort answer
  3. 3Business Addressshort answer
  4. 4Cityshort answer
  5. 5Postal Codeshort answer
  6. 6Emailshort answer
  7. 7Preferred phone number to be contacted atshort answer
  8. 8Business Nameshort answer
  9. 9What is the status of your business?selection
  10. 10Business Descriptionwritten answer
  11. 11Individual Self-Identificationcheckboxes
Cohort deliverables4 sections
  1. 12Business Plan (draft, then final)written answer

    NOT A PUBLISHED FORM FIELD. The funder publishes no template, no prompts, no headings and no length limit for the business plan. What is published is that it exists, that it is mandatory, when it is due and how it is scored. S5 schedules 'Business Plan and Financials (Drafts)' as MANDATORY, due Monday Oct 19th by 8am via email, and 'Final Business Plan and Financials' as MANDATORY, due Monday Nov 2nd by 8am via email. S3 states the applicant writes it themselves and estimates the effort. Nothing about its structure is banked because nothing about its structure is published.

  2. 13Start-up costs and cashflowspreadsheet
  3. 14Business pitch to the Grant Committeewritten answer
  4. 15Programme agreementshort answer

Hamilton Starter Company Plus states no length limits for these answers.

2 more prompts, in the funder’s words

Judged against3 questions · 5 criteria

  1. 1

    Is the plan complete and is the market real?

    Show them Write the plan yourself with full start-up costs and cashflow, and state the market opportunity with the numbers behind it.◦

    In the funder’s words · 2
    • Quality and completeness of written business plan, start-up costs and cashflow
    • Articulation of business plan outlining market opportunity for success
  2. 2

    Can this business support the owner full time?

    What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium

  3. 3

    Will they turn up and present well?

    What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium

Where applicants failin Hamilton Starter Company Plus’s words

“Note: Inability to attend any of the following sessions will result in disqualification for grant consideration”
“If they do not adhere to this agreement, they will be considered in default of the program and there will be every effort to recover all grant monies disbursed.”
“The grant must be spent on business expenses. It is considered taxable income for your tax reporting, so please be advised that it may affect any assistance you may be receiving (e.g., Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Employment Insurance).”

Premium · the rest of this brief

See all 40 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.

24 more rules that can reject you · 3 more criteria · 2 more prompts

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Do you pass?40 checks

Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.

You

  • Canadian citizen or permanent resident

    Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident,

  • At least 18 years old

    Be 18 years of age or older,

  • 35 hours weekly, no other job

    Be devoting a minimum of 35 hours per week to their small business and not employed anywhere else,

  • Hamilton resident with proof of address

    Be a resident of Hamilton with the ability to demonstrate proof of physical address

  • Majority ownership, provable

    Must have majority ownership and the ability to demonstrate proof of ownership and/or shareholder agreement,

  • Can contribute $1,250

    Can provide a 25% investment of the grant amount ($1,250), and

  • Commit to 12 hours of training

    Must be able to commit to 12 hours of entrepreneurship training

Your business

  • Business under two years old

    Businesses less than two (2) years in age,

  • Registered with a Hamilton address

    Must be registered at the time of application (Sole Proprietor, Partnership, or Corporation), and this documentation must show a City of Hamilton address,

  • Separate business bank account

    Must have a separate business bank account that corresponds with Business Registration documentation,

  • Licences and certifications current

    Businesses that require certification and/or license must be current at the time of application,

  • Operating for six months

    Must have been in operation for a minimum of 6 months and be able to demonstrate financial activity statements for this period,

  • Legal business in Ontario

    Be a legal business in Ontario

  • Arm's length from family businesses

    Operate at arm's length from family business ventures

  • Keeps its own books

    Maintain its own books and records

  • Not collection agencies

    Collection agencies,

24 more checks

1 thing this funder says you do NOT need, in Premium.

Documents to attach8

Ticks are kept on this device.

The money

Maximum grant$5,000 total funding

Applicants can receive a total of $5,000 in funding through this program.

Your contribution25% of grant ($1,250)

Can provide a 25% investment of the grant amount ($1,250)

Your shareAssets, working capital, in-kind equipment; no sweat equity

This may include assets, such as working capital, or in-kind contributions at fair market value, such as equipment or machinery required to run the business. In-kind contributions do not include "sweat equity" (a contribution in the form of effort as opposed to a financial contribution) or loans or other types of loaned support.

StackingEI, Ontario Works, ODSP income support allowed

There is no restriction against participants receiving Employment Insurance (EI), Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support, or other income support funding while they are in the Starter Company Plus program.

What it pays for · 9
  • Tools and equipment
  • Computer OR iPad (limit of $1000)
  • Office equipment and supplies (paper, printer, ink, storage)
  • Materials for creation of a product
  • Inventory of a product (limit of $1000)
  • Marketing materials (business cards, website, logo creation)
  • Social Media Marketing (including Google AdWords) (limit of $500)
  • Business insurance
  • Educational course / training (limit of $1000 in Ontario)
What it does not pay for · 7
  • Salaries (employees or owner's draw)
  • Single item purchase
  • Commercial and retail rent
  • Personal rent/mortgage payments
  • Vehicle purchase, maintenance, or repairs
  • Repayment of business debts
  • Purchases that would be considered personal in nature

From application to money

  1. Join the waitlistSeptember 7th, 2026 @11:59 PMWaitlist closes Sept 7, 2026, 11:59 PM
  2. Orientation and trainingOrientation and training: Sept 21, 28, Oct 5
  3. Draft plan dueMonday, Oct 19th, 8amDraft plan due Oct 19, 8am
  4. Final plan dueMonday, Nov 2nd, 8amFinal plan due Nov 2, 8am
  5. Pitch to the committeePitch Nov 16, time to be announced
  6. Three mentoring sessionsMentoring Jan 11, Feb 8, Mar 1
In the funder’s words · 6
Join the waitlist
The web waitlist form is the entry point to the Fall 2026 cohort.
Orientation and training
Orientation and three mandatory virtual training sessions run before the draft plan is due. (Monday, Sept 21st; Monday, Sept 28th; Monday, Oct 5th)
Draft plan due
Draft business plan and financials are emailed by 8am.
Final plan due
Final business plan and financials are emailed by 8am.
Pitch to the committee
The funding decision is made after an in-person pitch to the grant committee.
Three mentoring sessions
Recipients attend three in-person mentoring sessions after the pitch. (Monday, Jan 11th; Monday, Feb 8th; Monday, March 1st)

Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.

What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to win Hamilton Starter Company Plus

Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.

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Application Playbook

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

Premium 9 steps 9 docs

Application Steps

1 Check the personal conditions first You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, 18 or older, not attending school or planning to return while enrolled, devoting at least 35 hours a week to the business with no other employment, not enrolled in any other government funded employment program, and a Hamilton resident able to prove a physical address.

Required Documents 9

✓ Proof of physical address showing Hamilton residency
✓ Business registration as a sole proprietor, partnership or corporation, showing a City of Hamilton address

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

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Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

Premium 3 partners

Compatible Programs

Other government funded employment programs Employment Insurance, Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program and other income support Summer Company (before) and Futurpreneur (after)
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

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How Hamilton Starter Company Plus Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Hamilton Starter Company Plus

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How old does my business have to be?
Less than two years old, and it must have been in operation for a minimum of six months with financial activity statements demonstrating that period.
How much funding is available?
Funding opportunities of up to $5,000 for eligible businesses approved into the program. The applicant must be able to provide a 25% investment of the grant amount, which the program states as $1,250.
Do I have to live in Hamilton?
Yes. You must be a resident of Hamilton and able to demonstrate proof of physical address, and the business registration documentation must show a City of Hamilton address.
Can I keep my job while doing this?
No. You must be devoting a minimum of 35 hours per week to the small business and not employed anywhere else, and you cannot be attending school or planning to return to school while enrolled in the program, or be enrolled in any other government funded employment program.
What kinds of business are not eligible?
Nightclubs, lounges, cabarets, discotheques, music festivals and events, online resellers, technology apps that are not market ready, student housing and residential rental accommodation, quasi financial institutions and money service businesses, cryptocurrency businesses and traders, fund brokers and fiduciaries, brokers working for an existing firm, charity fundraising platforms, charities and non-profits and social enterprises, franchises, collection agencies, businesses raising investment capital for others, businesses promoting equity crowdfunding, and medical marijuana and cannabis retailers.
What is the time commitment beyond running the business?
You must be able to commit to 12 hours of entrepreneurship training. The program offers training in business planning, marketing, social media, bookkeeping and financial management, along with ongoing mentorship.
How do I apply for the Fall 2026 cohort?
The Fall 2026 waitlist closed September 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM, and the Winter 2027 application portal opens October 26, 2026 on the program page. The Fall cohort begins mid to late September 2026, and a program coordinator reaches out to eligible applicants to discuss the application and business in detail.
What can I spend the $5,000 on?
Business expenses only, and the programme publishes caps. Eligible: tools and equipment, a computer or iPad (limit $1,000), office equipment and supplies, materials for creating a product, inventory (limit $1,000), marketing materials such as business cards, website and logo creation, social media marketing including Google AdWords (limit $500), business insurance, and educational courses or training in Ontario (limit $1,000). Ineligible: salaries including an owner's draw, a single item purchase, commercial or retail rent, personal rent or mortgage, vehicle purchase or maintenance, repayment of business debts, and anything personal in nature. The grant is taxable income.

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