Comprehensive guide to 57 capital investment funding programs in Ontario
Businesses in Ontario can access 57 specialized capital investment programs combining federal and provincial funding opportunities.
Organization: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $250,000
Provides financing and support to Black entrepreneurs and business owners to start and scale their businesses.
Organization: National Research Council Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $1 million
Provides advice, connections and funding to help Canadian small and medium-sized businesses increase their innovation capacity and take ideas to market.
Organization: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $1 million
Helps small businesses get loans by encouraging financial institutions to provide financing for small business loans.
Organization: Government of Ontario
Level: provincial
Amount: Up to $10,000 per employee
Provides direct funding to employers to train their employees. Employers can receive up to $10,000 per person for training costs.
Organization: City of Toronto
Level: municipal
Amount: Varies
Supports programs and events that foster entrepreneurship in film, music, and creative technology sectors through grants and sponsorships.
Organization: Export Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Provides a suite of financial solutions (insurance, guarantees, financing) to help Canadian companies grow their export business and manage risk.
Organization: Business Development Bank of Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Provides financing, advisory services and venture capital to Canadian small and medium-sized businesses.
Organization: Farm Credit Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Provides financing and services to agriculture and agri-food businesses across Canada.
Organization: Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports business development and economic growth in Atlantic Canada through various programs and funds.
Organization: Prairies Economic Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports business growth and economic diversification in the Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) with various funding programs and services.
Organization: Pacific Economic Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports business development and economic growth in British Columbia through federal funding programs and services tailored to B.C.
Organization: Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports business growth, innovation and community economic development in Southern Ontario through various contribution funding programs.
Organization: Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports business development and regional economic growth in Quebec through grants and contribution programs.
Organization: Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports economic development in Canada's three territories through funding programs for businesses and communities.
Organization: Mitacs
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $15,000 per internship (matched)
Connects companies with graduate students and postdoctoral fellows for research and development projects, with matching funding for the internships.
Organization: Genome Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $10 million
Supports large-scale genomics and genomics-related research projects through competitive funding programs co-funded with industry and provinces.
Organization: Canadian Space Agency
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports space technology R&D and commercialization through various CSA funding programs and opportunities (e.g., Space Technology Development Program).
Organization: Department of National Defence
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $1.5 million
Provides funding for innovative solutions to defence and security challenges through competitive calls (IDEaS program includes contests, contracts, and sandboxes).
Organization: Global Affairs Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies (in-kind support)
Helps Canadian technology companies expand into international markets by providing mentorship, workspace, and access to investors/customers in global tech hubs.
Organization: Global Affairs Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $75,000
Helps Canadian innovators (early-stage R&D collaborations) explore international partnerships by funding travel and meeting costs to secure foreign partnerships for technology commercialization.
Organization: Business Development Bank of Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Increases private sector venture capital available to Canadian entrepreneurs by investing in venture capital funds and fund-of-funds, indirectly supporting high-growth firms.
Organization: Business Development Bank of Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $15 million
Provides growth capital (venture financing) to Canadian clean technology companies to scale their operations.
Organization: Business Development Bank of Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Invests in technology companies with women in key leadership positions, to foster greater gender diversity in tech and support women-led businesses.
Organization: Business Development Bank of Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Invests in early-stage technology companies across Canada, focusing on innovative startups poised for high growth.
Organization: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $50 million
Supports projects that help Canada achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, by funding decarbonization and clean technology scale-up initiatives in high-emitting sectors.
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $5 million
Supports the deployment of electric vehicle charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure across Canada through cost-shared funding.
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $1.5 billion
Supports the development and expansion of domestic clean fuel production capacity through project funding (capital investments in new facilities or upgrades).
Organization: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
A five-year federal-provincial funding framework (2023-2028) supporting innovation, competitiveness and resilience in the agriculture and agri-food sector via various programs (grants, loans, insurance).
Organization: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $250,000 per year (50% of costs)
Supports the development of export markets for Canadian agricultural products through contribution funding for marketing activities and trade shows.
Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
A national plan with various funding initiatives to support marine safety, environmental protection, and Indigenous partnerships in ocean protection.
Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $1 million
Supports innovation and market development in the aquaculture sector through contribution funding for projects that increase global competitiveness and sustainability of Canadian aquaculture.
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $2 million
Supports innovation in Canada's forest sector to develop new products and markets through funding of R&D and technology adoption projects.
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $10 million
Supports innovative, first-in-kind projects in the forest sector that increase competitiveness and environmental performance (e.g., bioenergy, biomaterials).
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $5 million
Supports the commercialization of innovative mining technologies by co-funding pilot demonstrations and commercialization projects in the mining sector.
Organization: Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $100,000
Supports the development of Indigenous tourism experiences and businesses through grants (often project-based funding for product development, marketing, etc.).
Organization: Canadian Heritage (Creative Export Canada)
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $300,000 (or 75% of project costs)
Helps Canadian creative industry companies (film, music, books, etc.) expand to international markets through project funding for export-ready content and marketing initiatives.
Organization: Canada Media Fund
Level: federal
Amount: Varies (grant or recoupable investment)
Supports the creation of Canadian content in television, digital media and interactive platforms through various funding streams (development, production, marketing).
Organization: Telefilm Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports the Canadian audiovisual industry through investments and funding for film, television, and digital media projects (production, development, marketing funds).
Organization: Canada Council for the Arts
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports Canadian artists and arts organizations through a variety of grants for creation, production, professional development, touring, and more in arts and culture sectors.
Organization: Canadian Heritage
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Offers numerous grants and contributions programs supporting culture, heritage, official languages, Indigenous languages and sport (e.g., Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, Canada Book Fund, Athlete Assistance Program, etc.).
Organization: Sport Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports sport development and high-performance sport in Canada through funding programs such as the Athlete Assistance Program, Sport Support Program, and Hosting Program.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $100,000 (small projects stream)
Supports capital projects that improve accessibility in workplaces and community spaces for people with disabilities through grants for renovations, retrofits or accessible technologies.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports skills development and employment training for Indigenous peoples through funding agreements with Indigenous service delivery organizations across Canada.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $5 million
Supports the development of foundational and transferable skills (like literacy, numeracy, digital skills) for Canadians through funding to organizations that deliver training and upskilling projects.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $2 million
Supports union-based apprenticeship training and innovation in training approaches through project funding, to help more apprentices succeed and modernize training systems.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $10 million
Addresses workforce challenges in specific economic sectors by funding projects that help connect Canadians with training and jobs in in-demand sectors (e.g., sector-based workforce development projects).
Organization: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $15,000 per participant (wage subsidy)
Provides funding to organizations to create internships that offer underemployed youth training and work experience in digital skills, helping them transition to careers in the digital economy.
Organization: Indigenous Services Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Provides access to capital and business opportunities to Indigenous entrepreneurs by supporting a network of Indigenous Financial Institutions that offer loans and financing for Indigenous-owned businesses.
Organization: Innovation Factory (Hamilton)
Level: private
Amount: Varies (e.g., $30,000 grand prize)
One of Canada's largest pitch competitions, where finalists compete for significant cash prizes from a pool of investors.
Organization: City of Ottawa
Level: municipal
Amount: $5,000 - $50,000
Provides financial support to non-profit agencies for new or expanded projects that assist targeted residents (e.g., youth, newcomers, persons with disabilities) to overcome obstacles to creating new jobs and/or new enterprises.
Organization: Innovation Factory
Level: private
Amount: Over $150,000 in cash and professional resources
The Hamilton region's premier annual pitch competition where up-and-coming entrepreneurs pitch to a panel of investors for cash and in-kind prizes.
Organization: Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF)
Level: private
Amount: Up to $99,999 (individuals) or $249,999 (community-owned)
Provides non-repayable contributions (grants) alongside loans to Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses for start-up, acquisition, expansion, marketing, and technology adoption.
Organization: Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)
Level: federal
Amount: Varies (Business Loans)
Offers business loans, mentoring, training, and counseling to Western Canadians with disabilities or health conditions to start or expand a business.
Organization: Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC)
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Part of the federal 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program, this fund provides funding to not-for-profit business-support organizations to deliver projects that help 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs develop skills and access resources.
Organization: Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
Level: federal
Amount: $25,000 to $50,000
Provides access to financing for new immigrants to Canada who are starting or growing a business, helping to overcome challenges like a lack of local credit history.
Organization: Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI)
Level: provincial
Amount: Up to $500,000
Provides co-investment funding to help early-stage, Ontario-headquartered life sciences and healthcare technology companies take their IP from the conceptual stage through to commercialization.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $75,000
Helps social purpose organizations (social enterprises, non-profits, charities, co-ops) build their capacity to participate in the social finance market and prepare for investment.