Ontario Small Business Grants 2026: 470+ Programs, Ranked by How Easy They Are to Get
What is open to an Ontario business this month, what each program realistically pays (most are smaller than the headline), and who each one shuts out, so you can skip the ones that were never going to fund you.
What are the best grants for a small business in Ontario right now?
These five, in order of how easy they are to get rather than how much they advertise. All five are taking applications from Ontario businesses today. The amount is what each program states it pays; most awards land below the top of the range.
Who wrote this: GrantCompass is an independent funding database; we are not a government office, and some features are paid. Every program above is free to apply for directly with the funder.
Which Ontario grant should I start with for my sector or situation?
None of these fit?Grants rarely pay for rent, inventory or existing debt. For those, a loan is the realistic route: compare the loan and tax-credit options.
What business grants can Ontario companies get in 2026?
470+ government funding programs are open to businesses in Ontario, in three layers: federal programs open across Canada (IRAP, SR&ED, CanExport), provincial grants and tax credits (the Ontario Job Grant, the Ontario Innovation Tax Credit, OIDMTC, the Ontario Made manufacturing credit), and regional and city programs that depend on where you are (FedDev Ontario in the south, NOHFC and FedNor in the north, and municipal grants). Most pay a share of a cost you have already decided to take on, and most pay less than their headline. The table below compares the twenty that matter to most small businesses.
How do the top 20 Ontario programs compare?
Grants, tax credits and loans side by side, sorted by ease (our 1 to 5 score of how reachable a program is for a typical small business; 5 is easiest). The amount is what each program states it pays; most awards land below the top of the range. The five grants at the top of this page are in here with the same figures.
The 20 Ontario funding programs most small businesses should compare first, checked against our catalogue on September 19, 2026
$125,000 to $10 million, up to half of project costs
Unincorporated businesses; under 5 employees; anyone outside southern Ontario
Rolling; confirm the window on the official page
Scale-up capital you repay, interest-free
Two of the twenty are between intakes today (CanExport SMEs and Canada Summer Jobs) and are listed because they reopen on a known cycle. Loans must be repaid; tax credits are claimed on your corporate return with no application window. Passing the rules above does not mean a funder will say yes: see which of these your business can apply for.
Who actually wins government grants in Ontario?
We matched the federal government's own list of who received its grants and contributions to the business programmes on this page. Here is what the Ontario winners look like.
Toronto is home to 525 of the 2,348 Ontario organisations named as winners across the 25 business programmes whose complete winner list we hold (22%), and the Greater Toronto Area as a whole accounts for 37%. The other 63% are spread across 370 communities, led by Ottawa (173), so winning is not a Toronto-only game: 49% of winners are in communities with fewer than 30 winners each.
Canada Summer Jobs accounts for the most Ontario awards by far: about 84,000 awards since 2006 (33% of the programme's awards), with a median of $6,319. Next come IRAP (about 5,500 Ontario awards, 30% of its total) and CanExport SMEs (about 3,700, 34%).
A typical award is smaller than the headline maximum. The median IRAP award is $75,000 and the median CanExport SMEs award is $25,000 against a $50,000 maximum; at the other end, FedDev Ontario's scale-up programme has a median of $1.8 million.
Winners come back. 24% of these Ontario organisations received awards in more than one year from the same programme, and 177 (8%) won from two or more of these programmes.
Where Ontario's grant winners are based
Named winning organisations by community, top 10 of 399 communities. Full counts in the table below.
Ontario organisations named as winners, by community (2,348 organisations, 25 programmes)
Community
Winners
Share
Toronto GTA
525
22%
Ottawa
173
7%
Mississauga GTA
84
4%
Greater Sudbury
50
2%
Waterloo
49
2%
Thunder Bay
48
2%
Hamilton
43
2%
Vaughan GTA
43
2%
London
40
2%
Markham GTA
39
2%
Kitchener
36
2%
Oakville GTA
34
1%
Windsor
30
1%
386 other Ontario communities (fewer than 30 each)
1,154
49%
Which programmes fund the most Ontario businesses
Approximate number of awards to Ontario recipients, from each programme's Ontario share of all disclosed awards.
Federal business programmes by awards to Ontario recipients, with the typical award
Programme
Ontario share
Ontario awards
Median award
Canada Summer JobsESDC Canada Summer Jobs: direct employer wage subsidies (all recipient types: non-profits, for-profits, public sector)
33%
about 84,000since 2006
$6,319middle half $4K to $13K
Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)NRC IRAP firm contributions (excludes Youth Employment, Green Youth, AI Assist, Clean Technology, Contributions to Organizations sub-streams)
30%
about 5,500since 2010
$75,000middle half $50K to $198K
CanExport SMEsCanExport SMEs grants to for-profit businesses for export development (delivered by NRC; older awards by Global Affairs Canada)
34%
about 3,700since 2016
$25,000middle half $20K to $31K
Canada Periodical Fund: Aid to PublishersPCH Canada Periodical Fund: Aid to Publishers stream (covers for-profit periodical publishers; not Special Measures for Journalism, Business Innovation, or Collective Initiatives sub-streams)
Youth Internships in Northern Ontario: FedNorFedNor REGI and Northern Ontario Development Program contributions, which include youth internships (internships are not reported separately)
Ontario only
1,290since 2015
$250,011middle half $93K to $573K
Canada Book Fund: Publishing SupportPCH Canada Book Fund: all streams (Support for Publishers is the primary for-profit publisher stream; Support for Organizations covers industry associations)
25%
about 1,100since 2017
$40,558middle half $19K to $116K
Wine Sector Support ProgramAAFC Wine Sector Support Program contributions to Canadian wine producers (wineries and sole-proprietor wine farms)
CanExport InnovationCanExport Innovation contributions: direct-to-recipient R&D export grants; recipients are for-profit businesses and some non-profits
41%
about 270since 2019
$11,802middle half $6K to $21K
Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI)Regional Tariff Response Initiative contributions from FedDev Ontario, FedNor and CanNor (PrairiesCan and PacifiCan have not yet published awards for this 2025 program)
97%
about 190since 2025
$750,000middle half $539K to $1M
Source and method. Government of Canada Proactive Disclosure of Grants and Contributions. Departments must disclose every award over $25,000; smaller awards appear only where a programme chooses to publish them (Canada Summer Jobs does), so for most programmes small awards are not counted. Community counts cover the 2,348 distinct Ontario businesses and non-profits named as winners of 25 federal programmes open to for-profit businesses (awards from 2014 to 2026), counting each organisation once at the address on its largest award; universities and municipalities are excluded. 4 large programmes (Industrial Research Assistance Program, CanExport SMEs, Enabling Accessibility Fund, Canada Summer Jobs) are left out of the community counts because our winner list for them is a top-recipients sample, not every winner; they appear in the programme table, which uses all disclosed awards. Ontario share, award counts and medians are over every award the programme disclosed, all recipient types; medians are for all provinces unless the programme is Ontario only. Communities with fewer than 30 winners are grouped. Winner data updated July 2026. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Browse every programme's winner numbers in the GrantCompass Winner Database, or open a programme above for its eligibility, amounts and deadlines.
Members also see who the winners are: the named Ontario businesses behind each of these programmes, what they received and when, across the whole Winner Database and alongside every one of the 850+ programmes we track. It is the quickest way to find money you would otherwise miss. See what membership includes
Which Ontario funding agency covers your region?
Ontario has three regional development funders, and where your business is located decides which one you can apply to. Most programmes are not limited to one part of the province; those are in the full list below. The programmes here are the ones limited to one region or city.
Southern Ontario
FedDev Ontario (federal) and the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (provincial)
Who it covers. FedDev Ontario funds businesses in southern Ontario, which it defines as the 37 census divisions south of the Canadian Shield. The provincial Southwestern Ontario Development Fund is narrower: the project must sit in one of 18 southwestern Ontario counties.
What it funds. FedDev’s main business stream is an interest-free contribution you repay in full, for scaling up and productivity projects; it also runs non-repayable tariff-response and regional innovation funding. The southwestern fund offers forgivable loans for established businesses that commit to creating jobs.
Open now and limited to Southern Ontario: 10 programmes
Who it covers. The Eastern Ontario Development Fund requires the project to be located in one of 15 eastern Ontario geographic areas. Rural businesses in eastern and southern Ontario can also borrow through their local Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC).
What it funds. Forgivable loans for established businesses that commit to new jobs; small and rural businesses with under 100 employees may take a direct grant instead. CFDC loans are set by each local office and come with free business counselling.
Open now and limited to Eastern Ontario: 0 programmes
None open today.
Northern Ontario
FedNor (federal) and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, NOHFC (provincial)
Who it covers. FedNor’s flagship programme lists the districts of Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Timiskaming, plus the City of Greater Sudbury. NOHFC counts everything north of, and including, Muskoka, Parry Sound and Nipissing. FedNor’s own programme pages differ on Muskoka, so a Muskoka business should check the specific programme.
What it funds. FedNor funds business growth (usually repayable for profit-generating projects), community development and youth internships. NOHFC’s INVEST North streams fund launching, growing, innovating in or relocating to the north, alongside paid internship and community programmes.
Open now and limited to Northern Ontario: 19 programmes
Who it covers. Only businesses inside that municipality, and often only inside one downtown or community improvement plan (CIP) area within it. Check the programme’s map before you plan a project around it.
What it funds. Mostly property and storefront work: façade and accessibility upgrades, fit-outs of vacant commercial space, and tax-increment or development-charge relief for larger builds.
Open now: 23 programmes in 14 municipalities(of 39 Ontario municipal programmes in our catalogue; the rest are between intake windows or closed)
Programme lists generated from the GrantCompass catalogue on September 30, 2026. Coverage wording is taken from each programme’s own eligibility rules.
Which Ontario funding programmes are open to my business right now?
Every programme in our catalogue that is open to Ontario businesses today, grants first. Filters narrow the list by what the programme records; they cannot tell you whether you qualify.
Every programme open to Ontario businesses as of September 30, 2026, Ontario-specific first.
Picking a sector keeps programmes open to every sector. “Incorporation required” appears where our record says so. A programme without that label may still set rules on legal structure, so check its eligibility page.
Defence Industry Assist (DI Assist)Grant · No published cap · Canada-wide · Technology and digital, Manufacturing and industrial +1Incorporation required
NSERC Alliance Advantage GrantsGrant · $20K–$1M · Canada-wide · Technology and digital, Manufacturing and industrial +3Institutions apply
Innovation Partnership Program (IPP)Grant · Up to 50% of mission costs · Canada-wide · Technology and digital, Health and life sciencesIncorporation required
Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI): Innovation FundGrant · Up to 40% of infrastructure costs (no fixed per-project cap; 2025 average award ~$4.6M) · Canada-wide · Technology and digital, Manufacturing and industrial +3Institutions apply
Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (OCAF)Forgivable loan · Amount on programme page · Ontario · Arts, film, music and media, Tourism and hospitalityIncorporation requiredNon-profits only
Invest Ontario Fund (IOF)Forgivable loan · $500K–$4M · Ontario · Technology and digital, Manufacturing and industrial +1Incorporation required
BDC Forestry Support ProgramLoan · $250,000 to $50 million depending on the stream · Canada-wide · Manufacturing and industrial, Mining, forestry and resources
Telefilm Canada Funding ProgramsSupport programme · Up to $4M · Canada-wide · Technology and digital, Arts, film, music and mediaIncorporation required
Canada Growth FundSupport programme · $25M–$200M+ · Canada-wide · Technology and digital, Manufacturing and industrial +2Incorporation required
Innovation Factory HEALTHI ProgramSupport programme · Up to $15K in services · Canada-wide · Technology and digital, Health and life sciencesIncorporation required
Which Ontario grant deadlines are coming up in the next 90 days?
29 open programmes available to Ontario businesses have a dated deadline between September 30, 2026 and December 29, 2026. Most programmes open to Ontario businesses have no fixed closing date, so this list is the minority that do.
As of September 30, 2026. Dates come from each programme’s published deadline; confirm on the funder’s page before you plan around one. Every Canadian deadline is on the 2026 grant deadline calendar.
How many Ontario business grant programs are open right now?
533 programs list Ontario in scope, and 350 of them are actively accepting applications today. The 533 split into 350 national programs that list every province in scope and 183 that are Ontario-specific; 476 of the 533 are browsable today, which is the count behind the 470+ figure at the top of this page. Another 116 sit between intake windows on a recurring schedule and 7 have an upcoming first intake.
276 of the 350 active programs carry no fixed deadline date, and 233 of those state a rolling or continuous intake; the remaining 43 simply record no closing date, which is not the same as being open year-round. On legal structure: we found no incorporation requirement recorded for 271 of the 350 active programs. That is a statement about our records, not about the programs. A program silent on legal structure has not said a sole proprietor may apply, so check the funder's own eligibility page before assuming. Listing Ontario in scope is likewise not the same as qualifying: a national program can still rule you out on sector, applicant type or company age.
The 533 programs listing Ontario in scope, by status
Status
Programs
What it means
Active
350
Accepting applications today
Between intakes
116
Recurring program, next window not yet open
Upcoming
7
First intake announced, not yet open
Closed, discontinued or paused
60
Kept as history, not applyable
Source: GrantCompass catalogue, free eligibility fields only (provinces, programStatus, deadline date, incorporation gates). Verified 2026-09-02 against the GrantCompass catalogue (886 browsable programs).
What changed in Ontario small business funding in 2026?
Six material changes between April 2025 and September 2026: a larger SR&ED, a narrower CanExport, a closed digital-adoption program, a richer manufacturing credit, a new tariff fund and a renamed training grant.
September 2026: three Ontario intakes you can apply to now (checked September 19, 2026): the Rural Ontario Development Program (Intake 3, up to $10,000, closes October 1), OMIF Live Music (closes October 22) and OMIF Global Market Development (Music) (Intake 2, up to $12,500, closes November 5). Every dated Ontario deadline is in the calendar above.
1. SR&ED got bigger, simpler to plan and able to cover equipment. Budget 2025 doubled the expenditure limit for the enhanced 35% refundable rate from $3 million to $6 million, so an Ontario CCPC claiming SR&ED plus the 8% OITC can now recover up to 43% on a much larger R&D budget. Capital property and equipment are eligible again for tax years beginning after December 15, 2024, reversing the 2014 exclusion. And an elective pre-claim approval process lets a business get CRA's view of technical eligibility before it spends, which helps first-time claimants most. Source: Department of Finance Canada, Budget 2025.
2. CanExport SMEs narrowed and moved away from U.S. markets. For 2026-27 the eligibility floor rose from 1 FTE and $100,000 in revenue to 3 FTEs and $300,000, about 90% of the budget went to non-U.S. markets, and the maximum fell to $50,000. The 2026-27 intake closed August 31, 2026.
3. CDAP was discontinued. The Canada Digital Adoption Program closed in 2025, so the $15,000 Boost Your Business Technology grant and its $100,000 BDC loan are gone. For digitization, look at OCI's Digitalization Competence Centre, whose Retail Modernization Project Grant is one of the $5,000 programs below.
4. The Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit rose to 15%. For eligible investments on or after May 15, 2025 and through December 31, 2029, the rate is 15% (up from 10%), to a maximum credit of $3 million a year on a $20 million expenditure limit. The new Expanded OMMITC gives corporations that are not CCPCs a 15% non-refundable credit on the same terms, bringing them into scope for the first time.
5. The Ontario Together Trade Fund opened. A one-time $50 million envelope, on continuous intake since April 23, 2025, pays grants or conditionally repayable loans up to $5 million to Ontario businesses hurt by U.S. tariffs imposed after January 1, 2025, for reshoring, supply-chain diversification and equipment. Because the envelope is not renewed each year, the fund closes when it is spent. Source: Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
6. The Canada-Ontario Job Grant became the Ontario Job Grant. After a pause for ministerial review from November 2025, the program was redesigned and renamed in May 2026 (guidelines effective May 1, 2026). It again takes applications year-round, currently from employers training 25 or fewer people at a time. Funding is unchanged: up to $10,000 per trainee, or $15,000 for a previously unemployed new hire. Government covers up to two-thirds of training costs, and small employers can pay as little as one-sixth. If you were told during the pause that the program was unavailable, that is no longer true.
The 2026 Decision Rule for Ontario
For Ontario R&D-intensive CCPCs, Budget 2025's SR&ED expansion is the single largest 2026 lever: the doubled limit, eligible equipment and pre-claim approval make SR&ED plus OITC the default starting point for any Ontario CCPC doing technology development. For Ontario manufacturers exposed to U.S. tariffs, the Together Trade Fund and FedDev Ontario's tariff initiative are the new non-repayable options.
What types of funding can Ontario businesses access?
Ontario businesses can access three main funding types: non-repayable grants (Ontario Job Grant, IRAP, CanExport), refundable tax credits (SR&ED, OITC, OIDMTC), and subsidized financing (BDC loans, Futurpreneur). The most valuable approach is stacking a direct grant with one or more tax credits to maximize your total recovery.
Ontario operates within a layered funding system. The federal government runs Canada-wide programs such as IRAP, SR&ED, CanExport and the Strategic Response Fund (a $10 million minimum contribution, so out of reach for most small businesses). The provincial government adds Ontario-specific incentives, especially tax credits that combine with federal programs. Regional agencies and cities add a third layer that depends on your postal code, set out in the region section above.
Non-Repayable Grant
You keep the money
Government covers a percentage of eligible costs with no repayment. The Ontario Job Grant, IRAP, CanExport, and most provincial cost-share programs work this way.
Refundable Tax Credit
Claimed on your tax return
Recover a percentage of eligible expenses as a tax refund. SR&ED (35%), OITC (8%), and OIDMTC (40%) are refundable, so you receive money even if you owe no tax.
Subsidized Financing
Better-than-market loans
Interest-free or low-interest loans from BDC and Futurpreneur. Must be repaid, but on terms significantly better than commercial lending.
Why this matters for Ontario businesses: Understanding the difference between grants, tax credits, and loans prevents the most common mistake: applying for a “grant” that turns out to be repayable financing. It also unlocks stacking: a direct grant (like IRAP) and a tax credit (like SR&ED) are claimed through different mechanisms, so they can be combined on the same project, with the grant reducing the cost base the credit is calculated on.
What can an Ontario business get besides grants: loans, tax credits and the $5,000 programs?
Grants are the most contested slice of Ontario business funding. Here are the repayable and tax-credit routes by name, and an honest answer to the $5,000 question.
Grants are 58% of the programs our catalogue lists as browsable for an Ontario business. The rest are 80 service programs, 61 loans, 29 awards, 19 tax credits and 12 forgivable loans.
Source: GrantCompass catalogue, September 2026
The repayable routes: CSBFP, BDC, Futurpreneur, CFDCs and FedDev Ontario
The Canada Small Business Financing Program is arranged by your own bank rather than by Ottawa: the federal government shares the lender's risk, so a chartered bank or credit union can lend up to $1.15 million, made up of $1 million in term loans plus a $150,000 line of credit, with equipment and leasehold improvements capped at $500,000 inside the term loan. BDC lends $10,000 to $350,000 through an online application, with larger amounts arranged directly, repayable with interest on terms meant to beat a commercial bank rather than to be free. Futurpreneur lends up to $75,000 to entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39 whose business is under two years old and ready to sell, not still in R&D; a mentor is a condition of the loan, not an optional extra.
Two routes depend on where you are. Outside the cities, Community Futures runs through Ontario's Community Futures Development Corporations, each setting its own loan sizes and offering free business counselling alongside the money, aimed at businesses that cannot get conventional bank financing. In southern Ontario, FedDev Ontario's Business Scale-up and Productivity stream makes interest-free repayable contributions of $125,000 to $10 million, covering up to half of a scaling or technology-adoption project for incorporated firms with at least five employees. All five are compared with the grants in the top-20 table.
The tax-credit routes: claimed on your T2, with no intake and no competition
Tax credits are the part of Ontario's funding system where nothing has to be won. There is no intake window and no reviewer: you file, and if the work qualifies you are paid. They are the dependable floor under a plan whose grant applications might all be refused. Five matter to most Ontario businesses; this is where each is set out in full.
SR&ED and the Ontario Innovation Tax Credit (OITC)
Ongoing (claimed annually)
35% refundable federal credit for CCPCs, plus 8% refundable in Ontario
Refundable Tax Credits • Federal (CRA) + Provincial
SR&ED is Canada’s largest single R&D incentive, distributing about $3.2 billion a year. A Canadian-controlled private corporation earns a 35% refundable credit on the first $6 million of qualified R&D spending (other corporations earn 15%, non-refundable). The OITC adds 8% refundable on R&D done in Ontario, on up to $3 million of spending a year (a $240,000 maximum credit), and unlike the enhanced federal rate it is open to any corporation with a permanent establishment in Ontario, not only CCPCs. Together an Ontario CCPC recovers up to about 43% of eligible R&D costs. Two things shrink the base: grant money such as IRAP is deducted from the costs you claim on, and the OITC itself counts as government assistance that reduces the federal pool. Eligible work must involve technological uncertainty and systematic investigation; routine engineering, market research and quality control do not qualify. Keep contemporaneous records (project plans, test results, time sheets) all year, because reconstructed documentation is the usual reason claims are cut. The CRA has adopted a 45-day processing target, effective April 2026, for timely, non-reviewed refundable claims. File Form T661 within 18 months of your year-end; late filing forfeits the credit. (Sources: CRA SR&ED Program [7]; Ontario Ministry of Finance [5])
Combined federal + provincial R&D recovery: up to about 43% for CCPCs
Federal SR&ED: 35%Ontario OITC: 8%
How to Claim
Form T661 with your T2; OITC on Schedule 566, no separate application
Key Change (2026)
$6M enhanced-rate limit; equipment eligible again; pre-claim approval available
Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit (OIDMTC)
Ongoing (claimed annually)
40% of eligible Ontario labour; 35% on fee-for-service work
Refundable Tax Credit • Provincial • Ontario Only
The OIDMTC is one of the most generous digital media incentives in North America. It pays a 40% refundable credit on eligible Ontario labour for corporations developing interactive digital media products in Ontario, or 35% where the work is done fee-for-service for another company; the split is about how the work is contracted, not company size. Eligible products include video games, educational software and interactive apps that genuinely require user interaction, developed mainly for commercial use, by a corporation with a permanent establishment in Ontario. Qualifying marketing and distribution costs also count, capped at the lesser of $100,000 or the eligible labour amount. The product must be certified by Ontario Creates, which takes weeks, so apply at the start of the project rather than at tax time. (Source: Ontario Ministry of Finance [6])
Eligible Products
Video games, educational software, interactive apps that require user interaction
Certification
Ontario Creates certificate, within 18 months of the year-end the product was completed
Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit
Ongoing (claimed annually)
15% of eligible buildings, machinery and equipment, up to $3 million a year
Refundable Tax Credit (CCPCs) • Provincial • Ontario Only
The credit is 15% on eligible investments that become available for use on or after May 15, 2025 (up from 10%), on buildings and machinery used to manufacture or process goods in Ontario, to a $20 million expenditure limit and a $3 million annual credit. It is refundable for Canadian-controlled private corporations; other corporations can claim the Expanded OMMITC at 15%, non-refundable. Expenditures must be incurred on or before December 31, 2029. If the asset is sold, stops being used for manufacturing, or leaves Ontario within five years, part of the credit is repaid. Claim it on your corporate return; there is no separate application.
Investment Limit
$20 million (a $3 million maximum annual credit at 15%)
Eligibility
CCPCs with a permanent establishment in Ontario that manufacture or process there
Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit (OCELC)
Ongoing (claimed annually)
25–30% of wages, up to $3,000 per placement
Refundable Tax Credit • Provincial • Ontario Only
A refundable Ontario tax credit that reimburses 25–30% of the wages you pay a post-secondary co-op student, up to $3,000 per qualifying work placement. Businesses with prior-year payroll under $400,000 get the higher 30% rate. It is one of the most commonly missed credits in the province because it sits with hiring rather than with funding: the placement must run at least 10 consecutive weeks, be developed or approved by an eligible Ontario institution, and involve real productive work that you supervise and formally evaluate. Claim it on Schedule 550 or Form ON479 for the year the placement ends.
Eligibility
Any Ontario business hiring a student in an approved post-secondary co-op program
Best For
Employers already taking co-op students who have never claimed the credit
Is there a $5,000 grant for small business in Ontario?
Not as a universal entitlement. No federal or provincial program pays every Ontario small business $5,000, and a page that says otherwise is describing one program without saying who it leaves out. What exists is a handful of real programs at roughly that size, each with a narrow gate. The PARO BIZGrowth Grant pays up to $5,000 toward new tools or equipment for a women-owned Ontario business trading two years or more, cost-shared 90/10 in Northern Ontario and 50/50 in the south. The Retail Modernization Project Grant puts up to $5,000 of matched, non-repayable funding toward a new point-of-sale, inventory or CRM system for an incorporated Ontario retailer with a real storefront and at least $100,000 in revenue, first come first served while the money lasts. Save on Energy's Small Business Program is worth up to $5,500 to a business with 50 or fewer employees, though it arrives as installed lighting, refrigeration and thermostat upgrades rather than as cash. And if you are hiring a student, the Student Work Placement Program covers up to $5,000 of a placement's wages through an approved delivery partner.
The two programs people usually mean both need a caveat. Starter Company Plus is not a single provincial intake: each Small Business Enterprise Centre runs its own cohorts, so whether it is open depends on your centre (details below). Summer Company pays up to $3,000, is only for students aged 15 to 29, and is between intakes until spring 2027.
What do Ontario's core grant programs require before you apply?
Four grants come up in almost every Ontario funding conversation, and each has a rule that catches first-time applicants: Starter Company Plus has no provincial intake, Summer Company is only for students, IRAP will not fund a sole proprietorship, and CanExport is closed until its next intake. The Ontario Job Grant is covered in what changed in 2026 and the tax credits in the tax-credit section.
Starter Company Plus
Intake varies by centre
Up to $5,000 per recipient
Non-Repayable Grant • Provincial • Ontario Only
Starter Company Plus provides up to $5,000 in non-repayable funding plus business training and mentorship, but it is not one province-wide program. Each Small Business Enterprise Centre runs its own cohorts, sets its own intake windows and makes its own selections, so whether you can apply today depends on where you are. As of September 2026 many centres are between cohorts: Toronto’s intake is closed with no date announced, and Hamilton’s Fall 2026 waitlist closed September 7 (Hamilton pays $1,200 to $5,000 and asks the owner to put in $1,250). Applicants must be 18 or older, an Ontario resident, not in school, and running a business under the centre’s age limit (5 years at most centres, 2 in Hamilton). You complete a training program and a business plan as part of the process, and many recipients value the mentorship more than the money.
Insider Tip
Call your local SBEC and ask to be told when its next cohort opens, rather than watching for a province-wide announcement that will never come. If your own centre is closed for the year, ask whether a neighbouring centre serves your address.
Eligibility
18+, Ontario resident, not in school, business under the centre’s age limit
Best For
First-time entrepreneurs and early-revenue businesses
Summer Company
Between intakes (next: Spring 2027)
Up to $3,000
Non-Repayable Award • Provincial • Ontario Only
Summer Company provides up to $3,000 to students aged 15–29 who start and run a summer business, with mentorship from local business leaders: up to $1,500 at the start and up to $1,500 on completion. The 2026 deadline was May 15, 2026 and all regional intakes have closed; the next round is expected in spring 2027. Like Starter Company Plus, it is delivered through local Small Business Enterprise Centres, so call yours in January or February, before applications formally open.
Eligibility
Students aged 15–29, Ontario resident, returning to school in the fall
Best For
Student entrepreneurs wanting real-world business experience
IRAP: Industrial Research Assistance Program
Open (rolling)
$75,000 to $1 million is typical, in non-repayable contributions
Non-Repayable Grant • Federal • NRC
IRAP is the single most important technology funding program for Ontario SMEs. The National Research Council funds technology innovation projects and assigns an Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA) who stays with the company. There is no online application: you contact a local ITA, who assesses your project’s technical uncertainty, feasibility and market path before recommending it. Applicants must be incorporated for-profit SMEs with 500 or fewer employees; sole proprietorships, partnerships, co-operatives and ULCs are not supported, and you must show you can co-fund the project (NRC publishes no cost-share percentage). Practitioners report that work started before the contribution agreement is signed is not funded. IRAP money is deducted from the costs you later claim under SR&ED. (Source: National Research Council Canada [4])
Insider Tip
Meet your regional ITA before you have a finished project; the advice is useful on its own. Keep time sheets from day one, because IRAP reimburses labour against agreed rates and reconstructed records raise questions.
Eligibility
Incorporated Canadian SME, 500 or fewer employees, genuine R&D project
Best For
Tech companies building or improving a product, process, or service
CanExport SMEs
Between intakes (2026-27 closed August 31)
Up to $50,000 per project (reduced from $99,999 in 2026–27)
Non-Repayable Grant • Federal • Trade Commissioner Service
CanExport SMEs pays up to $50,000 toward developing a new export market: trade shows, market research, legal and IP fees in the target market, business travel, and translated marketing. The 2026-27 intake ran February 4 to August 31, 2026 and has closed; future intakes are posted on the official page. To be ready for the next one you need to be an incorporated SME with 3 to 500 employees and $300,000 to $100 million in revenue, targeting a market where your prior sales are under $100,000 or under 10% of total sales. Costs incurred before approval are not reimbursed, and the project must be something you would not have done without the funding. (Source: Trade Commissioner Service [8])
Not yet announced; retroactive costs are never allowed
How can Ontario businesses stack grants for maximum funding?
Stacking works when each program pays for a different cost, or when a tax credit sits on top of a grant. Two rules limit it: most programs cap total government assistance on a project (75% for IRAP, SR&ED and CanExport in our records, 50% for NOHFC), and grant money reduces the cost base a tax credit is calculated on. Disclose every source of government funding in every application.
Four common Ontario business types, each with a combination of programs that are open to it today and honest amounts. The figures follow each program’s stated rules; the one assumption (the IRAP amount) is marked. They are worked examples, not quotes: your costs, eligibility and the funders’ decisions set the real numbers.
A 6-person metal shop in Mississauga buying a CNC machine
Incorporated CCPC, trading 8 years, southern Ontario. Buying a $300,000 machine and sending two operators on a $7,500 vendor course each.
A 6-person metal shop in Mississauga buying a CNC machine: program, how it is worked out, amount
Ontario Job GrantUp to two-thirds of $15,000 of third-party training
$10,000
CSBFP loanYour bank finances the rest of the machine, within the $500,000 equipment cap
Loan
Non-repayable total
$55,000
Caps and overlaps: the credit and the training grant pay for different costs, so they do not overlap. The credit is repaid in part if the machine leaves Ontario or stops being used for manufacturing within five years, and training must not start before the grant is approved.
Does not fit: FedDev Ontario’s tariff initiative and the Together Trade Fund, unless the shop can document lost sales or higher costs from U.S. tariffs.
A pre-revenue software startup in Waterloo
Incorporated CCPC, three founders, no revenue yet, $200,000 of eligible R&D spending this year, one co-op student.
A pre-revenue software startup in Waterloo: program, how it is worked out, amount
IRAPAssume your advisor agrees to fund $50,000 of project wages (the amount is negotiated)
Caps and overlaps: IRAP money comes off the SR&ED base, and the OITC reduces the federal base too; that is why SR&ED is $48,300 and not $70,000. The credits arrive after you file for the year, so the IRAP contribution is the only cash during the year. Our records cap total government assistance on IRAP and SR&ED projects at 75%; this stack is about 58% of the R&D spend.
Does not fit: Futurpreneur (it needs a product ready to sell, not still in R&D) and CanExport (it needs $300,000 in revenue).
A guided-tour and canoe outfitter in Sudbury
Trading 5 years, 4 year-round staff, Northern Ontario. Adding $150,000 of boats, a dock and a booking system, and hiring a recent graduate as marketing coordinator at $38,000.
A guided-tour and canoe outfitter in Sudbury: program, how it is worked out, amount
NOHFC INVEST North, Grow streamA conditional contribution of up to 20% of the $150,000 expansion; next round October 31, 2026
$30,000
FedNor youth internshipUp to 90% of the graduate’s salary, capped at $35,000 a year, applied for through the local CFDC
$34,200
Canada Summer JobsUp to half of minimum wage for seasonal guides; next intake expected November 2026
Depends on hours
Non-repayable total, before summer wages
$64,200
Caps and overlaps: combined government funding on the expansion cannot pass 50% of its cost ($75,000), so the $30,000 contribution leaves $45,000 of room for other government money on the same boats and dock. Fund each position from one wage program only: the intern is not also claimed through NOHFC’s own internship program.
Does not fit: NOHFC’s Launch stream (only for businesses under six months old) and FedDev Ontario (southern Ontario only).
A women-owned gift shop in Toronto
Incorporated, trading 4 years, 3 staff, $400,000 in sales, one storefront. Replacing its point-of-sale and inventory system and buying $10,000 of display fixtures.
A women-owned gift shop in Toronto: program, how it is worked out, amount
Caps and overlaps: each program pays for a different cost; do not put the same invoice to both the retail grant and PARO. The retail grant is first come, first served while its budget lasts.
Does not fit: CanExport and IRAP, and any program that needs five or more employees, such as the Together Trade Fund.
How do I apply for Ontario business grants?
The application process varies by program type. Direct grants (Ontario Job Grant, IRAP, CanExport) require a formal application and approval. Tax credits (SR&ED, OITC, OIDMTC) are claimed through your corporate tax return. Start with eligibility verification, then build your application package before contacting the program.
Step 1: Identify Your Funding Fit
Start from your situation, not from the biggest number: the sector and situation routes name the first program for each case, and the top-20 table shows who each one excludes. For tax credits, confirm your CCPC status with your accountant.
Step 2: Check Eligibility Thoroughly
Read the full program criteria on the official government page. Key checks: business incorporation status, employee count (<500 for IRAP), CCPC status (required for enhanced SR&ED and Manufacturing ITC rates), revenue thresholds, and whether the program is currently accepting applications. Many Ontario businesses miss eligibility because they assume sole proprietorships qualify for all programs.
Step 3: Build Your Application Package
Assemble: articles of incorporation, 2–3 years of financial statements (projections for startups), project budget with line items, technical description of innovation, and vendor quotes for capital expenditures. For SR&ED, keep R&D documentation from day one; do not reconstruct it at tax time.
Step 4: Submit and Stack
Apply to your primary program first, then layer secondary programs. Disclose all government funding in every application. For tax credits, file with your corporate tax return. For OIDMTC, get Ontario Creates certification before claiming. For IRAP, your ITA will guide you through the submission and milestone-reporting process.
Step 5: Track, Report, and Retain Records
After approval, set up tracking systems before spending. IRAP requires milestone reports and financial claims matching your budget. SR&ED requires contemporaneous documentation throughout the year. Keep all receipts organized by program for 6–7 years, because CRA may audit retroactively. For all programs, submit final reports within 60–90 days of project completion.
Which lesser-known Ontario programs do businesses miss?
Six programs that serve specific business types, and that those businesses often miss.
Ontario AMIC — Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness
Open, closes November 5, 2026
Grants up to $500,000 (rural SMEs) or $1.5 million (projects creating 15+ jobs); interest-free loans up to $5 million
Non-Repayable Grant • Provincial • Ontario Only
Supports Ontario manufacturers adopting advanced technologies to improve productivity and compete globally. The rural SME stream pays grants up to $500,000; the strategic stream pays up to $1.5 million for projects that create at least 15 new Ontario jobs; interest-free loans of up to $5 million are available alongside. The current intake runs June 30 to November 5, 2026.
Insider Tip
If you are a rural SME, the $500,000 stream is the one built for you; the strategic stream expects 15 or more new jobs. Talk to the program contact before applying so your project is framed against current priorities.
Eligibility
Ontario manufacturers with 10+ employees, capital project with measurable ROI
Best Stacked With
Ontario Manufacturing ITC (15%) + SR&ED (if process R&D component)
Ontario HTAF — Health Technology Accelerator Fund
Open (rolling)
$500,000 – $5 million per project
Non-Repayable Grant • Provincial • Ontario Only
A $12 million Ontario Health fund that moves commercially-ready health technologies into the provincial health system through the Health Innovation Pathway. The first cohort, announced in September 2025, funded four projects between $500,000 and $5 million across wound care, AI vision screening, surgical navigation, and abdominal wall supports. Products must be at TRL 8 or above and hold the relevant Health Canada clearance, so this is a fund for adoption and scale, not for early development. Ontario Health accepts proposals year-round.
Insider Tip
Contact Ontario Health’s Innovation Concierge before you submit anything. The fund is about system adoption, so the proposals that advance are the ones that already read like an implementation plan for a named part of the health system rather than a pitch for a product.
Eligibility
Commercially-ready health technology at TRL 8+ with the relevant Health Canada clearance
Best For
Medical devices, digital health platforms, diagnostics seeking Ontario adoption
FedDev Ontario’s RTRI helps Southern Ontario businesses affected by trade tariffs to diversify markets, boost productivity, and strengthen supply chains. Non-repayable contributions of $125K–$1M cover up to 50% of eligible costs. Activities include market diversification, productivity improvements, supply chain resilience, and workforce development. Distinct from FedDev’s BSP stream (which is repayable).
Insider Tip
Explicitly select “Non-repayable RTRI” on the application form — failure to specify can result in being assessed for the repayable stream instead. Demonstrate how tariffs specifically impact your business and how the project will reduce that exposure.
Watch Out
Northern Ontario businesses are served by NOHFC and FedNor, not FedDev Ontario. Confirm your location falls within FedDev’s Southern Ontario mandate before investing application time.
Region
Southern Ontario only (FedDev Ontario mandate area)
Best For
Manufacturers, exporters, and supply-chain businesses impacted by US/international tariffs
OJEP — Ontario Junior Exploration Program
Between intakes (2026-27 closed)
Up to $215,000
Non-Repayable Grant • Provincial • Ontario Only • Mining/Exploration
Supports mineral exploration in Ontario by junior exploration companies. Grants of up to $215,000 per company, or $50,000 per individual prospector, for early exploration (drilling, geophysical surveys, geochemical sampling) on valid Ontario mining tenure. The 2026-27 intake has closed and the next is not yet dated.
Insider Tip
Have your Ontario mining claims registered and your geological work plan ready before the next intake opens, because intakes are short.
Eligibility
Junior mining/exploration companies with Ontario exploration properties
Best For
Grassroots mineral exploration, geophysics, prospecting on Ontario claims
Ontario Creates IP Fund
Open (next intake September 22, 2026)
Development up to $25,000; production up to $400,000
Non-Repayable Grant • Provincial • Film and Television
Ontario’s film and television production fund (formerly the Film Fund), delivered by Ontario Creates. The development stream pays up to $25,000 (50% of Ontario spend); the production stream pays up to $400,000 for drama and $200,000 for documentary, at 10% of Ontario spend, with separate terms for digital series. The next intake date is September 22, 2026.
Eligible Projects
Ontario film and television development and production
Best Stacked With
Ontario film and television tax credits on the same production
OCI Collaborate 2 Commercialize (C2C)
Open (Alliance Advantage, rolling)
$20,000 – $150,000
Non-Repayable Grant • Provincial • Academic-Industry Commercialization
Ontario Centres of Innovation (OCI) funds Ontario companies commercializing intellectual property developed at an Ontario college, university, or research hospital. The project has to be built around the academic partner’s IP, which is narrower than a general research collaboration. C2C covers 50% of eligible project costs and the industry partner must put up the other 50% in cash, not in-kind. Your company must have been operating for at least two years. The two 2026-27 targeted calls (Defence and Dual-Use Technologies; Artificial Intelligence) closed September 15, 2026; the C2C Alliance Advantage stream, co-funded with NSERC, runs on a rolling basis.
Insider Tip
Budget roughly 2–4 months from first contact with OCI to a funding decision, so this is not a fast path to cash. Line up the academic partner and confirm which institution owns the IP before you approach OCI, because that question decides eligibility and it is the one applicants most often get wrong. C2C stacks naturally with SR&ED, since academic-industry R&D generally qualifies.
Partner Requirement
Ontario college, university, or research hospital whose IP the project commercializes; 50% cash co-funding from the company
Best Stacked With
SR&ED + OITC on eligible R&D + IRAP for additional labour support
Before You Apply
The difference between getting funded and getting rejected is knowing what they actually look for
Starter Company Plus$5,000
Approval Odds
★★★★☆
Insider Tip
Emphasize community...
Competition
Moderate
Premium finds the Ontario programs you qualify for and would otherwise miss, tells you which are worth applying to, and drafts your application with you, for every program we track.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best grants for small businesses in Ontario in 2026?
The top Ontario business grants in 2026 include the Ontario Job Grant (up to $10,000 per employee for training; renamed from the Canada-Ontario Job Grant in May 2026 and accepting applications year-round), IRAP (up to $1 million for tech R&D), CanExport SMEs (up to $50,000 for export, between intakes since August 31, 2026), and the Ontario Together Trade Fund (up to $5 million for businesses hit by U.S. tariffs). Ontario-specific tax credits include OITC (8% on R&D), OIDMTC (40% on eligible Ontario labour, 35% on fee-for-service work), and the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit (enhanced to 15% effective May 15, 2025). The best program depends on your business stage, industry, and project type.
How do I apply for Starter Company Plus in Ontario?
Starter Company Plus runs as local cohorts through Ontario’s Small Business Enterprise Centres, and each centre sets its own intake, so whether you can apply today depends on where you are rather than on a province-wide window. As of September 2026 many centres are between cohorts: Toronto’s intake is closed with the next round not yet dated, and Hamilton’s Fall 2026 waitlist closed on September 7, 2026. Contact your local SBEC and ask when its next cohort opens. Applicants must be 18 or older, an Ontario resident, and starting or expanding a business under 5 years old. The program provides up to $5,000 plus mentorship and training, and you complete a business training program and develop a business plan as part of the process.
What is the Ontario Innovation Tax Credit (OITC) and who qualifies?
The OITC is an 8% refundable tax credit on qualifying R&D expenditures incurred in Ontario, up to $3 million annually. Any corporation performing eligible R&D in Ontario can claim it — you don’t need to be a CCPC. It stacks with federal SR&ED: a CCPC earns 35% federal + 8% Ontario = 43% combined. Budget 2025 doubled the SR&ED enhanced-rate cap from $3M to $6M; the OITC retains its own $3M expenditure limit. Claim it through your corporate tax return using Schedule 508.
Can Ontario businesses combine multiple grants on the same project?
Yes, stacking is common and encouraged. Direct grants (IRAP, CanExport) and tax credits (SR&ED, OITC, OIDMTC) use different mechanisms and can typically be combined without conflict. Total government assistance generally cannot exceed 75% of eligible project costs for direct grants, but tax credits may push the total recovery higher. Always disclose other funding sources in each application. A common Ontario stack: IRAP + SR&ED + OITC can recover 50–60%+ of eligible R&D project costs.
What is the difference between IRAP and SR&ED for Ontario tech companies?
IRAP provides upfront non-repayable funding (up to $1M) for technology innovation projects, plus advisory support from an Industrial Technology Advisor. SR&ED is a retroactive tax credit (35% for CCPCs) claimed after R&D expenses are incurred. IRAP gives you money before you spend it; SR&ED reimburses you after. Most Ontario tech companies should pursue both simultaneously, as they can be combined on the same project.
Are there grants specifically for Toronto businesses?
Toronto businesses can access all federal and provincial programs, plus municipal programs such as BIA improvement grants and Starter Company Plus cohorts run through the city's Enterprise Toronto centres. The Digital Main Street grant ended in March 2024 and is no longer available. The Toronto Business Development Centre and MaRS Discovery District also connect businesses with IRAP advisors, accelerators, and funding. However, most Toronto businesses will find their best funding through federal programs (IRAP, SR&ED, CanExport) and provincial tax credits rather than Toronto-only municipal programs.
How much total business funding is available in Ontario?
No government publishes a single total. Two reference points: SR&ED distributes about $3.2 billion a year nationally, and Ontario accounts for roughly 42% of Canada’s business R&D spending, so an estimated $1.34 billion of it; IRAP’s national budget is about $411 million a year. Ontario’s 440,000+ employer businesses are the largest provincial pool of applicants, so the amount that matters is what your own business qualifies for.
What grants are available for Ontario startups with no revenue?
Pre-revenue Ontario startups have several options: Futurpreneur ($75,000 financing for ages 18–39), IRAP (no minimum revenue requirement), Starter Company Plus ($5,000 non-repayable, when your local Small Business Enterprise Centre has a cohort intake open), Summer Company ($3,000 for students, next intake Spring 2027), and Ontario’s Regional Innovation Centres. SR&ED can be claimed from your first year of eligible R&D, and unused credits carry forward for up to 20 years. Many of Ontario’s top tech companies started with IRAP funding before generating revenue.
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