470+ Ontario Small Business Grants & Funding (2026)

Starter Company Plus provides up to $5,000 in non-repayable funding plus business training and mentorship. The important thing to understand before you plan around it: this is not one province-wide program you apply to. 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 entirely on where you are. As of August 2026 several centres are between cohorts. Toronto’s intake is closed and has not announced a date for the next round; Hamilton is accepting Fall 2026 waitlist applications until September 7, 2026. Eligible applicants must be 18 or older, an Ontario resident, and starting or expanding a business that has been operating for fewer than 5 years. You’ll complete a business training program and develop a business plan as part of the process (in practice, the training is useful even if you don’t receive the grant, since it covers financial projections, marketing plans, and competitive analysis). While $5,000 may seem small, it’s genuinely non-repayable and comes with mentorship that many recipients value more than the money itself.

The OITC provides an 8% refundable tax credit on qualifying scientific research and experimental development expenditures incurred in Ontario, up to a maximum of $3 million in eligible expenditures per year. Unlike the enhanced federal SR&ED credit (limited to CCPCs), any corporation performing R&D in Ontario can claim the OITC. The credit is fully refundable — you receive cash back even if you owe no corporate tax. The OITC’s real power is in stacking: combined with the federal SR&ED credit, an Ontario CCPC can recover 43% of R&D costs (35% federal + 8% provincial) on the first $3 million. You claim the OITC through your corporate tax return using Schedule 508 — there is no separate application process. (Source: Ontario Ministry of Finance [5])

The OIDMTC is one of the most generous digital media incentives in North America, providing a 40% refundable tax credit on eligible Ontario labour expenditures for corporations developing interactive digital media products in Ontario, or 35% where the work is done on a fee-for-service basis for another company. The split is about how the work is contracted, not about the size of the corporation. Eligible products include video games, educational software, interactive apps, and digital content requiring user interaction. The product must be developed primarily for commercial exploitation, and the corporation must carry on business through a permanent establishment in Ontario. Eligible costs include Ontario labour expenditures and qualifying marketing and distribution expenses (capped at the lesser of $100,000 or the eligible labour amount). A key requirement: the product must be certified by Ontario Creates. This certification process typically takes 4–8 weeks and should be started early in your development cycle. (Source: Ontario Ministry of Finance [6])

Ontario’s Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit was enhanced to 15% effective May 15, 2025 (up from 10%) on eligible investments in buildings, machinery, and equipment used in manufacturing or processing in Ontario. The credit is available to Canadian-controlled private corporations (CCPCs) and applies to investments of up to $20 million, yielding a maximum annual credit of $3 million (up from $2M). Eligible expenditures include: the cost of constructing or acquiring buildings for manufacturing, and the cost of acquiring machinery or equipment for manufacturing or processing. The credit is phased out for CCPCs with taxable capital between $50 million and $100 million. Claim it through your corporate tax return — no separate application required.

Summer Company provides up to $3,000 to students aged 15–29 who want to start and run a summer business. The program includes mentorship from local business leaders and hands-on entrepreneurial experience. Students receive up to $1,500 at the start and up to $1,500 upon completing the program. It runs on an annual cycle: the 2026 deadline was May 15, 2026 and all regional intakes have now closed, with the next round expected in Spring 2027. Like Starter Company Plus, it is delivered through local Small Business Enterprise Centres.

IRAP (Industrial Research Assistance Program) is the single most important technology funding program for Ontario SMEs. Administered by the National Research Council, IRAP provides up to $1 million in non-repayable contributions for technology innovation projects, plus access to an Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA) who provides ongoing strategic guidance. Ontario has the highest concentration of IRAP-funded companies in Canada, anchored by the Toronto–Waterloo corridor. To apply, contact your local ITA — there is no online application portal. The ITA will assess your project’s innovation potential, technical feasibility, and commercial viability before recommending it for funding. Approval typically takes 3–6 months (in practice, most approvals fall in the $150,000–$500,000 range, with $1 million reserved for larger multi-year projects). IRAP funding is not taxable income. (Source: National Research Council Canada [4])

SR&ED is Canada’s largest single R&D incentive program, distributing approximately $3.2 billion annually. CCPCs (Canadian-controlled private corporations) earn a 35% refundable investment tax credit on the first $6 million of qualified R&D expenditures. Other corporations earn 15% non-refundable. Eligible activities must involve systematic investigation through experiment or analysis — routine engineering, market research, and quality control do not qualify. Ontario companies that claim SR&ED should also claim the OITC (8% provincial credit) for a combined 43% recovery. Critical: maintain contemporaneous documentation (lab notebooks, project plans, meeting minutes, test results) throughout the year. The CRA audits approximately 20% of SR&ED claims; retroactive documentation is a major red flag. The CRA has also adopted a 45-day processing target, effective April 2026, that applies to timely, non-reviewed refundable claims, so filing on time and filing clean is now worth real cash-flow timing. (Source: CRA SR&ED Program [7])

CanExport SMEs provides up to $50,000 in non-repayable funding for export market development activities. Eligible costs include trade show participation, market research, legal and IP fees in the target market, travel for business development, and marketing materials in the target market language. The maximum was reduced from $99,999 to $50,000 for the 2026–27 fiscal year. Ontario’s diverse manufacturing and technology sectors make it the province with the highest number of CanExport applicants. Assessment takes approximately 60 days. A key requirement: your project must demonstrate “incrementality” — activities you would not have undertaken without CanExport funding. (Source: Trade Commissioner Service [8])

Futurpreneur provides up to $75,000 in startup financing for entrepreneurs aged 18–39, comprising up to $25,000 from Futurpreneur and up to $50,000 from BDC. This is a loan, not a grant, but it comes with 2 years of hand-matched mentorship from experienced business leaders, and the terms are significantly more favourable than commercial lending. No collateral is required for the Futurpreneur portion. Ontario-based applicants access one of the strongest mentor networks in the country, particularly in the GTA and Ottawa regions.

Step 1: Identify Your Funding Fit

Determine your business stage and project type first. Pre-revenue startups: contact your local SBEC to ask when its next Starter Company Plus cohort opens. Employers training staff: apply to the Ontario Job Grant, which takes applications year-round. Tech companies: reach out to your regional IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor. Exporters: apply to CanExport through the Trade Commissioner Service. 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, begin maintaining contemporaneous R&D documentation from day one — don’t 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 — CRA may audit retroactively. For all programs, submit final reports within 60–90 days of project completion.

Supports Ontario manufacturers undertaking capital projects that improve productivity, competitiveness, or environmental performance. A rural SME stream caps at $500,000 and is less competitive than the strategic stream. Eligible costs include capital equipment, engineering, and some training.

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.

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).

Supports mineral exploration in Ontario by junior exploration companies. Covers up to 50% of eligible exploration costs on Ontario properties. Targeted at grassroots exploration at the early prospecting and geophysical survey stage. Annual budget of approximately $10 million is distributed first-come first-served.

Supports Ontario’s creative industries — book publishing, magazine publishing, film, music, interactive digital media — in developing and commercializing intellectual property. Projects must demonstrate Ontario-owned IP with potential for commercial exploitation. Delivered by Ontario Creates (formerly OMDC).

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. Two 2026-27 targeted calls are open and both close September 15, 2026: Defence and Dual-Use Technologies, and Artificial Intelligence. The C2C Alliance Advantage stream, co-funded with NSERC, runs on a rolling basis.

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 per year. Businesses with prior-year payroll under $400,000 get the higher 30% rate. It is refundable, so you receive cash back even if you owe no Ontario tax. This 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.