Comprehensive guide to 12 marketing funding programs in Ontario
Businesses in Ontario can access 12 specialized marketing programs combining federal and provincial funding opportunities.
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: Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
Supports business development and economic growth in Atlantic Canada through various programs and funds.
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: 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: 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: 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: Digital Main Street Ontario
Level: provincial
Amount: $2,500
Provides main street businesses with a $2,500 grant to adopt new technologies and embrace digital marketing.
Organization: Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
Level: federal
Amount: Varies (Repayable Contribution)
Provides interest-free, repayable contributions to help small and medium-sized enterprises in Atlantic Canada grow, improve productivity, and become more competitive.
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.
Ontario businesses looking for marketing grants will quickly discover a crucial distinction: pure domestic marketing grants are rare. The federal and provincial programs that exist almost always require a funding hook — export market development, digital adoption, or sector-specific content creation. Understanding this structure upfront will save you time and direct you to the programs most likely to approve your application.
For Ontario companies looking to enter new international markets, CanExport SME is the single most practical marketing funding program available. Administered by the Trade Commissioner Service, it provides non-repayable contributions covering up to 50% of eligible costs to a maximum of $50,000 per application. Eligible activities are broad and explicitly marketing-focused: international SEO and digital advertising, trade show attendance and booth fees, translation and localization of marketing materials, market research in target countries, and promotional video production for foreign audiences.
Ontario businesses qualify if they are Canadian-incorporated for-profit companies with revenues between $100,000 and $100 million, and are targeting a market where they have no current sales. Applications are processed through the Trade Commissioner Service online portal, with decisions typically within 60 days. Multiple applications per year are permitted, each targeting a different market — making CanExport stackable across a global expansion strategy.
Ontario Creates is the provincial agency supporting Ontario's cultural economy across film and television, music, book and magazine publishing, and interactive digital media. Several of its programs directly fund marketing activities for Ontario-based creative businesses:
Programs require Ontario residency or a registered Ontario office. Application windows vary by program and fiscal year — check the Ontario Creates website for current intake dates.
The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade operates the Ontario Trade Office Network — a global network of offices in key markets including the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. While not a grant program per se, the network provides Ontario businesses with market intelligence, introductions to buyers and partners, and co-sponsorship of provincial trade missions. Ontario trade missions are organized several times per year, particularly to the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and India, and offer subsidized participation for qualifying Ontario businesses.
The ministry's Global Growth program periodically provides targeted co-investment for Ontario exporters expanding to strategic markets — funding amounts and eligibility criteria vary by intake. Businesses should monitor the Ontario Investment and Trade Centre for current offerings.
For brick-and-mortar and main street retailers, the Digital Main Street Digital Transformation Grant provides $2,500 to Ontario small businesses adopting digital tools — including e-commerce platforms, digital advertising accounts, and social media marketing infrastructure. While modest in size, it is broadly accessible, has minimal reporting requirements, and is explicitly designed for businesses with little or no digital marketing presence. Eligibility requires a registered Ontario business with a physical storefront or service area.
Ontario's large agri-food sector has dedicated marketing funding through the federal AgriMarketing Program, administered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It provides contribution funding covering up to 50% of eligible marketing costs to a maximum of $250,000 per year for activities that develop or expand export markets for Canadian agricultural products. Eligible activities include international trade show participation, in-market promotional activities, buyer missions, and development of export-market marketing materials. Ontario agri-food associations and individual producers both qualify.
Creative Export Canada, administered by Canadian Heritage, supports Canadian creative industry companies exporting cultural content internationally. It provides up to $300,000 (or 75% of eligible project costs) for activities including international marketing campaigns, export strategy development, and promotional activities that position Canadian creative content in foreign markets. Ontario's strong creative sector — particularly in film, music, gaming, and publishing — makes this a particularly relevant program for Toronto and Ottawa-based creative businesses.
Beyond the major federal and provincial programs, Ontario businesses can access marketing co-funding through regional economic development organizations. The Toronto Region Board of Trade periodically offers trade programming and export market development support for Toronto-area businesses. Ontario's Regional Development Corporations and municipal economic development offices in cities like Ottawa, Hamilton, London, and Waterloo Region sometimes co-fund marketing activities as part of broader business development support packages. These programs are typically smaller and locally focused, but can complement federal funding with minimal additional paperwork.
It is worth being direct: if your goal is funding a purely Canadian marketing campaign — social media ads, a rebrand, a trade show in Toronto — government grant programs will largely not cover it. The rationale is that domestic marketing benefits individual businesses competitively and is expected to be self-funded. The programs above exist because governments view export market development and digital adoption as creating broader economic benefits (jobs, foreign exchange earnings, economic modernization) that justify public subsidy. If domestic marketing funding is your priority, consider BDC Advisory Services (subsidized consulting that often includes marketing strategy), the Ontario Small Business Enterprise Centre network (free and subsidized advisory services), or CFIB member resources.
Marketing funding in Ontario is not one-size-fits-all. Eligibility depends heavily on your industry, business size, and whether you are targeting export markets. Here is how the major programs break down by business type:
Ontario tech companies — particularly SaaS, cybersecurity, cleantech, and AI firms — have strong access to marketing funding via CanExport SME. Because software is inherently exportable, most Ontario tech companies can structure their international marketing activities (digital advertising targeting US or European audiences, international conference attendance, SEO for foreign markets) as CanExport-eligible activities. The Ontario Creates Interactive Digital Media Fund is additionally available for companies in the gaming, interactive learning, and entertainment software sectors. Ontario tech companies with US market ambitions also benefit from the Trade Commissioner Service's Silicon Valley and New York offices, which actively support Canadian tech market entry. For more sector-specific funding, see technology grants in Ontario.
Ontario's food and beverage sector has the most complete marketing grant ecosystem of any industry in the province. The federal AgriMarketing Program covers up to 50% of international marketing costs to $250,000/year, including trade show attendance, in-market promotional activities, and export-ready packaging and labeling. Ontario agri-food companies can stack this with CanExport SME for digital and research-based export marketing activities. Industry associations (Ontario Craft Brewers, Food and Beverage Ontario, Foodpreneur) sometimes also negotiate group AgriMarketing applications that allow small producers to participate in international trade shows under an umbrella submission — worth investigating before applying individually.
Ontario's creative sector has the most specialized set of marketing-adjacent funding programs. Ontario Creates programs are sector-specific and provide meaningful funding for export market development, international promotion, and trade event attendance. Creative Export Canada (federal, up to $300,000) specifically targets companies bringing Canadian creative content to international markets. The Canada Media Fund has streams for content development and promotion. Toronto-based companies additionally have access to the Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Film, Television and Digital Media Office for local initiatives. Companies operating in this space should map their activities across all three levels of government — municipal, provincial, and federal — as stacking opportunities are genuine and regularly used.
For retail and service businesses without an export focus, the funding landscape is narrower. Digital Main Street's $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant is the most accessible entry point — it specifically targets Ontario main street businesses that have not yet built a significant digital presence. This means businesses that are earlier in digital adoption are more competitive. Beyond Digital Main Street, retailers should explore their local Business Improvement Area (BIA), municipal economic development office, or Ontario SBEC for co-funded marketing advisory programs. While the dollar amounts are smaller, these programs are lower-competition and can be a practical starting point.
Indigenous entrepreneurs in Ontario have access to sector-specific programs including the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF) for businesses in Northern Ontario, and the Indigenous Tourism Fund for tourism-adjacent marketing. Indigenous-owned businesses in any sector also qualify for mainstream programs like CanExport SME and Digital Main Street. The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) periodically offers business development support that includes marketing guidance and small co-investment. Indigenous entrepreneurs in Ontario should additionally engage their regional Indigenous Financial Institution (IFI) — there are 11 in Ontario — for program navigation support.
Use this table to identify which programs match your business type and marketing objective before you invest time in a full application.
| Program | Max Funding | Cost Share | Best For | Export Required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CanExport SME | $50,000/application | 50% | Any Ontario SME targeting new export market | Yes — new market required |
| Creative Export Canada | $300,000/project | Up to 75% | Film, music, books, games companies | Yes — international markets |
| AgriMarketing Program | $250,000/year | 50% | Ontario agri-food exporters and associations | Yes — export market development |
| Digital Main Street Grant | $2,500 | 100% (no cost share) | Ontario main street/retail businesses | No — domestic digital adoption |
| Ontario Creates Export Fund | Varies by program stream | Varies | Ontario creative sector (film, music, IDM) | Yes — international events/markets |
| Canada Media Fund | Varies by stream | Varies | TV, digital media, interactive platforms | Not always — Canadian content focus |
| NADF Business Financing | Up to $249,999 | Varies | Indigenous entrepreneurs in Northern Ontario | No — domestic eligible |
Funding amounts and terms change. Verify current program details directly with the administering agency before applying.
Marketing grant applications are evaluated differently from R&D or capital investment grants. Reviewers are assessing whether your proposed marketing activities will achieve measurable market development outcomes — not just whether the marketing itself is well-designed. Here is what separates funded applications from rejected ones:
For export-focused programs like CanExport SME and Creative Export Canada, the most common reason for rejection is insufficient market validation. Before writing your application, gather concrete evidence for your target market: size of the addressable market, existing competitors, why your product has a viable path to market entry, and any early signals of demand (inbound inquiries from abroad, distributor interest, trade show expressions of interest). Programs fund market development — they expect you to demonstrate that a market exists and that your strategy is realistic, not just aspirational.
Most programs require you to cover a share of costs — typically 50%. A common mistake is building a budget that is too ambitious for your available matching funds. CanExport SME requires you to have or commit to spending at least double the amount you request in grants. Budget your marketing activities at a level where you can genuinely absorb your share of costs, and demonstrate in the application that this spending is already planned (ideally with a board-approved marketing budget or signed vendor quotes).
Ontario businesses applying for CanExport SME can significantly improve their approval odds by engaging a Trade Commissioner before submitting. Trade Commissioners are government advisors assigned to specific international markets — they can validate your market choice, provide referrals to in-market contacts, and sometimes co-sign letters of support for your application. The service is free, and a Trade Commissioner's endorsement signals to reviewers that your export strategy is credible. Contact the Trade Commissioner Service through the TCS Portal or through your nearest Canadian consulate or trade office.
Ontario businesses targeting international creative or agricultural markets have genuine stacking opportunities. For creative companies: CanExport SME + Ontario Creates Export Fund is a well-worn combination for international trade market attendance. For agri-food companies: AgriMarketing + CanExport SME can cover both promotional material development and trade show attendance costs for the same export market push. When stacking, disclose all funding sources in every application and confirm your total government funding percentage stays within each program's stated limit — typically 75% of total eligible costs per activity.
Grant-funded marketing activities require detailed financial reporting with supporting receipts, vendor invoices, and a clear mapping of every expense to the approved budget line. Before starting any funded activity, set up a dedicated project cost centre or folder for receipts. Programs that fund international travel or trade shows are particularly scrutinized — maintain boarding passes, hotel receipts, and booth confirmation documents. Poor documentation is a common reason for clawbacks and disqualification from future applications.
For step-by-step guidance on the full grant application process, see our how to apply for grants guide and grant writing guide.
Yes. CanExport SME is a federal program open to eligible Canadian businesses in all provinces including Ontario. To qualify, your business must be a Canadian for-profit company with annual revenues between $100,000 and $100 million, and your export activities must target a new international market where you currently have no sales. Ontario businesses apply directly through the Trade Commissioner Service portal. Funded activities include international digital marketing, trade show participation, market research, and translation of marketing materials — up to $50,000 per application (50% of eligible costs). Multiple applications per year are permitted provided each targets a different market.
Ontario Creates supports marketing activities for Ontario's creative industries — film and television, book publishing, music, and interactive digital media. Relevant programs include the Interactive Digital Media Fund (covers marketing costs for Ontario-developed games and apps), the Export Fund (supporting Ontario cultural companies attending international trade events and markets), and the Global Music Fund (covering promotional and marketing costs for Ontario music exports internationally). These programs are sector-specific and require Ontario residency or a registered Ontario office. Application windows are typically announced on the Ontario Creates website each fiscal year.
Pure domestic marketing grants are uncommon at the provincial and federal level. Most publicly available marketing funding in Ontario is tied to one of three categories: export market development (CanExport, Creative Export Canada, AgriMarketing), digital adoption for main street retail (Digital Main Street's $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant), or sector-specific content creation (Ontario Creates, Canada Media Fund). If your marketing goal is purely local or national promotion, your best options are BDC Advisory Services (subsidized strategy consulting), the Ontario Small Business Enterprise Centre network (free advisory), or your local Regional Innovation Centre, which sometimes co-funds marketing pilots for technology companies.
Yes. The Digital Main Street Digital Transformation Grant ($2,500) is designed specifically for main street Ontario businesses adopting digital tools — including e-commerce platforms, digital advertising, and social media marketing infrastructure. CanExport SME also covers eligible digital marketing costs such as SEO, paid search campaigns, and website localization when the activity targets a new foreign market. Ontario businesses in tech or creative sectors may access the Ontario Creates Interactive Digital Media Fund, which partially covers digital marketing for qualifying software products and interactive media. For e-commerce specifically, also explore e-commerce business grants in Canada.
CanExport SME is the primary federal vehicle for Ontario businesses attending international trade shows — it covers up to 50% of eligible costs including booth fees, travel, and promotional materials when the show targets a new export market. AgriMarketing covers trade show participation for Ontario agri-food exporters at up to 50% of costs (max $250,000/year per applicant). Ontario Creates Export Fund supports creative industry companies attending international co-production markets and content showcases. The Ontario Trade Office Network, administered through the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, can facilitate and sometimes co-sponsor provincial trade missions to key markets including the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
In many cases, yes — stacking federal and provincial funding for marketing is permitted provided total government contributions do not exceed each program's stacking limit. CanExport SME allows stacking with other government programs as long as total public funding for the same activity stays within 75% of eligible costs. Ontario Creates Export Fund can be combined with CanExport SME for eligible creative companies, significantly increasing total cost coverage for international marketing campaigns and trade missions. Always disclose all applied-for and confirmed funding sources in each application, and confirm stacking maximums directly with each program officer before finalizing your budget. See our CanExport grant guide for stacking strategies and application tips.
For a broader view of all Ontario funding available to your business — beyond marketing — explore our complete Ontario grants directory and use the GrantCompass quiz to match your profile to the highest-relevance programs.
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