Guide
Finding funding in Alberta: grants, loans and rebates
The CanGrant team · 5 min read · Published Nov 6, 2026
The short answer
In Alberta, funding comes from national programs, PrairiesCan, Alberta Innovates, Emissions Reduction Alberta, provincial ministries, AFSC for farmers and arts and media funds.
Funding in Alberta comes from several layers: national programs open to all of Canada, federal business funding delivered by PrairiesCan, provincial agencies such as Alberta Innovates and Emissions Reduction Alberta, provincial ministries, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) for farmers, and arts and media funds. Start with the Alberta page or run the funding check to see which layer fits you.
This guide goes through each layer for businesses, non-profits and creators. Each program we name has its own page with its current status and, as we confirm them, its amounts and rules, so check the program page before you plan around it.
Who funds businesses and organizations in Alberta?
Picture four levels, each with its own programs. Our post on federal, provincial and city funding layers explains how they fit together.
- Federal, national. Programs open across Canada, such as CanExport SMEs, NRC IRAP, SR&ED tax incentives and Canada Summer Jobs.
- Federal, regional. PrairiesCan is the federal regional development agency for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
- Provincial. Alberta ministries and provincial agencies and Crown corporations.
- Local. Cities, utilities and community foundations.
The funders page lists everyone whose programs appear on CanGrant.
What federal funding is there for Alberta businesses?
PrairiesCan
PrairiesCan delivers federal business and community funding across the Prairies. Its programs on CanGrant include Business Scale-up and Productivity for growing companies, Regional Innovation Ecosystems for organizations that support innovation, and the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities program. Many PrairiesCan programs offer repayable contributions to businesses rather than grants; the program page says which.
National programs
Alberta businesses also use national programs for exporting, innovation and hiring:
- Exporting. CanExport SMEs. Read export funding for your first market.
- Innovation. NRC IRAP and SR&ED. See SR&ED vs IRAP.
- Hiring. Canada Summer Jobs and the Student Work Placement Program. See the guide to wage subsidies and hiring programs.
- Loans. BDC, a federal Crown corporation, lends to businesses across Canada, including through its online small business loan.
The complete guide to small business funding in Canada covers the national picture.
What provincial funding is there for Alberta businesses?
Alberta Innovates
Alberta Innovates is the province’s research and innovation agency. Its programs on CanGrant include the Voucher Program and the Micro Voucher Program, which help small companies pay for outside help to develop and bring a technology to market, and programs that help companies hire skilled people, such as the R&D Associates Program and the Commercialization Associates Program. It also runs the Product Demonstration Program and the International Technology Partnership Program.
Emissions Reduction Alberta
Emissions Reduction Alberta funds projects that cut greenhouse gas emissions, mostly clean technology developed or used in Alberta. See its technology funding and the Strategic Energy Management for Industry program for industrial sites.
Research and development
The Innovation Employment Grant is a provincial program for Alberta companies that spend on research and development. It works alongside the federal SR&ED program; check both program pages for how they fit together and read can you combine grants?.
Indigenous businesses and communities
The Aboriginal Business Investment Fund supports economic development projects owned by Indigenous communities in Alberta, and the Indigenous Employment Training Partnerships program supports training for Indigenous people. Read funding for Indigenous entrepreneurs.
Browse the Alberta pages for innovation, growth, hiring and energy, or the page for Alberta small businesses.
What funding is there for Alberta farmers?
Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) is a provincial Crown corporation that offers farm loans, insurance and income programs. AgriStability, a federal and provincial program, helps protect farms against large drops in income, and is delivered in Alberta by AFSC. See the growth page and the national programs for agriculture.
What funding is there for Alberta arts, film and media?
- The Alberta Foundation for the Arts funds Alberta artists and arts organizations.
- The Alberta Media Fund supports screen production, with grants such as the Alberta Made Production Grant, the Project Script Development Grant and the Post-Production, Visual Effects and Digital Animation Grant.
National programs such as the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund are open to Alberta organizations too. See the arts projects page.
What funding is there for Alberta non-profits?
Alberta non-profits can apply to national programs such as New Horizons for Seniors community-based projects, to provincial arts funding, and to community foundations and city grants. Read the non-profit funding guide for how your status affects what you can apply for, and see the page for Alberta non-profits.
What funding is there in Calgary and Edmonton?
The Calgary and Edmonton pages bring together the provincial and national programs that apply there. City and community foundation grants often have one or two intakes a year, so watch what is closing soon.
How do I apply for funding in Alberta?
The steps are the same as anywhere in Canada:
- Read the applicant guide and the eligibility rules. Our guide on how to read eligibility rules helps.
- Apply before you spend. Most programs won’t cover costs from before approval. Read apply before you spend.
- Build a budget of eligible costs. See the grant project budget guide.
- Write clearly. See how to write a grant application and the grant application checklist.
- Check stacking rules if you combine federal, provincial and local funding.
Be wary of anyone who charges a fee to apply: see how to spot a grant scam. CanGrant is independent and free. We are not the government and we don’t take applications; each program page links to the funder.
Frequently asked questions
What is PrairiesCan?
The federal regional development agency for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It runs federal business and community programs in the Prairies.
What is Alberta Innovates?
Alberta’s provincial research and innovation agency. Its voucher and associates programs help companies develop technology and hire skilled people.
Are there grants for small businesses in Alberta?
Some, such as Alberta Innovates vouchers for technology companies, but much of the help for Alberta businesses comes as loans, tax credits, wage subsidies and repayable contributions. See the page for Alberta small businesses.
Where do I find funding in my Alberta city?
Start with the city pages for Calgary and Edmonton, or the Alberta page for the whole province.
This article explains how funding generally works. Each program sets its own rules, amounts and dates: check the program page and the funder’s site before you apply. A CanGrant editor hasn’t reviewed this article yet.
Programs in this article
Live status, amounts and deadlines, from each funder’s own page.