7 current programs, 2 open now, ordered by deadline. Always check the funder’s page before you apply.
Includes federal programs open to applicants in Ontario. All of Canada
Up to $500,000
Repayable contributions of up to $500,000 per project (up to 50% of costs) for incorporated small and medium-sized businesses and Indigenous businesses in Northern Ontario that are scaling up, adopting technology or improving productivity. Retail and service businesses and small start-ups are not covered. Applications are assessed as they arrive, but budget is limited.
A federal tax credit for research and development done in Canada. Most Canadian-controlled private corporations earn a refundable 35% credit on up to $6 million of qualified spending a year (for tax years starting after December 15, 2024); other claimants earn 15%. You claim it with your income tax return.
Up to $37,500
Up to $37,500 per project (75% of costs) for Canadian businesses with fewer than 500 employees, academic institutions and research centres to negotiate R&D partnerships with foreign partners. The next intake opens December 1, 2026 at noon Eastern for 24 hours, first come, first served.
Up to $5,000,000
Repayable contributions of up to $5 million per project (normally up to 60% of costs) for agriculture and agri-food businesses commercializing or adopting innovative products and processes. AAFC lists it as closed to applications; the program ends March 31, 2028.
Research internships with graduate students and postdocs, co-funded by Mitacs. A partner organization (business, not-for-profit, hospital or municipality) contributes from $7,500 per 4- or 6-month internship and Mitacs matches it, for a $15,000 research award. Applications are taken on a rolling basis; talk to a Mitacs advisor first.
NRC IRAP funds research and development of new technology products and services at incorporated, for-profit Canadian businesses with up to 500 employees. It starts with advice from an industrial technology advisor; funding comes later, in some cases. There is no deadline: you start with a phone call.
FedNor's main business and innovation program in Northern Ontario, with a stream for growing companies (Business Scale-up and Productivity) and a stream for not-for-profits that build the region's innovation capacity. FedNor says budget is limited because of high demand; talk to a FedNor officer before you apply.