Funding programs

Wage subsidies for employers who hire youth aged 15 to 30 for summer jobs. Not-for-profits can get up to 100% of the provincial or territorial minimum wage; public employers and private businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees can get up to 50%. Applications for summer 2027 are open until December 3, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific.

$14,000 – $100,000

AAFC funding for small and medium-sized agriculture and agri-food businesses to diversify their markets: AAFC pays up to 70% of a project costing at least $20,000, normally under $100,000. Applications are open from February 13, 2026 until September 30, 2030.

Up to $250,000

Non-repayable equity contributions for Indigenous small and medium-sized businesses: up to $99,999 for individual entrepreneurs and up to $250,000 for community-owned businesses, through Indigenous Financial Institutions and Métis Capital Corporations. There is no deadline.

Up to $2,000,000

AAFC funding for agriculture and agri-food industry associations and businesses to grow and diversify markets: up to $2 million a year and $10 million over five years, normally covering up to 50% of costs (70% in some cases). The intake is listed as open; contact the program before you apply. The program ends March 31, 2028.

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 $5,000

Wage subsidies of up to $5,000 per work placement for employers anywhere in Canada who hire post-secondary students. Employers apply year-round through one of 18 delivery partners (such as Technation, ECO Canada, BioTalent Canada and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce); some partners may be at capacity.

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.

Up to $350,000

A BDC loan of up to $350,000 for profitable Canadian businesses. Up to $100,000 needs at least $100K in revenue and 24 months in business, with approval in under 10 days and no application or prepayment fees; $100K to $350K needs at least $250K in revenue. The rate is BDC's floating base rate plus a variance. Apply online any time.

$10,000 – $250,000

Loans of $10,000 to $250,000 for Black business owners and entrepreneurs across Canada, through the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund (run by the Federation of African Canadian Economics with BDC). The program also funds Black-led not-for-profits that support entrepreneurs.

$10,000 – $50,000

Grants of $10,000 to $50,000 (half of a $20,000 to $100,000 project) to help Canadian businesses with 3 to 500 employees and $300,000 to $100 million in revenue enter new export markets. The program is closed: all 2026-27 applications have been processed, and no date for the next intake is posted.

Up to $75,000

Start-up loans of up to $75,000 for Canadian citizens and permanent residents aged 18 to 39 starting or buying a business: up to $25,000 from Futurpreneur and up to $50,000 from BDC, each over five years, with up to two years of one-on-one mentoring. Applications are taken any time.

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.

Business strategy internships with a post-secondary student: a $10,000 award per 4- or 6-month internship, of which the partner organization pays $5,000 (or a $15,000 model with at least $7,500 from the partner). Businesses, not-for-profits, hospitals and municipalities can apply at any time through the Mitacs portal.

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.