Non-repayable funding for not-for-profits (incorporated, operating at least three years) that run business support services for women entrepreneurs. Projects of $250,000 to $6 million, from a total of up to $80 million. Proposals are due November 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm PST; late ones aren't considered.
Funding programs
Grants, loans, rebates and wage subsidies open to Canadian businesses, non-profits and people.
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.
Canadian Heritage funding for renovating arts and heritage spaces and buying specialized equipment, for not-for-profit arts and heritage organizations active for over two years, provincial and municipal governments and Indigenous governing bodies. New construction and planning studies are no longer accepted. Applications are taken on an ongoing basis for expenses between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2028, while funds last.
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.
$20,000 – $500,000
Up to $500,000 a year (up to 50% of costs, or 75% for defence and security projects) for national industry associations to run trade missions, market research and export strategies for their member businesses. The 2026-27 round is closed; the 2027-28 round is scheduled to start in fall 2026.
Up to $500,000
Non-repayable grants of up to $500,000 (up to 60% of costs) for Canadian communities and community organizations working to attract foreign direct investment. Not open now: the next call is expected in January 2027, with information sessions in December 2026.
$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.
Free home energy retrofits, such as insulation and heat pumps, for low-to-median-income homeowners and tenants, delivered through programs in participating provinces. In B.C., you apply through BC Hydro or FortisBC depending on your electricity provider. The federal government doesn't take applications directly.
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.