Small business grants in Ontario: what's actually real

Ontario, via local Small Business Enterprise Centres

Grant of up to $5,000, non-repayable; you contribute at least 25% of that yourself

18 or older, Ontario resident, Canadian citizen or permanent resident, not attending school full time. Starting a business or expanding one under five years old. Includes training and mentoring and usually a pitch to a local panel. Intake timing and the number of grants vary by centre.

Ontario, via local Small Business Enterprise Centres

Up to $3,000 ($1,500 to start, $1,500 on completing the program), non-repayable

Ages 15 to 29, a student returning to school in the fall, Canadian citizen or permanent resident, Ontario resident. Run a business over the summer with training and a local mentor. One application cycle a year, usually opening in the spring.

Federal (Indigenous Services Canada), delivered by Aboriginal Financial Institutions

Non-repayable contributions of up to $99,999 for individual Indigenous entrepreneurs (more for community-owned businesses), usually paired with a loan from the same institution

First Nations, Inuit and Métis entrepreneurs and Indigenous-owned businesses in Canada. Apply through the Aboriginal Financial Institution serving your area, not through a general portal. Confirm current limits with that institution.

Federal, Employment and Social Development Canada

Reimburses part of the wages of a young worker you hire for the summer: up to 50% of the provincial minimum wage for private businesses, 100% for not-for-profits

Employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees, hiring youth aged 15 to 30 for six to sixteen weeks. Applications open once a year, typically late autumn to January, for jobs starting in the spring. Money is paid after the fact as reimbursement.

Federal, National Research Council Canada

Non-repayable contribution covering a large share of eligible technical salaries, commonly $50,000 to $500,000 for small projects and far more for large ones

Incorporated, for-profit companies with 500 or fewer employees developing or commercialising new technology. R&D funding, not general operating money; sole proprietorships and non-profits do not qualify. Starts with a conversation with an Industrial Technology Advisor.

Launch League (that is us; treat this entry as our own pitch)

Prize money across eight award categories, from $1,000 to $2,500 per award, non-repayable, no equity

Anyone in Ontario from age 13, free to enter. A written plan and three short pitch videos, scored on a published 100-point rubric; every entrant receives the judges' written feedback. Entries for the 2027 season close March 31, 2027.

Federal, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, through banks and credit unions

Government guarantee on loans of up to $1.15 million ($1 million term loan plus $150,000 line of credit) for equipment, leaseholds, property and working capital

Canadian for-profit small businesses and startups with $10 million or less in gross annual revenue. You apply at your bank, not to the government; the guarantee is what makes the bank say yes to a new business.

National non-profit, delivered with BDC

Equity-free loan of up to $75,000 (up to $25,000 in the Side Hustle and Newcomer streams), plus two years of matched mentoring

Ages 18 to 39, Canadian citizen or permanent resident, business at the pre-launch or startup stage. Dedicated streams for Black, Indigenous and newcomer founders. You need a plan and a cash-flow forecast; Futurpreneur publishes the templates.

Federal (FedDev Ontario and FedNor), delivered by more than 60 local non-profit corporations across rural Ontario

Loans commonly up to $150,000, with terms and rates set locally; some offer smaller micro-loans and youth streams

Businesses in rural and small-town Ontario outside the major cities, including startups that a bank will not finance yet. Free business counselling comes with the relationship. Find the corporation covering your area on the Community Futures Ontario map.

Federal Crown corporation, Business Development Bank of Canada

Up to $350,000, five- to eight-year terms, interest-bearing, applied for online

Business registered in Canada, generating revenue for at least 24 months, currently profitable, with a good credit history. Not a day-one option; a second-year option.

Federal (ISED), delivered through partner organisations

Loans of up to $50,000

Women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses, with a focus on startups, sole proprietors and under-represented groups. Each delivery partner has its own application; the ISED page lists them.

Federal (ISED), delivered by the Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE) with BDC

Loans from $25,000 to $250,000, repayment terms up to seven years; a micro-loan stream exists for smaller amounts

Black business owners and entrepreneurs in Canada, majority-owned businesses at startup or growth stage.

Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

Interest-free, repayable contribution of up to $10 million per project covering a portion of eligible costs

Incorporated southern Ontario businesses with at least five full-time employees and existing revenue. Built for scaling an established company, not for funding a startup.