Grants and Funding

Are you an innovative, globally-oriented business seeking to accelerate your growth? Then take a look at the Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) program. BSP can provide no-interest, repayable funding to high-growth firms to:

• scale up and expand;
• demonstrate and commercialize new technologies;
• improve productivity; and,
• enter or grow in international markets.

Small and medium-sized companies may access up to $50,000 in funding to assist with international market development activities. We cover up to 50% of costs for export marketing of your products and services in international markets where you have little or no sales.

Funding is available in the following categories:

• Agriculture
• Arts, culture, and sport
• Business
• Environment
• For Indigenous peoples
• Gender equality
• Health
• International development
• Jobs or apprenticeship training
• Leave from work, caregiving, pensions
• Research
• Student aid
  

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The Innovation Canada digital platform can match you with the best-fitting programs and services from across federal, provincial, and territorial governments—in less than 3 minutes. Get tools and information on:

• Starting your business
• Growing your business
• Financing your Business
• Regional support
• Permits and Licenses
• Managing your business
• Protecting your intellectual property
• Protecting your business
• Selling to government
• Exporting and importing
• Women entrepreneurship and more.

The maximum loan amount for a borrower is $1.15 million.

• Up to a maximum of $1,000,000 for term loans for any one borrower, of which no more than $500,000 can be used for purchasing leasehold improvements or improving leased property and purchasing or improving new or used equipment and of that amount, a maximum of $150,000 could be used for intangible assets and working capital costs.
• Up to a maximum of $150,000 for lines of credit.
  Financial institutions deliver the program and are solely responsible for approving the loan. For more information download their PDF pamphlet or click here to find a lender near you.

The SALT will help you:

• Understand if your work may qualify as SR&ED
• Estimate the amount of the SR&ED investment tax credits (ITCs) that you may be eligible to claim when you file your income tax return for a particular year
• Understand the kinds of information you need to complete a claim before you submit it
• Understand the kinds of records you may need to support your claim
• Begin self-assessment
  

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New funding for clean energy projects. An additional $300 million is available until 2027 for clean energy projects in Indigenous, rural, and remote communities across Canada. To learn more about the types of projects we’re funding, who can apply and how we’re working, visit Clean energy in Indigenous, rural, and remote communities.

Who can apply?
Federal departments leading SPI initiatives determine any application processes which vary depending on the initiative’s objectives. Those eligible to participate in SPI initiatives include:

• Indigenous businesses, organizations, partnerships, and joint ventures
• Indigenous communities and local governments
• academic institutions
• provinces and territories

Deadline
There is no deadline for this program as this is an ongoing process.

Program
The regional development agencies (RDAs) are delivering the RIE program across Canada, in their respective regions. PacifiCan is delivering RIE in British Columbia.

Through RIE, we are making targeted investments in not-for-profit organizations that support businesses in priority sectors to innovate, grow and compete globally. We are also fostering inclusive growth by supporting under-represented groups, mainly women, Indigenous peoples, and young entrepreneurs, to more fully participate in the innovation economy.

By providing funds to advance the development of regional innovation ecosystems, PacifiCan is delivering on the Budget 2018 commitment to grow the British Columbia economy. This will ensure Canada’s prosperity for decades to come.

The RIE program stream builds on the federal government’s Innovation and Skills Plan. This plan helps make Canada a world-leading centre for innovation that creates well-paying jobs and grows the middle class.

Objectives of RIE

• Support and grow strategic clusters to leverage regional strengths and support businesses to commercialize products, technologies, and services, and to scale-up
• Enhance the development and reach of business accelerators and incubators, and other organizations, which support entrepreneurs, start-ups, and companies with high-growth potential
• Support projects led by innovation-oriented organizations to increase and promote business productivity and global competitiveness, and investment and talent attraction
• Enhance the capacity of ecosystems to support underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous peoples, and young entrepreneurs

Who can apply for RIE?
RIE is open to not-for-profit organizations that support businesses, innovators, and entrepreneurs, for start-up, growth, productivity, technology commercialization, technology adoption, export, and investment attraction, including:

Applicants must meet the following mandatory criteria:

• Post-secondary educational institutions
• Business Accelerator and Incubators
• Angel networks
• Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) organizations, including Indigenous-led not-for-profit organizations and Indigenous-owned businesses
  social enterprises
• A group of eligible recipients such as an industry association or consortium
• A municipality and all other municipal-type organizations

All eligible applicants must be legal entities capable of entering into legally binding agreements.

Through this program, PacifiCan enables communities to leverage their capacity and strengths to:

• Respond to economic development opportunities,
• Adjust to changing and challenging economic circumstances (e.g. inter-city bus transportation, wildfires, and floods).

PacifiCan accepts applications for CEDD on an ongoing basis.

Eligible organizations

• not-for-profit organizations, including industry associations, economic development organizations, cultural organizations, and societies
• post-secondary institutions
• co-operatives
• hospitals and regional healthcare centers
• Indigenous-led not-for-profits and organizations, which may include but not limited to First Nations as represented by their Chief and Council, Tribal Councils,
• Indigenous representative organizations, Métis and Inuit organizations and Settlements, as well as First Nation/Métis Settlement wholly-owned businesses where all
• profits accrue solely to the First Nation/Settlement to benefit community members
• municipal governments and organizations created by them
• federal Crown corporations (Treasury Board Secretariat will be consulted prior to any funding decisions for federal Crown corporations.)
• provincial government departments, agencies, and crown corporations
  

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The Strategic Innovation Fund’s (SIF) objective is to spur innovation for a better Canada by providing funding for large projects and national innovation ecosystems. It provides major investments in innovative projects that will help grow Canada’s economy for the well-being of all Canadians.

In the West, Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) and Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) are investing $217 million to help job creators and the organizations that support them to future-proof their businesses, build resiliency and prepare for growth by transitioning to a green economy, fostering an inclusive recovery, enhancing competitiveness and creating jobs in every corner of the country.

Eligible activities

• Activities that support the transition to a green economy
• Activities that foster an inclusive recovery
• Activities that advance Canada’s competitiveness and grow small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through digital adoption
• Activities that strengthen capacity in sectors critical to Canada’s recovery and growth

Eligible applicants

• businesses (Sole proprietors are not eligible.)
• not-for-profit organizations and community economic development partners, including municipalities, post-secondary institutions, provinces and related entities and Indigenous organizations.
  

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Eligible festivals and events
Major, recurring festivals and events with annual revenues exceeding $10 million.

Ineligible festivals and events
Examples of activities that cannot be supported:

• one-time or new events or festivals
• business events such as conferences
• celebrations related to holidays (e.g., Canada Day, New Year’s Day)

Eligible activities

• liquidity needs to ensure continued operations or adapt activities to new, pandemic-related realities and requirements
• enhanced product and experience offering so that they can better position themselves to move into the new economy, in compliance with current health standards as defined by the relevant public authorities

Types of financial assistance

• contributions to not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) are generally non-repayable
• contributions to for-profit organizations are generally repayable