CanExport SMEs
2026–27 funding covers up to 50% of eligible export-project costs. The intake closed August 31, 2026 at noon Eastern; the official page has not announced the next intake.
- Geography
- Canada
- Amount
- Up to $50,000
Funding guide
Startup grants and government funding in Ontario
Learn how to assess grants, tax support and government funding programs for a Toronto or Ontario startup.
Choose a program around the work you need to fund
Start with your project, then compare who can apply, what the money covers and when you need cash. These are different funding routes; a tax credit or repayable contribution should not be counted as a grant.
| Program | Best fit | Support and cash timing | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Company Plus | Ontario residents 18+, citizens or permanent residents, not in full-time school | Up to $5,000; local selection and training requirements apply | Business plan, budget and cash or in-kind contribution of at least 25% of the grant |
| NRC IRAP | Incorporated, for-profit Canadian companies with up to 500 employees developing innovative technology | Project-specific support; funding is assessed individually | Technical project, commercialization plan, team capabilities and Canadian economic benefits |
| Ontario Job Grant | Eligible Ontario employers operating for at least one year | Cost sharing for approved third-party training; standard maximum $10,000 per trainee | Provider quote, training outcomes, employee details and employer contribution |
| CanExport SMEs | Canadian SMEs developing new international markets | 2026–27 support: $10,000–$50,000, up to 50% of eligible project costs. Intake closed August 31, 2026 | Export market plan and cash contribution; wait for a confirmed next intake |
| Summer Company | Eligible Ontario students aged 15–29 returning to school | Up to $3,000 in two stages; Toronto next intake January 25–May 21, 2027. Closed until then | Student eligibility, summer business plan and participation commitments |
| Invest Ontario Fund | High-impact Ontario investment projects | Tailored grants or loans; this is not a general idea-stage grant | Investment scope, jobs, sector fit, budget and project impact |
Worked example: an eligible Ontario founder requests a $5,000 Starter Company Plus grant. The minimum contribution is $1,250, so the plan accounts for at least $6,250 in combined grant and founder contribution. The contribution can be cash or in kind under the provincial rules, but the local centre decides which costs and evidence it accepts. Being eligible does not establish that a local intake is open.
Contrast that with an incorporated technology company planning an R&D experiment. For IRAP, explain the technical objective, people, costs and route to market. A founder looking only for general rent or routine website development should not assume that the project fits. For training, compare Ontario Job Grant instead.
For an illustrative $40,000 CanExport project, a 50% contribution would be $20,000 and the company would need $20,000 in cash. This is a planning example for a future intake, not an invitation to apply to the closed 2026 window. Confirm eligible activities before committing spending.
Which intake can you plan around?
Intake information checked October 26, 2026. A published program and an open application are different things. Toronto dates apply to the Toronto delivery centre; another municipality may use a different window.
| Program | Current application position | Who should prepare | Next practical step |
|---|---|---|---|
| CanExport SMEs | Closed August 31, 2026 at noon Eastern. No next intake announced on the official page | Export-ready Canadian SMEs; up to $50,000 under the closed 2026–27 terms | Prepare market choices, eligible activity quotes and cash contribution. Wait for new intake terms before treating the old guide as an open offer |
| Summer Company — Toronto | Next announced window: January 25–May 21, 2027. Currently closed | Eligible students 15–29 returning to school, starting a new summer business | Build the business plan, start-up budget and revenue forecast. Allow for eight weeks for secondary students or twelve for post-secondary students |
| Black Founders Network | The 2026 cycle is closed; no next cohort dates confirmed on the checked main page | Choose Core, Accelerate or Scale according to stage; cohort selection is separate from community access | Use our stream-specific application guidance below; do not assume last cycle's deadlines or awards apply to the next one |
| NOHFC Invest North — Launch | Official application route available; no fixed Launch deadline stated | Eligible new Northern Ontario ventures with full-time owners; sector exclusions apply | Check regional eligibility and excluded costs first. Prepare a financing plan including the required owner contribution |
| Ontario Creates Screen Marketing and Discoverability | Continuous intake closes December 16, 2026, 5 p.m. Eastern | Eligible screen projects with previous Ontario Creates Production investment | Confirm the prior production investment and linear/interactive stream, then prepare the marketing budget in the official portal |
The Ontario Creates offer above combines the former IDM Discoverability and Commercialization and Film Marketing and Distribution initiatives. It does not make every app, game or software company eligible. Keep the original production-funding agreement with your application evidence.
For programs without a published closing date, begin with the official intake conversation and ask about available budget, eligible start dates and the full application process. Do not book costs against an assumed award.
Funding programs (8)
Invest Ontario Fund
Invest Ontario Fund provides tailored grants or loans for eligible high-impact investment projects in Ontario. Verify current fit and intake with the official source before applying.
- Geography
- Ontario
- Amount
- Amount not publicly stated
NOHFC Invest North – Launch
Conditional contribution up to 50% of eligible project costs, maximum $200,000, for eligible new Northern Ontario businesses. Owner works full time and contributes at least 15%. Sector exclusions apply; not a Toronto-location grant. Official application route available, no fixed Launch deadline stated.
- Geography
- Northern Ontario
- Amount
- Up to $200,000
NRC IRAP
Project-specific innovation support for incorporated, for-profit Canadian technology companies with up to 500 employees. Funding is assessed individually.
- Geography
- Canada
- Amount
- Amount not publicly stated
Ontario Creates Screen Marketing and Discoverability
For eligible screen projects with prior Ontario Creates Production investment. Linear content: up to 75%, maximum $25,000; interactive: up to 50%, maximum $50,000. Continuous submissions close December 16, 2026 at 5 p.m. Eastern. This is not a general software grant.
- Geography
- Ontario
- Amount
- Up to $50,000
Ontario Job Grant
Ontario Job Grant helps eligible Ontario employers pay for approved third-party employee training. Verify current fit and intake with the official source before applying.
- Geography
- Ontario
- Amount
- Up to $10,000
Starter Company Plus
Starter Company Plus offers grant support for eligible applicants in Ontario. Verify current fit and intake with the official source before applying.
- Geography
- Ontario
- Amount
- Up to $5,000
Summer Company
Seasonal award and mentoring for eligible Ontario students aged 15–29. Toronto applications are closed now; the City announces January 25–May 21, 2027 for its next intake. Other local providers set their own dates.
- Geography
- Ontario
- Amount
- Up to $3,000
Start with eligibility, not the headline amount
Government programs can have specific requirements for location, company age, ownership, project costs and timing. Confirm each requirement on the official source before investing time in an application.
Separate grants from tax support and financing
A grant, refundable tax credit, loan and repayable contribution create different cash-flow and reporting obligations. The funding database labels the known structure and clearly marks terms that are not public.
Prepare evidence for the proposed work
Keep a clear project plan, budget, milestones and records showing why the work is eligible. Do not incur costs early unless the program explicitly permits it.
Put the funding plan into practice
Understand how NRC IRAP fits technology development
NRC IRAP supports Canadian small and medium-sized businesses developing innovative, technology-driven products and services. Its role includes advice and financial support for innovation. A strong starting point is a specific technical project with a commercial purpose, rather than a request to cover every expense of launching a business.
Describe the technical work, the capability your team brings and how the result will reach customers. The existing IRAP article provides project-planning context; the NRC’s current program information supplies the eligibility and engagement route.
- Define the product or process improvement and the work required.
- Build a project budget linked to people, activities and milestones.
- Explain the customer need and commercialization plan.
Official program or investor information: NRC IRAP financial support
Match each cost to the right kind of support
The Ontario articles cover research, training, commercialization, regional development and sector-focused programs. Use those categories to identify the work you need funded. A research project, employee training plan and equipment purchase are different applications, even when they support the same business goal.
Separate a non-repayable grant from a repayable contribution and a tax credit. Check the program’s cost categories, timing and treatment of other funding before committing money. Your cash plan should account for whether support arrives in advance, after spending or through a tax claim.
- List each project cost and its proposed funding source.
- Ask which costs can begin before approval and which cannot.
- Disclose other funding and identify how the remaining costs will be paid.
Official program or investor information: FedDev Ontario business application guide
Grant and project fit
Find support for work you already need to do
The non-tech funding clip gives a useful starting rule: find support for the project you want to undertake. A program search becomes easier when you can describe the work, location, costs, stage and result, rather than asking for a grant for an entire company.
The government-funding workshop distinguishes grants from tax credits. Identify whether the support pays before or after you spend, what contribution the company must make and how approval affects the timing of the work. A headline amount does not tell you whether you can finance the project.
Use the recorded program tours to discover categories such as hiring, training, export activity and R&D. Their amounts and examples belong to the recording date. Check the provider’s current eligible costs, deadlines and intake before including an amount in your budget.
TorontoStarts · October 2024
Grants and Funding for Non-Tech Startups in Canada
A short discussion about support for non-tech and early-stage businesses. The central advice is to find funding for the project you need to undertake, rather than invent a project around a grant.
Watch on YouTubeTorontoStarts · December 2022
Government Funding for Startups
A workshop comparing grants with tax credits and discussing competitive applications, project costs and employee training. It highlights why timing and cash available to fund the work matter.
Watch on YouTubeRecorded program tour and government-support discussion
TorontoStarts · August 2024
10 Grants in 10 Minutes
A recorded tour of grant and funding programs, followed by questions on eligibility and how to approach funding bodies. Use it to build a shortlist for your planned work; the amounts and thresholds reflect the session.
Watch on YouTubeTorontoStarts · February 2024
Is the Government Doing Enough to Support Startups?
A panel discussion about government support, early-stage funding gaps and the commitments founders can take on after receiving a small grant. It offers perspectives on the support landscape rather than an application guide.
Watch on YouTubeStarter Company Plus
Use the local program route for training and support
The Starter Company video introduces a combination of training, mentoring and a small grant. Ontario’s program page describes grants of up to $5,000 and directs applicants to a local Small Business Enterprise Centre. Local delivery and intake requirements matter.
On 11 October 2026, Toronto’s official program page listed applications as closed. It describes eligibility requirements for the entrepreneur and business, including operating history and an applicant contribution. Check the city page for the next intake instead of using an older recording as an application notice.
TorontoStarts · June 2024
Ontario Starter Company Grants: How to Get Up to $5,000 for Your Startup!
The Startup Coach introduces Starter Company Plus training, mentoring and micro-grants. Use the official provincial and local links on this page for the current application route.
Watch on YouTubeCollaborative projects
Explain the adopter, partners and business impact
The Scale AI workshop examines collaborative AI adoption projects, with a technology adopter, participating organizations and a defined business result. Begin by identifying the operational problem and the organization that will use the solution.
Write down the partners’ work, the costs they will carry and the impact you intend to measure. Review the current Scale AI project criteria and submission route with its team. The recorded supply-chain examples help explain a project, but do not establish approval or the funding share for a new application.
TorontoStarts · February 2024
Unlocking Funding Opportunities: Scale AI Program Explained
A workshop explaining collaborative Scale AI projects, participating partners, an adopter and project impact. The examples focus on AI adoption in value chains and supply chains; confirm current criteria with Scale AI.
Watch on YouTube