We’re happy to inform you that CanExport Grant Funding Program is opening its intake on February 29, 2024.

CanExport Marketing Grant provides government funding to small and medium-sized Canadian businesses for exporting their business marketing (digital including) and reimburses 50% of selected export marketing cost to a maximum of $50K.

Eligible Costs

• Applying for certification in international markets
• Search Engine Optimization
• Digital and online advertising to foreign audiences
• Business travel (airfare & ground transportation; per diem up to $400; visa fee)
• Participation at trade fairs, trade shows, conferences, trade missions, including virtual trade shows and conferences
  • Booth cost
  • Trade show space/floor rental, design and construction services, etc.
  • Registration fees, trade show registration, seminar fees, including room fees, audio-visual equipment rental, etc.
  • Shipping and handling costs related to the participation
  • Translation & interpretation costs
• Market research;
• Adaptation of marketing tools for a new market; and
• Legal fees associated with a distribution/representation agreement.

Eligible requirements

• Be a for-profit company;
• Be an incorporated legal entity or a limited liability partnership (LLP);
• Have a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business identifier number;
• Have less than 500 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees;
• Must target up to 5 export markets where the applicant hasn’t exported or hasn’t substantially exported within the last 24 months.
• All sectors except agriculture, food and beverages qualify for CanExport grant. Other industries qualify for AgriMarketing or Canadian Agricultural Partnership programs.

We would like to inform you that the Canada Digital Adoption Program will be closing its intake soon. Over the last year, demand for the Program has been unprecedented. The Canada Digital Adoption Program has received over 21,000 claims since it began and another 10,000 businesses are currently working with their advisors.

Due to this incredible demand and success, CDAP’s Boost Your Business Technology grant is almost fully subscribed, and intake for new applications will be closing in the coming days.

For CDAP applicants:

• All clients who have an existing valid grant agreement, or who apply before the application intake closes, will continue to be eligible for reimbursement once they submit their claim.
• BDC will continue to offer its 0% interest loan to eligible businesses beyond Boost Your Business Technology’s closing date.
• Applicants can continue to get implementation support through the youth wage subsidy component.

The case of the Canada Digital Adoption Program closing its intake earlier this year clearly demonstrates why it’s so crucial not to wait and apply for the grant opportunities right now while they are still available.

We’re thrilled to share an exciting update from one of our clients, a steel manufacturer in the Toronto area, which secured significant funding – a 2.1M government interest-free loan with a forgivable portion of 500K.

This boost has empowered the company to embark on an ambitious expansion project to revolutionize its operations through advanced automation and robotics.

The funding also enabled the manufacturer to achieve the following results:

• Creation of 36 new full-time positions, contributing to job creation and upskilling within the workforce.
• Targeted aim to reach 5% in export sales, aligning with the company’s vision of market expansion and revenue diversification.
• Projected a 60% increase in output efficiency, demonstrating the company’s dedication to operational excellence and market competitiveness.
• Expected increase in production capacity up to 80% per week, resulting in an additional revenue growth.

So, while more funding programs are opening their intakes this year, you should consider applying for relevant government loans and grants, as they might significantly boost your business growth.

Today, we’d like to inform you about the that Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) and Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF)‘s current intake is over. The next intake starts on January 12, 2023 and will continue until February 23, 2023.

So, if you are planning on growing your business in Ontario, it’s high time to start working on your application to be ready to apply when the next intake starts.

About SWODF and EODF

The funds support projects and investments to businesses, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations for economic development in southwestern and eastern Ontario. The programs supports projects that create jobs, encourage innovation, collaboration and cluster development, and attract private sector investment.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be located in Southwestern or Eastern Ontario.
• Employ at least 10 people (or 5 if you are in rural Ontario)
• Commit to creating at least 5 new jobs (or 30% increase for companies with fewer than 15 employees)
• Be able to provide 3 years of operations/financial statements

Amount

Any for-profit business that intends to expand in Southern and Eastern Ontario outside Greater Toronto and Ottawa is eligible to receive 15% of the expansion budget from the government. The contribution may be in the form of a grant or an interest-free loan.

Deadline

Next intake will close on February 23, 2023.

We’d like to remind you about the grants that provide costs for personnel skill training:

• AIME Green Program (by the Yves Landry Foundation). Eligible training for AIME Green must be completed by December 31, 2023.
• Canada-Ontario Job Grant. COJG eligible training must be finished by March 31, 2024.

About AIME Green Program

The program is offering manufacturers in south, central and eastern Ontario up to $100K with 50% shared costs (first-time applicants) to offset the costs of training expenses related to upskilling and retraining their workforce to adopt and adapt green manufacturing principles at the shop floor level. Its eligibility criteria are:

• Must have between 10-1000 employees in Ontario;
• Must be continuously in business for at least three years (3 years) and demonstrate financial stability;
• Must operate a manufacturing facility or facilities in Ontario;
• Manufacture a specific product for sale in Ontario or elsewhere; and,
• Demonstrate adoption/adaption of greening technologies in products or manufacturing processes

Deadline: Eligible training must be completed by December 31, 2023.

About Canada-Ontario Job Grant

Canada-Ontario Job Grant provides the training cost up to a maximum of 83% of the training costs. The program’s eligibility costs include:

• Training (tuition) fees for the skills training that:
  • Is more than 25 hours in length (not applicable for Ontario)
  • Is delivered by an outside training service provider or institution
  • Does not replace or replicate prior training
  • Completed within 52 weeks of the approval date
  • Results in some sort of credential (record of completion, certificate, grade, etc.)
• Books & training supplies/materials
• Examination fees
• Other mandatory training fees, if applicable
• It is up to employer to select the training institution or educational service provider as long as the one provides a certificate or a record of the completion of the training.

Deadline: Eligible training must be completed by March 31, 2024.

Need help with this or other government funding programs but don’t know where to start or how to prepare an application?

CHECK ELIGIBILITY

We’d like to inform you about some recent changes to the Business Scale Up & Productivity Program. Last Thursday, FedDev announced key updates to the Program, effective immediately:

• FedDev has moved from continuous intakes to three intakes a year. The deadline for the current intake is November 7, 2023.
• The Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative is now officially closed.
• The Program provides 50% of eligible project costs, up from 35%.

About the Program:

The FedDev Ontario Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) program provides governmental support for businesses in southern Ontario to drive their scale-up and productivity.

It offers no-interest, repayable contributions.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be located in southern Ontario.
• Canadian or provincially incorporated businesses.
• Indigenous organizations such as Indigenous-owned businesses.
• Co-operatives.
• Minimum of five (5) full-time employees.
• Market/industry demand (e.g., how the project addresses a significant gap in the market; global opportunity to be seized within Canada; and evidence that southern Ontario is uniquely positioned to capture market share).
• Financial capacity to complete the project and repay the contribution in full.
• A viable project plan with achievable outcomes supported by verifiable cost estimates.

Deadline

FedDev moves from continuous intakes to opening several intakes a year. The deadline for the current intake is November 7, 2023 8:59 PM Eastern Time.

Read more about BSP Program eligible activities, costs and application process here.

As a new fall season is here, we’ve decided to remind you about some of the government grants available for your business. So, here are the highlights of some funding programs:

Equipment Purchasing and Expansion

• Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (Deadline: October 5, 2023)
• Eastern Ontario Development Fund (Deadline: October 5, 2023)
• Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
• CME Technology Investment Program (Temporarily On Hold but accepts requests for interest)

Skills Training

• Canada-Ontario Job Grant
• Yves Landry Foundation

Software and Hardware Adoption

• Canada Digital Adoption Program
• Digital Competence Centre Program

Research & Development

• Scientific Research & Experimental Development Tax Credit
• Industrial Research Assistance Program
  

Funding for Agriculture, Food and Beverage Businesses

• Agri-Food Energy Cost Savings Initiative
• Grow Ontario Market Initiative
• Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative

Please note that the CanExport program is still on hold form most businesses until further notice. They opened a very short intake for participants of the government-led trade missions.

We hope you’ll find a relevant funding opportunity among these highlights but you can always explore more grants available here.

We’d like to inform you that Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) and Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF)‘s current intake is open from August 17, 2023, to October 5, 2023.

Funds support projects and investments to businesses, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations for economic development in southwestern and eastern Ontario. The programs supports projects that create jobs, encourage innovation, collaboration and cluster development, and attract private sector investment.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be located in Southwestern or Eastern Ontario.
• For Business Projects:
  • Employ at least 10 people (or 5 if you are in rural Ontario)
  • Commit to creating at least 5 new jobs (or 30% increase for companies with fewer than 15 employees)
  • Be able to provide 3 years of operations/financial statements
  • Be located in, or plan to locate in, a community in eastern Ontario
• For Community Economic Development Projects:
  • Be led by municipalities, economic development organizations (including sector groups) or consortia
  • Focus on economic and business development and job creation in the community or region by investing in infrastructure or implementing strategies to advance regional economic development priorities
  • Lead to measurable outcomes including private sector investment, growth and job creation
  • Have private sector support
  • Be used for activities that are new to the organization

Amount

Any for-profit business that intends to expand in Southern Ontario outside Greater Toronto and Ottawa is eligible to receive 15% of the expansion budget from the government. The contribution may be in the form of a grant or an interest-free loan.

Need help with this or other government funding programs but don’t know where to start or how to prepare an application?

CHECK ELIGIBILITY

We’d like to remind you that Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) program is open for applications.

• In British Columbia. The program will be accepting applications from July 14 until September 22, 2023.
• In Ontario, Quebec, Prairies and Atlantic Canada this program accepts applications year-round.

BSP program provides 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.

Amount

Up to 50% of eligible project costs may be requested from the government. The rest of the total project funding is required from confirmed non-government sources. All non-government sources must be confirmed at the time of application and after project approval.

Eligible Costs

Incremental costs that are essential to the project. For example:

• capital costs (equipment, machinery)
• labour (wages, benefits)
• marketing
• costs related to intellectual property
• technology development and commercial demonstrations
• professional, advisory, technical services

Need help with this or other government funding programs but don’t know where to start or how to prepare an application?

CHECK ELIGIBILITY

We’d like to inform you that eligible costs for the Digitalization Competence Centre (DCC) grant have been updated. Following the recent update, projects focused on helping clients select a suitable system for their business are now eligible DMAP projects.

Consultant-led activities, eligible for the DCC grant, now can include for instance, developing functional requirements, identifying vendors, and where applicable, helping clients prepare an RFP and evaluate vendor bids.

Note about DMAP stream of DCC program:

The Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan (DMAP) program supports Ontario SMEs to better understand their organization’s technology needs, guide their digital transformation decision-making, and optimize their technology investments. Through this program, SMEs work with a Digital Adoption Consultant to generate a Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan tailored specifically to their organization’s digital needs.

Amount

50% (maximum) of total eligible project costs, up to $15K. Once the project is completed you will be eligible to apply for funding up to $150K to implement the selected system.

Need help with this or other government funding programs but don’t know where to start or how to prepare an application?

CHECK ELIGIBILITY