Business Expansion Funding Directory
Business Expansion Grant, Loan, and Funding Programs Mentor Works Can Write for Your Business.
Business expansion grants, loans, and other incentives are available to support businesses across Canada. These programs can help your business start exporting, open a new location, or assist with other strategic growth projects. Explore the programs listed below to learn more about government funding your business could potentially use.
Mentor Works team of Canadian government grant & loan application writers have an average success rate of 86% across all government funding programs and provide our clients with an average of 95% time savings. Speak with a member of our team to find out what programs your business may be eligible for by calling us at 1-888-599-3111 or visiting our Get Funding Help page.
Use the filtering options below to help sort the available Canadian government funding programs.
Top Funding Programs for Business Expansion
CanExport: Receive up to 50% to a max $50,000 in grants to support global expansion projects;
Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) / Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) Up to 15-50% of expenses to a maximum of $500k-$5M in funding for investing in new facilities and equipment to advance regional priorities; and
Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP): Access repayable funding for up to 35% of project costs to a maximum $10M to help southern Ontario businesses grow quickly.
Click the + button to preview a program and click the program name to view all info
Funding Programs | Region | Funding Activity | Description | Learn More | Show on Site? | Tags |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AG Action Manitoba | Manitoba | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | agri, food | |
AgriAssurance: SME Stream | Canada-wide | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | food, manufacturing, agri, | |
Bioenterprise - Sustainable Growth and Adoption Program (SGAP) | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | agriculture, food, agri, tech, sustainability | |
Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) | Canada-wide | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | municipality, non profit, covid | |
Canada Media Fund: Experimental Stream | Canada-wide | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development |
|
Yes | software, cleantech, | |
Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Program | Canada-wide | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | municipality | |
CanExport SMEs | Canada-wide | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | exporting, food, software, manufacturing, auto, northern ontario, cleantech, | |
Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster (COB) Program | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | municipality | |
Commemorate Canada Program | Canada-wide | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | municipality, covid | |
Creative Export Canada (CEC) (Main Program Page) | Canada-wide | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | tech, arts | |
Creative Export Canada – Export Development Stream | Canada-wide | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | tech, arts | |
Creative Export Canada – Export Ready Stream | Canada-wide | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | tech, arts | |
DELIA – NCFDC | Canada-wide | Capital & Tech Adoption Business Expansion Hiring & Training Research & Development |
|
Yes | food, forest, manufacturing, energy, tech, software, agri | |
Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) | Ontario | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption |
|
Yes | forest, manufacturing, energy, tech, software, municipality, non profit, agri | |
Export Support Fund | Alberta | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | exporting, | |
FedDev Ontario | Ontario | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development |
|
Yes | exporting, food, software, manufacturing, auto, cleantech, | |
FedDev Ontario Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | manufacturing, cleantech, energy, software, non profit, agri, tech, forest | |
Forest Biomass Program (FBP) | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | agri, northern ontario, | |
IESO Conservation Fund | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | agri, municipality, non profit, | |
Industry Commercialization Associate Program (ICAP) | Alberta | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | ||
International Technology Partnership Program (ITP) | Alberta | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | ||
Invest Ontario Fund | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | business expansion, cleantech, medical, life sciences | |
Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF) | Ontario | Hiring & Training Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption |
|
Yes | cleantech, non profit, manufacturing | |
Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund – Industrial | New Brunswick | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | cleantech, manufacturing, energy, tech, software, agri | |
Manitoba Export Program Development (EDP) | Manitoba | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | manufacturing, research, media | |
Manitoba Industrial Opportunities Program (MIOP) | Manitoba | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | ||
Market Readiness Program (OCI) | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | ||
Museums Assistance Program (MAP) | Canada-wide | Research & Development Business Expansion Hiring & Training |
|
Yes | municipality | |
NOHFC - INVEST North Program | Ontario | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development |
|
Yes | research, university, manufacturing, media, agri, collaborative, northern ontario, cleantech, | |
NOHFC (Main Program Page) - Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation | Ontario | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption |
|
Yes | northern ontario, non profit, agri, | |
Rural Economic Development Fund (RED) | Ontario | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development |
|
Yes | northern ontario, cleantech, agri, municipality, non profit, | |
Save on Energy | Ontario | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development |
|
Yes | research, university, manufacturing, media, agri, collaborative, northern ontario, cleantech, software, cleantech, municipality, non profit, tech, auto | |
SCAP – AgriMarketing | Canada-wide | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development |
|
Yes | agri, tech, food | |
SCAP – Grow Ontario Market (GOM) Program | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | agri, tech, food | |
SCAP – Growing Future Opportunities Initiative | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | agri, ontario, food | |
SCAP – Maple Production Improvement Initiative | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | ontario, food, agri, | |
SCAP – Market Development and Access (MDAP) | New Brunswick | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | agri, tech, food | |
SCAP – Marketing Development Program | Manitoba | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | agri, tech, food | |
SCAP – Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | agri, tech, food | |
SCAP (Main Program Page) - Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership | Canada-wide | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development Hiring & Training |
|
Yes | agri, tech, food, cleantech, research, northern ontario, manufacturing, | |
Social Enterprises – Investment Readiness Program | Canada-wide | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption |
|
Yes | non profit | |
Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) | Ontario | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption |
|
Yes | forest, manufacturing, energy, tech, software, municipality, non profit, | |
Tourism Development Fund (TDF) | Ontario | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | municipality, non profit, | |
Western Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) Program | Canada-wide | Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development |
|
Yes | forest, manufacturing, energy, tech, software, covid, | |
Women Ecosystem Fund (WEF) | Canada-wide | Business Expansion |
|
Yes | for profit |
Business Expansion Government Funding News
What Can Business Expansion Funding Be Used For?
Scaling your business into a globally-competitive firm takes considerable knowledge and financial resources. Developing a growth strategy that includes Canadian government funding is a great step towards sustainable, achievable expansion, yet many companies finance growth independently or through traditional funding sources. There is considerable opportunity when leveraging government grants and other funding programs, which includes offsetting the costs of:
- Purchase and implementation of capital equipment to support increased exporting;
- Product certifications and industry standards;
- International trade shows and related expenses;
- Outbound and inbound trade missions;
- Translation of marketing materials;
- Market research and competitive analysis; and
- Hiring of employees related to international market development.
Facility Expansion Resources
Expanding the physical size of operations is a significant undertaking. While it’s expected to bring substantial improvements to productivity and overall production, the upfront costs of these types of projects can be staggering. Companies exploring facility expansion projects should consider the benefits of using government funding programs for these types of projects. Through non-repayable contributions (government grants) and repayable contributions (government loans), firms can reduce the immediate and long-term costs of facility expansion projects, enabling a wider project scope and faster completion times. Explore the resources below to understand where facility expansion fits in your growth plans and develop a strategy for success:
- Expanding Manufacturing Production (Slide Deck)
- Scaling Manufacturing Production: Problems and Challenges
- 2018 Canadian Manufacturing Industry Trends and Investment Intentions
- Optimizing Your Factory Layout for Increased Productivity
- Axonify Expands with $1M in Ontario Scale-Up Vouchers Program Funding
- Southwestern Ontario Development Fund Awards Six London Businesses
- Dr. Oetker Expands Production with Canadian Government Grants
- DESCH Canada Ltd. Expands with over $1M in Ontario Business Grants
Exporting & Market Development Resources
Expanding market reach through exploratory projects such as trade shows and missions can grow a business’ client base substantially. Whether exporting to the United States, Europe, or other markets, seeking customers outside of Canada can have profound impacts on your company and make it more resilient to regional price and/or demand fluctuations. Exporting should be viewed as a long-term commitment; fortunately, export grants and other forms of market expansion funding can help your business evaluate export opportunities and confidently grow abroad. Explore the resources below to understand where exporting fits in your growth plans and develop a strategy for success:
- Canadian Guide to Export Expansion (White Paper)
- Accessing Grants for Export Activities (Slide Deck)
- Export Trade Shows for Canadian Businesses in 2019
- Trade Show Marketing Strategy: What to Do Before, During, and After
- International Social Media Sites for Canadian Businesses Going Global
- How to Find and Evaluate Export Trade Shows, Conferences, and Events
- Trade-Related Webinars to Support International Expansion
- 6 Tips for Developing an Export Marketing Plan
- How to Mitigate the Risk of Export Expansion Projects
- Learn How to Export from Ontario to Global Markets
- CanExport vs Export Market Access: Comparing Export Marketing Grants
- How Agri-Businesses Can Service Global Food Preferences
Upcoming Events & Webinars on Funding for Business and Export Expansion
Ready to expand your business’ production, enhance competitiveness, and reach new markets?
Mentor Works hosts a variety of events geared towards this and other key topics that are prime candidates for government funding support, including:
- Reaching new export markets;
- Export marketing activities, translation, and adaptation of marketing collateral;
- Market research;
- Online marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) targeting international markets;
- Travel and accommodations; and
- Scale-up investments
Register for an upcoming Canadian government funding event to learn more about how funding works, how to navigate the government funding process, and support services to help develop a successful application.
Mentor Works hosts frequent webinars and live events to help business owners and executives further learn about their funding potential. Register for a session to continue exploring business and export expansion funding.