Starting a new business in Canada can be a daunting task. While the startup community is robust in some of Canada’s larger cities, the infrastructure needed to support a new or growing business can sometimes seem a little bit scant.
At Liftoff Capital, we want new startups to succeed. To help, we’ve compiled a list of five Canadian Startup Grants, that every Canadian entrepreneur should be aware of.
Make sure your startup isn’t leaving money on the table.
Top 5 Canadian Startup Grants
The Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP): IRAP provides funding of up to $500k for Canadian startups with a focus on the commercialization of technology products, processes and services. This grant applies to both novel technology and improvements in existing models. Qualifying requires one full-time employee. This grant is intended to be issued prior to your business incurring expenses.
The Canada Job Grant (CJG): this grant offers up to $10k towards the development of your workforce. It is available everywhere in Canada other than Quebec.
Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF): The SIF is designed to help established businesses and startups improve their processes and accelerate technological innovation. The provided assistance is results-oriented. Various streams of this program are specifically designed for accelerating the of new technology, expanding a business throughout Canada, attracting international investment to Canada, advancing technology and industry through private sector partnerships, or the development of technology designed to support the Canadian ecosystem.
SD Tech Seed Fund: This fund is focused on the environmental impacts of businesses. Early stage clean-tech projects may qualify for one-time grants of $50-$100k.
CanExport Grant: If you are expanding your exports into a new market in which you have no previous sales, the CanExport Grant can cover a significant portion of your upfront marketing and exporting costs. This can include the cost of your research and analysis, your product certification costs , packaging costs and development costs including attendance at trade-shows.
Liftoff Capital is an online startup community that gives your business exposure to potential investors, and offers expertise from a worldwide network of entrepreneurs.
