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.

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Use the filtering options below to help sort the available Canadian government funding programs.

Business Expansion Funding

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
  • Federal government program that supports the growth and competitiveness of Manitoba agriculture
  • Amount varies depending on the project focus your business chooses, as well as the stream chosen
 Yes agri, food
AgriAssurance: SME Stream Canada-wide Business Expansion
  • Supports businesses to meet certification standards in the agricultural and agri-food sector
  • Up to 50% to a maximum $50,000 in non-repayable government funding
 Yes food, manufacturing, agri,
Business Scale-up and Productivity Program – British Columbia British Columbia Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development
  • Helps businesses with high growth potential to adopt/adapt innovative technologies that support productivity, grow operations, and increase exports to global markets.
  • Access repayable funding for up to 50% of eligible project expenses to a maximum $5 million.
 Yes exporting, food, software, manufacturing, auto, cleantech,
Business Scale-up and Productivity Program (BSP) Ontario Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development
  • Helps to offset upfront project costs and helps southern Ontario businesses grow more quickly
  • Access repayable funding for up to 35% of project costs to a maximum $10M
 Yes exporting, food, software, manufacturing, auto, cleantech,
Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) Canada-wide Business Expansion
  • The Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) is designed to support communities that have been hit hard by the pandemic.
  • CCRF will be delegating up to a maximum of $750,000 - $1 million in government funding to cover up to 75% of total expenses for a project
 Yes municipality, non profit, covid
Canada Media Fund: Experimental Stream Canada-wide Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development
  • Supports developing, producing, and promoting innovative, interactive software development projects including apps and video games
  • Up to $15k-$1.5M per project phase in grants
 Yes software, cleantech,
Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Program Canada-wide Business Expansion
  • offers a process through which the Government of Canada assumes financial risk, responsibility, and provides compensation for damage or losses to objects and appurtenances in eligible travelling exhibitions.
  • Receive up to $700K in Indemnification Coverage.
 Yes municipality
CanExport SMEs Canada-wide Business Expansion
  • Supports global expansion projects including participation in trade shows and government-led trade missions
  • Up to 50% to a max $50,000 in grants
 Yes exporting, food, software, manufacturing, auto, northern ontario, cleantech,
Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster (COB) Program Ontario Business Expansion
  • Supports Ontario municipalities and organizations by relieving some of the financial stress of hosting large events that meet the ministry’s definition of a Blockbuster Event.
  • Covers up to 20% of eligible large festival costs.
 Yes municipality
Commemorate Canada Program Canada-wide Business Expansion
  • Provides support for initiatives that commemorate and/or celebrate historical figures, places, events, and accomplishments of national significance through funding.
  • Receive up to 100% of costs or up to $10K in grants.
 Yes municipality, covid
Creative Export Canada (CEC) Canada-wide Business Expansion
  • Supports commercialization of technology and/or productivity improvements of businesses
  • Access up to 50% of costs to a maximum $500,000 per collaboration
 Yes tech, arts
Creative Export Canada – Export Development Stream Canada-wide Business Expansion
  • Offers funding for new and early-stage exporters to build capacity and expand into international markets.
  • Up to 75% of eligible expenses to a maximum of $90,000 per fiscal year.
 Yes tech, arts
Creative Export Canada – Export Ready Stream Canada-wide Business Expansion
  • Offers funding for projects that generate export revenues and help Canadian Creative Industries reach more people around the world.
  • Access up to 75% of eligible expenses to a maximum of $2.5M in government contribution.
 Yes tech, arts
DELIA – NCFDC Canada-wide Capital & Tech Adoption Business Expansion Hiring & Training Research & Development
  • Is a microloan fund for all Canadian Women entrepreneurs in need of funding support for start up, stabilizations and expansion.
  • Up to $15,000 in low-interest loan support
 Yes food, forest, manufacturing, energy, tech, software, agri
Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) Ontario Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption
  • Supports economic development in investing in infrastructure or implementing strategies to advance regional priorities
  • Up to 15-50% of project expenses to a maximum of $500k-$5M in grant or loan funding depending on stream
 Yes forest, manufacturing, energy, tech, software, municipality, non profit, agri
Export Development Program (EDP) Manitoba Business Expansion
  • Businesses can increase participation in trade missions and trade fairs held outside of the province in order to find export opportunities.
  • Up to 50% of eligible expenses or up to $30,000 in cost-matching funds per year.
 Yes manufacturing, research, media
Export Support Fund Alberta Business Expansion
  • Helps reduce the cost of attending trade shows in new export markets
  • Access up to 50% of costs to a maximum $20,000 per application
 Yes exporting,
Forest Biomass Program (FBP) Ontario Business Expansion
  • Ontario based projects to harvest more wood from Crown forests, increase forest sector job creation and regional economic growth and find new uses for wood
  • Receive up to $250K to $10M in Government Funding
 Yes agri, northern ontario,
IESO Conservation Fund Ontario Business Expansion
  • Support new conservation and demand management programs, practices and technologies to reduce Ontario's electricity consumption
  • Up to a maximum of 75% of eligible costs to a maximum of $500,000
 Yes agri, municipality, non profit,
Industry Commercialization Associate Program (ICAP) Alberta Business Expansion
  • Supports hiring an associate to perform technical commercialization activities
  • Up to $120,000 per eligible applicant
 Yes
International Technology Partnership Program (ITP) Alberta Business Expansion
  • Supports Canadian SMEs in commercializing new product
  • Eligible applicants can receive up to $250,000 per application
 Yes
Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF) Ontario Hiring & Training Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption
  • Supporting economic growth and jobs creation projects.
  • Applicants can receive up to 50-90% of costs for economic growth projects.
 Yes cleantech, non profit, manufacturing
Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund – Industrial New Brunswick Business Expansion
  • Receive incentives to undertake and complete climate change-related projects by implementing energy- and cost-saving technologies.
  • Applicants can receive up to 25% of eligible project costs up to a maximum of $1 million.
 Yes cleantech, manufacturing, energy, tech, software, agri
Manitoba Industrial Opportunities Program (MIOP) Manitoba Business Expansion
  • Supports small and large businesses in Manitoba with low-interest repayable funding contributions to begin operations in Manitoba
  • Loans ranging from $500,000 to $5,000,000 and paid back between 5 - 7 years
 Yes
Market Readiness Program (OCI) Ontario Business Expansion
  • Supporting academic spin-off companies with grants to further their early-stage commercialization and support scalable business growth
  • Max funding from $125,000-250,000 in Ontario provincial funding
 Yes
Museums Assistance Program (MAP) Canada-wide Research & Development Business Expansion Hiring & Training
  • Offers support to workers, collections, skills, and more for museums, heritage institutions, and Indigenous communities.
  • Receive up to 70% of 400K in funding support.
 Yes municipality
NOHFC INVEST North Program Ontario Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development
  • Supporting economic development initiavitves in Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance towards projects that diversify their region
  • Receive up to $5,000,000 per project as either a grant or partially foregivable loan
 Yes research, university, manufacturing, media, agri, collaborative, northern ontario, cleantech,
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) Ontario Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption
  • Supporting economic development initiavitves in Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance towards projects that diversify their region
  • Receive up to $2,000,000 per project as either a grant or partially foregivable loan
 Yes northern ontario, non profit, agri,
Rural Economic Development Fund (RED) Ontario Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development
  • Supports regional economic development activities in rural southern Ontario communities
  • Up to 30-50% of eligible expenses to a maximum of $150,000-$250,000
 Yes northern ontario, cleantech, agri, municipality, non profit,
Save on Energy Ontario Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development
  • Provides businesses within Ontario funding to help transition towards a greener province via energy saving projects.
  • Receive Up to 75% of Costs to a Max of $5M in Funding.
 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
  • Program will support national agricultural sectors to increase and diversify exports.
  • Up to 50% of eligible costs to a max. of $10M over 5 yrs (max. $2M/yr) in non-repayable funding.
 Yes agri, tech, food
SCAP – Grow Ontario Market (GOM) Program Ontario Business Expansion
  • Helps eligible agri-food businesses and industry organizations in Ontario to export their products into local and global markets to boost economic growth and innovation.
  • Up to $125,000 in non-repayable funding.
 Yes agri, tech, food
SCAP – Market Development and Access (MDAP) New Brunswick Business Expansion
  • Supports the food basket industry in leveraging new, existing, and emerging markets, from local farmers’ markets to international ones, to increase sales.
  • Up to 50% to a maximum of $15,000 annually per project per year.
 Yes agri, tech, food
SCAP – Marketing Development Program Manitoba Business Expansion
  • Program provides financial assistance to businesses to enhance their export capacity and improve their domestic and international access.
  • Up to 50% up to a max. of $30,000.
 Yes agri, tech, food
SCAP – Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative Ontario Business Expansion
  • Helps eligible local meat processors expand their operations through the Meat Processors Capacity Improvement Initiative.
  • Up to $150,000 in non-repayable funding.
 Yes agri, tech, food
Social Enterprises – Investment Readiness Program Canada-wide Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption
  • Is designed to assist social purpose organizations in their efforts to sell goods or services for revenue while achieving positive social, cultural, or environmental results.
  • Up to $75,000 in Loan Funding Support.
 Yes non profit
Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) Ontario Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption
  • Supports companies investing in new facilities and equipment to advance regional priorities
  • Up to 15-50% of expenses to a maximum of $500k-$5M in grant or loan funding depending on stream
 Yes forest, manufacturing, energy, tech, software, municipality, non profit,
SCAP - Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership Canada-wide Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development Hiring & Training
  • Designed to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resilience of the agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products industriesin Canada.
  • Funding varies by program.
 Yes agri, tech, food
Tourism Development Fund (TDF) Ontario Business Expansion
  • Helps not-for-profits and municipalities to invest in developing new tourism services, tourism investment attraction, and industry capacity building
  • Access up to 50% of costs. There is no maximum amount for applications
 Yes municipality, non profit,
Western Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) Program Canada-wide Business Expansion Capital & Tech Adoption Research & Development
  • Helps businesses with high growth potential adopt/adapt innovative technologies that support productivity and export expansion
  • Access up to 50% of costs to a maximum $5M per application and $10M per applicant
 Yes forest, manufacturing, energy, tech, software, covid,
Women Ecosystem Fund (WEF) Canada-wide Business Expansion
  • Supports projects that will provide business supports for women entrepreneurs and strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Canada.
  • Up to $3M in funding for Canadian not-for-profit organizations or associations.
 Yes for profit
SCAP – Growing Future Opportunities Initiative Ontario Business Expansion
  • This program supports farmers plant varieties of produce that will improve quality, production, and marketability.
  • Up to $50,000 in Agricultural funding.
 Yes agri, ontario, food
SCAP – Maple Production Improvement Initiative Ontario Business Expansion
  • This program provides eligible maple syrup producers access to cost-shared funding to support a range of activities to enhance their operations.
  • Up to $20,000 in cost-share funding.
 Yes ontario, food, agri,
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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
Exporting & Market Development
Business Funding Webinars & Events

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:

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:

Exporting-Market-Dev-Green-Bubble

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.

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You can utilize our grant writing services if your Canadian business is:

  • Incorporated For 3+ Years
  • 15+ Payroll Employees
  • Positive Net Income
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