Funding Sources
Canada Summer Jobs wage subsidy
CLOSED FOR 2025 However this will re-open later in November for 2026.
Welcome to the NOW Program! Our goal is to foster the growth and success of women-owned/women-led businesses throughout Northern Ontario. Whether you’re a startup founder looking to launch your business or an established entrepreneur seeking to scale up , the NOW Program is here to help you achieve your goals.
As of March 8, 2024 (International Women’s Day!!) the NOW Program has two funding initiatives in place which you can learn all about by clicking HERE. Our SME Initiative allows Northern Ontario women entrepreneurs the chance to apply for funding to assist with the cost of one-time professional services, the cost of setting up mentoring/coaching relationships and the cost of furthering their business knowledge via education courses. The HRdownoads Subscription Initiative allows Northern Ontario women entrepreneurs the opportunity to apply for a subscription that will assist them and their business will all of their HR needs.
The Forum: Our One & Only Mission
To unlock access to wisdom, financial and social capital for self-identifying women, trans-femme and non-binary entrepreneurs across Canada
M51
Movement51 is a not-for-profit organization established by The51 to address financial inequalities that affect women and gender-diverse people across Canada.
DELIA Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund
The DELIA Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund is accepting applications from across Canada! Discover how your woman-owned business can receive a
$15k loan to help you start, scale, and grow your venture. Ready to get started? Join our upcoming free webinar info session on
To learn more and apply now, visit ncfdc.ca/delia.
Tourism and Hospitality Student Work Placement Program
Aimed squarely at the tourism and hospitality sector, the Propel Student Work Placement Program is helping the hardest-hit sector recover from the devastating impacts of the pandemic
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program, Propel offers post-secondary students opportunities to develop the work-ready skills required to secure meaningful employment upon graduation.
Qualifying employers are provided with a wage subsidy for each qualifying student hired through the program.
Learn more by selecting the applicable category below or watch a recording of our info sessions, which includes an overview of the eligibility criteria and application process.
Women Entrepreneurship Strategy
https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/women-entrepreneurship-strategy/en
The full and equal participation of women in the economy is not just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do.
Studies show that by advancing gender equality and women’s participation in the economy, Canada could add up to $150 billion in GDP. Only 17% of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses are owned by women, and the Government of Canada is working to change that.
The government is advancing women’s economic empowerment with the first ever Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES), representing nearly $7 billion in investments and commitments. WES aims to increase women-owned businesses’ access to the financing, talent, networks and expertise they need to start up, scale up and access new markets.
Women Entrepreneur Loan Fund
https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/women-entrepreneurship-strategy/en/women-entrepreneurship-loan-fund
Check out the site as there are other partnership loan opportuntities
Mentor Works
Canada’s #1 Government Grant Writers
Dedicated to Streamlining the Funding and Grant Application Process For Your Business
Ontario Government Grant, Loan, Tax Credit and Funding Programs Mentor Works Can Write for Your Business
Ontario government funding programs can support a wide range of strategic projects, including business expansion, research and development, hiring and training, and capital investment. Many of these programs are offered by Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor).
Ministry of Colleges and Universities
Link to Ontario Job Grant Website
Ontario’s workforce is our most valuable asset. As new technologies, globalization and shifting demographics rapidly change Ontario’s economy, they alter the mix of available jobs and the skills people need to succeed in them. By building up education and training, we can maintain Ontario’s competitive advantage, helping businesses and workers adapt to change and achieve their goals.
- Employers can get up to $10,000 in government support per person for training costs
- The training has to be delivered by an eligivle, third-party trainer
- Employers with 100 or more employees need to contribute 1/2 of the training costs
- Small employers with less than 100 employees need to contribute 1/6 of training costs
Agri-Food Energy Cost Savings Initiative – Apply Now!
This $10 million Program funded by the Canadian and Ontario governments through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is focused on supporting projects that prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions by investing in new technology and equipment, as well as building or facility modifications. Eligibility Eligible applicants include Ontario food processors. Applications will be assessed […]
Read more of this post
Supply Chain Stability and Adaptability Program and Webinar
- Agri-Food Supply Chain Resiliency Analysis – aimed at identifying and addressing market and supply chain challenges driven or worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding is meant to help you complete a resiliency analysis for identifying supply-chain gaps/areas of weakness and developing an action plan for priority areas.
- Agri-Food Supply Chain Infrastructure Investment – aimed at helping acquire the equipment and assets necessary to grow capacity in a manner that meets the increased demand for Ontario grown and produced food products. The funding is meant to support near term investments in infrastructure that builds production capacity and helps address market and supply chain challenges.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include:
- Ontario Agri-Food Organizations (for the Agri-Food Supply Chain Resiliency Analysis Stream only)
- Ontario Agri-Food Businesses, including farms and food processing businesses
Funding
You may apply for up to 25 per cent of eligible costs, up to a maximum of $150,000 per project.
Application deadlines
- Agri-Food Supply Chain Resiliency Analysis Stream, Thursday, January 26, 2023
- Agri-Food Supply Chain Infrastructure Investment Stream, Thursday February 9, 2023
FOR MORE DETAILS – CLINK HERE FOR LINK
Hiring and training incentives for employers
Hire an apprentice
Find out how to hire and train an apprentice and how it benefits you as an employer.
Canada-Ontario Job Grant
Get money to help pay for training of existing and new employees.
Hire a young person
Hire a young person through Employment Service, Youth Job Connection or Youth Job Connection Summer – see how these programs can benefit you as an employer and learn more about financial incentives for businesses.
Request an appointment
Request an appointment with Employment Ontario – find out if your business can get help covering training and hiring costs.
Bringing the arts to life
We’re proud to be Canada’s public arts funder. We contribute to the vibrancy of a creative and diverse arts and literary scene through our grants, services, prizes and payments to Canadian artists and arts organizations.
Programming for
Women Entrepreneurs in Food
If you haven’t met us yet, we wanted to introduce ourselves!
Food Venture Program is a BIPOC, Women-Owned business offering food entrepreneurship education to new food/beverage startups across Canada!
We are very excited to announce a new promo to help support our fellow women in food! As part of our 10-Session Farm to Retail program, we are offering a free, one hour Q&A panel with women who own successful CPG food businesses and food industry consulting business!
It’s an opportunity to have your foodies connect with and find food industry mentors through this enriching and engaging program!
Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (R.A.I.S.E.) is a service and grant program developed and administered by the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA), the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA) and in partnership with the Parkdale Centre for Innovation (PCI) to support Indigenous, Black and other Racialized entrepreneurs in Ontario to start and scale a business. R.A.I.S.E. will provide access to business development training, culturally responsive support services and access to grant funding. The program is funded by the Government of Ontario.
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What is the Homegrown Innovation Challenge?
The $33-million Homegrown Innovation Challenge, delivered over six years, will identify teams and support the development of tools and technologies that enable Canadian farmers and producers to sustainably and competitively grow berries out of season.
Click here for more information
The new Strategic Agri-Food Processing Fund Program
The new Strategic Agri-Food Processing Fund Program, which was announced in the 2021 Fall Economic Statement, to increase the province’s food processing capacity, strengthen its food security and position the agri-food sector for economic growth, will launch on April 1, 2022. Agri-food processor businesses are eligible for up to $3 million in cost-share funding to either build new processing facilities, expand or modernize existing facilities and adopt new innovative technologies to improve current operations.
More information on eligibility, cost share and how to apply can be found in the program guidelines. The guidelines will be posted to this link in the near future.
Ontario Arts Council
OAC is an agency that operates at arm’s length from the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. The OAC’s grants and services to professional, Ontario-based artists and arts organizations support arts education, Indigenous arts, community arts, crafts, dance, Francophone arts, literature, media arts, multidisciplinary arts, music, theatre, touring, and visual arts. The OAC is directed by 12 volunteer board (council) members who come from communities throughout the province. They are appointed by the Government of Ontario for a three-year term. The OAC’s board is responsible for setting OAC’s policies and oversees the organization’s operation.
- Dance
- Literature
- Media Arts
- Multi and Inter-Arts
- Music
- Theatre
- Visual Arts
Link to OAC Website
Canada Digital Adoption Program
How Canadians do business has changed. To stay competitive and grow, small and medium-sized businesses need to adopt new digital tools.
In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada announced the $4 billion Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) to help get your business online, give your e-commerce presence a boost or help digitalize your business’s operations.
CDAP provides funding and support to businesses, as well as training and work opportunities for young Canadians.
We fund R&D and test prototypes in real-life settings
We have two streams with funding dedicated to Canadian innovators who want to start, grow and get to market
Get More information here
Access to capital and tailored solutions
We understand women’s barriers in accessing financing and solutions for the business they own and lead. If you’re a woman entrepreneur looking for access to capital for your business or ESG-focused services for your company, we’re here to help. As a program participant, you get access to a financial partner who can help support your growth and financial future. We offer creative financing solutions tailored to your strategic priorities, including working capital and inventory financing, funding for capital projects, expansions, mergers and acquisitions, and much more.
LINK to Scotiabank Women Iniative website
FAIR FINANCE FUND
The Fair Finance Fund is a social finance fund for Ontario’s local food and farm sector. The Fund supports local food and farm social enterprises in accessing the capital and mentorship they need to grow and thrive. Together, alongside our investors, we help build sustainable local food systems, grow local economies and strengthen climate resilience.
Access the capital you need to grow and thrive
APPLY
PROJECT LEARNING TREE CANADA
We offer a 50% or 80% wage match, with up to $32,000 CAD in reimbursements, to employers hiring youth aged 15-30 into Green Jobs. A Green Job is one that supports nature-based solutions for a more sustainable planet. Green jobs are typically involved in, but not limited to, jobs in the forest sector, parks, conservation, natural resource management, environmental education, sustainable food systems, climate change, carbon sequestration, species maintenance and recovery, water quality and quantity, and more.
Follow link to to see samples of eligible employment opportunities
Angel Investing
An angel investor, (also known as a business angel), is an individual or group of individuals who provide investment capital to new or growing businesses and expect a percentage of ownership equity in return.
Angel investing is a common business practice throughout North America and Europe. Most angels invest their own capital, although there are some angel groups (or angel networks) where several investors combine their capital so they can invest in more opportunities.
Angels typically seek investment opportunities in high growth, small-medium enterprises that are too young to qualify for bank loans or other traditional means of financing.
Angel investments in Northern Ontario provide a greater pool of capital and access to equity for innovative start-up and/or growing companies.
Northern Ontario Angels – LINK to their website
The Northern Ontario Angels is the #1 Angel Organization in North America for Northern Ontario entrepreneurs (looking for growth capital) and angel investors (looking for investments). The creative concept and foundation of this network was developed to take Northern Ontario businesses to the next level. NOA is continually growing, developing and updating it’s Angel Investment Groups throughout the north and around the World. Presently, NOA supports Angel Investment Groups in Sudbury, North Bay, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins/Kapuskasing and Kenora.
Tourism Relief Fund
The Tourism Relief Fund (TRF), administered by Canada’s regional development agencies and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), is a $500-million national program to support the tourism sector in Canada. Indigenous Sole Proprietors are eligible for this funding.
The TRF will help position Canada as a destination of choice when domestic and international travel is once again deemed safe, by:
- empowering tourism businesses to create new or enhance existing tourism experiences and products to attract more local and domestic visitors
- helping the sector reposition itself to welcome international visitors, by providing the best Canadian tourism experiences we have to offer the world
Initiatives under this fund will help tourism businesses and organizations:
- adapt their operations to meet public health requirements
- improve their products and services
- position themselves for post-pandemic economic recovery
Indigenous applicants
A minimum of $50 million of the TRF will specifically support Indigenous tourism initiatives. For more information and to apply, contact your regional development agency.
Carrot Cache
Carrot Cache
Carrot Cache is a non-profit organization that supports small projects in Ontario working toward a sustainable and just regional food system.
Over the last 18 years Carrot Cache granted over $2.1 million to organizations and individuals. These monies are given to people who are working on organic agriculture initiatives and developing regional food economies.
Equipment Purchase Financing
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Buying new or used equipment can help you pursue growth opportunities and improve competitiveness. However, it can also put a strain on cash flow. Count on a BDC loan* to cover past or upcoming expenses related to:
Get up to:
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Ontario Helping 100,000 Workers Train for In-Demand Jobs
The Ontario government is investing $5.8 million in free online training to help 100,000 workers gain the skills they need to find good jobs and restart their careers. Courses will focus on building skills most in-demand by employers in fields such as information technology, finance and business administration.
PARO
The PARO program offers a grant/loan program. The first level is $1000 (50% grant that is not paid back, 50% paid back), the second level is $2000 (50% grant and 50% paid back). The program is managed through PARO who provide the grant and LAMBAC who manage the loan portion. For Manitoulin Island contact barbara.baker@sumthing.ca 705-368-3114
LAMBAC
LAMBAC. The contact person is Carolyn and she can be reached at 705-282-3215. Email carolyn@lambac.org. LAMBAC is a Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) sponsored by Innovation Science And Economic Development / FedNor, created to support small and medium-sized business and community economic development. LAMBAC supports businesses through small business loans and resources. The organization administers local investment funds to help finance new or existing small and medium sized business and social enterprises for start-up, expansion or stabilization that will maintain or create jobs. LAMBAC is a one-stop source for information and guidance on starting, expanding and operating a business in the LaCloche Manitoulin region. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or existing business owner, we are here to help.
FEDNOR
FedNor to check out their programs. FedNor is the Government of Canada’s economic development organization for Northern Ontario. Through its programs and services, and through its financial support of projects that lead to job creation and economic growth, FedNor works with businesses and community partners to build a stronger Northern Ontario. The contact person is Arik Theijsmeijer and he works out of the LAMBAC office in Gore Bay and he can be reached at 705-665-3185 or 1-877-333-6673 arik.theijsmeijer@canada.ca
NOHFC
Nohfc The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) was established in 1988 with a mandate to promote and stimulate economic development initiatives in Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects that stabilize, diversify and foster the economic growth and diversification of the region. Contact person is Kristen Luoma (Gore Bay office) Kristin.luoma@ontario.ca 705-282-1429
Blue Sky Net BTIF Program
BTIF is a FedNor-funded initiative which assists businesses develop their capacity for e-business and in effect their ability to compete and thrive in the digital age. Blue Sky Net, through BTIF, is committed to helping small-to-medium-sized businesses in the Blue Sky Net region within Northeastern Ontario who are looking to enhance their capacity for business technology and their ability for technology adoption. The BTIF grant helps to alleviate the costs of implementing innovative technology solutions for your business that will help take you to the next level.
Indigenous Specific Funding
Indigenous Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund
Indigenous Women Entrepreneurship Program (CNW Group/National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association)
The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) and participating Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFIs) announced the establishment of a new $5 million Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund. AFIs across the country are now delivering the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund on behalf of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED). First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women entrepreneurs from across the nation are now able to access loans up to $50,000 dollars to start or grow their business. Learn more here.
Calling Indigenous women business owners! Applications are open for a $2000 grant through CCAB’s Indigenous Women Entrepreneurship Fund. All completed applicants will be provided a number and will have that number entered into a lottery. A live draw will be made at a future date at which time we will select 20 recipients. Learn more about eligibility criteria and how to apply on the CCAB website.
Deadline to apply is Friday, May 19, 2023 at 5:00PM EST.
CCAB Capital Skills Program is for Indigenous entrepreneurs and business owners who want to increase their ability to obtain funds. CCAB and Firebird Business Consulting Ltd bring a wealth of expertise in grant applications, business development and professional business writing skills. Throughout the webinar series, participants will gain insights into how to pursue grants successfully, business planning best practices and financial literacy and forecasting.
Wakenagun Community Futures Development Corporation
Description:
Wakenagun CFDC’s Investment Fund – “Women in Business” Loan provides funding for women to enter into business ownership. Funds may be used for new or existing businesses.
Indigenous women in the Wakenagun catchment area of Northern Ontario who have a great idea for a new business are in luck.
The Wakenagun Community Futures Development Corporation will give you up to $150,000 to start your women-owned or led business as long as you have 10% cash equity you can put up.
Waubetek
waubetek.com. The Waubetek Business Development Corporation is an Aboriginal-owned and controlled organization that delivers business financing and economic development services to First Nations and Aboriginal entrepreneurs in North-Eastern Ontario
NACCA, the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association
NACCA.CA. NACCA, the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association, is a network of over 50 Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFIs) dedicated to stimulating economic growth for all Indigenous people in Canada.
Age Specific Funding 18-39
Join the many aspiring entrepreneurs aged 18-39 we’ve helped turn great ideas into thriving businesses. FUTURPRENEUR CANADA – LINK
You’re not afraid of working hard, taking risks and disrupting the status quo. In fact, you don’t know any other way to live. You’ve got great ideas and all the passion in the world. You just need some help getting started.
- Apply for up to $60,000 to launch or buy a new business or to grow one that’s been fully operating for less than 12 months.
- Get matched with an experienced mentor to help you build confidence and tackle your toughest challenges for up to two years.
- Learn key skills like business planning, marketing and cash flow management through our online and in-person business resources.
Futurpreneur Canada is a non-profit organization helping Canadians become business owners with loan financing, mentoring and business resources.
Join the many Canadians aged 18-39 we’ve helped create their own future.
LAUNCH YOUR DREAM BUSINESS WITH SUPPORT FROM AN EXPERT TEAM WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE. LINK
Our team will guide you through all the steps to embark on your business journey—from planning to financing to launch. Our program for Black entrepreneurs age 18-39 provides startup loan financing and up to two years of mentorship, plus access to resources and networking opportunities with fellow entrepreneurs across Canada.
With Diversity & Inclusion as core values, Futurpreneur supports young Canadian entrepreneurs from all backgrounds, helping them launch and grow successful businesses.
We launched this tailored version of our core Startup Program specifically to help address some of the barriers to success faced by many aspiring Black entrepreneurs.
This program is funded by RBC, with additional loan financing from BDC.
Futurepreneur
INDIGENOUS ENTREPRENEURS AGED 18-39
At Futurpreneur Canada, we support Indigenous entrepreneurs aged 18-39, helping them launch or buy their own business. With up to $60,000* in financing, an expert mentor for up to two years, and access to resources, we’re here to help young entrepreneurs bring their business plan to life.
Take the first step in turning your dream into reality.