10. Get funding or more help
Financial help and more resources are available for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Support for your business
- Free legal advice for small businesses is available at Pro Bono Ontario.
- Your local Small Business Enterprise Centre is the best resource for one-on-one help supporting your business.
- Apply for training, mentoring and a grant through Starter Company Plus.
- Business grants and financing are also available from the Government of Canada.
- Digital Main Street delivers programs and funding to support businesses across Ontario.
- Apply for a grant to adopt digital tools for your business.
- If you are starting or growing an innovation and technology company, programming and services are available through Regional Innovation Centres.
- If you are launching a side business, up to $15,000 in loan financing is available through Futurpreneur.
You can refer to a full list of all funding opportunities in Ontario.
Training employees
The Canada-Ontario Job Grant provides direct financial support to small, medium and large businesses with a plan to deliver short-term training to existing and new employees.
First Nations, Inuit or Métis
The Aboriginal Participation Fund was developed to help support Indigenous communities and organizations to participate in economic development activities associated with mineral exploration and development.
Indian Agricultural Program of Ontario offers small business financing to support First Nations entrepreneurs and businesses. Funding is offered for equipment, business start-up and expansion, commercial real estate financing.
Access the Indigenous business development toolkit for support on starting and expanding your business.
The Indigenous Entrepreneurship Startup Program provides start-up loan financing and up to two years of mentorship, plus access to resources and networking opportunities with entrepreneurs across Canada.
The Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund offers a variety of services to support Aboriginal business and economic development, including financing, business support, community planning, and workshops and bookkeeping training.
Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (R.A.I.S.E.) is a program focused on assisting Indigenous, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs to start and scale their business.
Waubetek provides a variety of programs and services for Aboriginal Entrepreneurs, First Nation Communities, Aboriginal Organizations through Aboriginal commercial financing and economic development initiatives that help build community capacity and Aboriginal prosperity.
African-Canadian, Black
The Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund is a partnership between the Government of Canada, Black-led business organizations, and several financial institutions. It provides loans of up to $250,000 to Black business owners and entrepreneurs across the country.
The Black Entrepreneurship Startup Program provides startup loan financing and up to two years of mentorship, plus access to resources and networking opportunities with entrepreneurs across Canada.
Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (R.A.I.S.E.) is a program focused on assisting Indigenous, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs to start and scale their business.
18-39 years of age
Futurpreneur Canada provides financing, mentoring and support tools to aspiring business owners aged 18-39.
Student
Summer Company is a program for students that offers start-up money to kick off a new summer business, as well as advice and mentorship from local business leaders to help get the business up and running.