Need Help Finding Canadian Government Funding
Are you uncertain of your eligibility for any of the Canadian government funding programs listed above? The majority of government grants for small businesses are reserved for established SMEs . If you are established, please send us a message or register for an upcoming small business funding event. From here, we can further evaluate your eligibility for specific Canadian government funding programs and help you choose the funds most optimal for your business growth plans.
Types Of Small Business Grants
There are several types of grants, and you may only be eligible for certain ones.
First, there are grants offered by the government. This includes entities like the U.S. Small Business Administration and more niche departments such as the National Institute of Health, which will have industry-specific requirements for applicants.
Then there are grants offered by private companies. These may be more general and open to a wider base.
Some grants target specific groups, like women or minority entrepreneurs or veterans.
Currently, we also have grants aimed to help those negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Grants For Smes Focused On Research And Development
A fourth kind of grant is also available, although only to small and medium-sized business that are driving research and development . A total of £750m is available to access by businesses.
The scheme is administered by Innovate UKs grants and loans scheme youll need to opt into this to be eligible.
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Who Is Best Suited To Venture Capital
Businesses that are specifically built for growth are most suited to venture capital. A VC will typically want to exit or sell their shares within five to seven years. At that stage, they will ideally sell their shares for 10 times what they paid for them.
A venture capitalist is therefore looking for three things:
– Can the business be scaled at a low cost, without increasing overheads as you add customers? Read our growth guide, 6 Growth accelerators to transform your small business into a big business to supercharge your growth.
– Do you have a specific growth plan that includes how you will increase their investment ten-fold?
– Do you have the team, product, market experience and customers to accelerate your growth?
Make sure you can answer these three key questions for funders: Will they make money on the deal? Do you and your team have the experience in your market to drive growth? Have you considered where the business is at risk and planned for this to protect your funderâs investment?
To learn more about what funders are looking for, read our article, Build a business that funders will back.
Federal Small Business Grants
The federal government awards billions of dollars in funds each year to small businesses that engage in work that benefit the public, such as infrastructure and scientific research projects. You can find federal small business grants by visiting Grants.gov.
- SBIR and STTR Programs: These programs offer federal funds to small businesses that engage in scientific and technological research and development that has the potential to be commercialized. To qualify, a business must operate for a profit and have no more than 500 employees.
- U.S. Department of Energy Grants: The DOE announced on Oct. 18, 2021 it set aside $105 million for small businesses that invest in clean energy research and development. Funding will be administered by DOEs Small Business Technology Transfer and Small Business Innovation Research programs . You can find more details on the DOEs funding opportunities page.
- National Institute of Health Grants: The NIH offers numerous grants to small businesses that engage in biomedical and behavioral research. There are thousands of grants available on its grants and funding page.
When searching for federal small business grants, keep in mind that the federal government doesnt offer free money to individuals to start a business. If a website promises to give you free money from the government, its likely a scam.
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No Federal Grants For Businesses
The federal government does not offer grants for starting or growing a business. It only provides grants for nonprofit and educational institutions. These organizations focus mainly on medicine, technology development, and other related fields. Find out more about federal grants.
Some state and local programs offer business grants. They usually require you to match the funds. Or, they may expect you to combine the grant with other forms of financing, such as a loan.
How Do I Get Free Money To Start A Business Canada
Canadian Startup Grants is an open innovation grant fund with an endowment fund to support Canadian entrepreneurs.Up to $5,000 will each be granted as individual grants to eligible small business ventures across Canada.Several companies contribute to Ownr, including RBC Ventures, Staples, Shopify, and Moneris, including Ownr by RBC Ventures.
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Gofundme Small Business Relief Fund
Crowdfunding company GoFundMe has partnered with partners to provide a COVID-19 relief fund for small businesses. Your business may receive a matching grant when you raise $500 through your own GoFundMe campaign, as long as you can verify that your business has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus. Funds must be used to pay business expenses or care for employees.
Government Grants For Small Businesses In 2021
Daymond John, renowned Shark Tank investor, once said, No matter what business youre in, business is business and financing and money are critical.
Business financing is often a sore point for small business owners because it is difficult to acquire. Get a loan and pay high interest rates. Get an investor and reduce your equity. The gains of sourcing financing can be lost when the stakes are so high.
Thankfully, small business grants provide a solution that removes the risks associated with high interest rates and lost equity.
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Small Business Grants For Specific Demographics
Small business grants arent readily available to people wishing to start businesses. However, there are demographics that the government may want to promote and offer helpful resources for their businesses. Three of the largest groups are veterans, women, and minorities. Learn more about each of these subsets in the following sections:
Write And Submit A Grant Proposal
Various government small business grants exist that provide funding for a wide range of problems. Some of these government small business grants are discussed later in this article. Each grant has specific requirements you should ensure that your business can meet these requirements before investing time and money into creating a grant proposal. It often works best to hire a grant proposal writer because writing a grant proposal is a time-consuming and detailed process.
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Business Grants For Minorities
There are many loans available for minorities, but few grants, just like veterans.
Minority Business Development Agency : The MBDA offers very restricted grants to all types of American minorities. The grants are only given to those interested in running one of MBDAs Minority Business Centers, and only in specific locations that they want to expand to. Youll need to offer consulting services, and help them secure financing and investments. Youll need to show that you have experience doing this, so very few people are eligible.
In addition to those grants, MBDA also occasionally runs other grant competitions. Youll have to monitor their news to find these opportunities in the future, but there are no set schedules or eligibility guidelines for them.
First Nations Development Institute Grants: Monitor this page to find grant opportunities for small businesses owned by Native Americans. This organization has given over 1,400 grants for a total of almost $30 million dollars from 1993 to 2017. There are no restrictions on the types of businesses eligible for the grants, as long as the owner is Native American. You can subscribe to their email list to be alerted to any new opportunities.
How To Get Small Business Grant Programs With Grantsgov
How can you get government grant funding opportunities? Its a step-by-step process to submit your grant application. If at some point in the grant process you need technical assistance, that is just a few clicks away.
There are three main phases that are part of applying for grants. Within each phase of the grant process, there may be certain tasks youll need to complete:
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Good For: Technology Companies
The federal research SBIR grant program is for entrepreneurs focused on innovations in technology that have the potential for commercialization. You can check its funding opportunities here. Focus areas from the past include clean and safe water, homeland security, land revitalization, green construction, advancement of health care, and more.
South African Micro Finance Apex Fund
Samaf gives financial services to small-scale entrepreneurs living in rural and outer urban areas. Samaf does not lend money directly to the public. It uses existing institutions within communities to handle the funds and lend to qualifying entrepreneurs. Samaf has three products: the Micro-Credit Fund , the Capacity Building Fund and the Savings Mobilisation Fund .
Contact Samaf: 012 394-1805Websites: www.samaf.org.za www.thedti.gov.za
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What Is A Business Grant
A grant is financial assistance that is given to a person, business, nonprofit, or corporation from federal, state, county, or local governments, or private businesses or corporations. There are a number of companies, nonprofits, and government agencies providing essentially free money to small business owners in the form of a small business grant. And the best part? Grants do not require repayment of any kind.
What could your business do with $10,000?
Check out Nav’s Small Business Grant now to find out how your business could win $10,000.
Grants can be formed to target businesses based on a variety of factors, including minority-owned businesses, specific for-profit businesses as well as non-profit organizations, veteran-owned businesses, grants for women, and more.
You dont have to make your pitch on Shark Tank, refinance your home, or take out small business loans to take the next step in your entrepreneurial journey business grants may help you get there, if you know where to look and how to apply.
And right now, with so many small businesses struggling through the pandemic, these grants can provide much-needed financial support that could be the difference between thriving or closing your doors.
Weve pulled together numerous resources for business owners searching for small business grant opportunities. The majority of these have broad grant application requirements, meaning many businesses qualify.
Why Should You Apply For United States Government Grants
Truly, there isnt a reason why you shouldnt apply.
- Free money Yes, while its true theres no such thing as free money, its free money for small businesses. As long as you follow the guidelines for using the grant money, and properly complete all the required tasks and paperwork. you dont have to repay the grant money.
- Funding opportunities If youve got projects or planned expansions that you can never quite afford, and you dont want to take out loans, you may find funding opportunities via grant programs from federal agencies. And again, these arent loans that you have to repay.
- The application process can be done online, using gov websites for your grant application.
- The strict eligibility requirements for some grants may benefit specific small businesses. For example, some grants are available for women, minorities, or Veteran-owned businesses.
- You can search the government offers for grants using secure websites. And, you can surf those official websites on your own time.
- Searching for grants is free. Youll be safely connected to the government website, with your sensitive information protected.
- Each grant period has a start and end date. Once youve registered and gone through the application process, its easier to complete any future grant application you make.
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How To Qualify For A Small Business Grant
Eligibility requirements vary based on the type of grant youre applying for. A grantor may require that your business operates in a specific industry, fits its definition of a small business and meets a minimum annual revenue threshold.
Before you apply for a small business grant, review the requirements carefully to ensure you have the best chances of qualifying.
Regional Development Program: Eastern Ontario Development Fund And Southwestern Ontario Development Fund
The Regional Development Program provides support for projects and investments to businesses, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations for economic development in Ontario, by region.
The types of support available include:
The program supports projects that:
Funding opportunities are currently available for:
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Where To Find Business Grants
Below is a list of some of the most robust resources for finding grants that can aid your business:
- SBA.gov is one of the top places to search for grants. The government site is filled with various grant and financing opportunities.
- Grants.gov is the ultimate database for federal grants. You can search for grants by funding type, eligibility, category and agency. Be forewarned: Sorting through the database will require some effort, but the potential payoff is that you may find a grant opportunity that is perfect for your company.
- The Economic Development Administration administers grants for economically depressed communities to stimulate new jobs and commercial growth.
- Similarly, Small Business Development Centers offer local resources that can help your business.
In the wake of the coronavirus, there are resources, including federal and private funding sources, that are helping businesses cope with the drastic economic contraction that is affecting the world.
- Economic Injury Disaster Loans are administered by the SBA and can provide businesses with working capital to pay employees, rent and other expenses.
- In addition to government loans, companies like Verizon have created funds that provide grants to small businesses.
Grants For Businesses Impacted By Coronavirus
Approximately 700,000 of the smallest businesses in England will be entitled to a one-off grant. This was initially set at £3,000 during the Spring Budget 2020 but less than a week later was increased to £10,000.
This is payable to those small businesses that are currently eligible for Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief. Any business eligible for those reliefs can apply for the emergency funding direct from their local authority.
It is important to note that the £10,000 Coronavirus grant only applies to small businesses in England because business rates in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are devolved to their respective administrations and so it will be for them to determine whether or not to offer anything similar. In fact, Scotland has already announced an £80 million fund to provide grants of £3,000 to small businesses in sectors that suffer the worst economic impact of Covid-19. Any small business in Scotland that wants to apply for such a grant should contact the business Coronavirus helpline on 0300 303 0660.
On Tuesday 17 March 2020 the Chancellor also announced that smaller businesses without sufficient insurance cover would be eligible for a cash grant of up to £25,000 per business, providing they had a rateable value below £51,000.
The government has also launched the Bounce Back Loan scheme which is aimed at businesses that are not eligible for CBILs.
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Good For: R& d Companies
The DoD offers grants to small businesses through the STTR program and a number of other initiatives, like the Defense Enterprise Science Initiative. The Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office, and the U.S. Army Research Institute are all looking for research and development of technology that will help them reach their goals.
The Truth About Small Business Grants
In reality, small business grants are few and far between and competition is fierce. For various reasons, applications are not always successful, although there are many things you can do to increase your chances of approval.
In some cases, small business grants might only cover a proportion of costs, for example, if they are given for projects. So, you may need to work out whether your business can come up with the rest of the funding and work out how this will affect your cash-flow. You may not receive a grant until a project nears completion.
Applying for grants takes time and effort, which creates a cost implication for your startup or small business. But you should never rush the process and your research must be thorough. You should apply in good faith and not include any information that isnt truthful or accurate, otherwise, you may be asked to repay a grant.
Those who administer grant funding could ask to see a project or business plan as part of your application. Small business or franchise grants are normally only made available before a project starts, not after you start, so your timing is key. You need to manage your time well if you are to get your application in before the deadline.
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Retail Hospitality And Leisure Grant Fund
The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, which offers a one-off grant of up to £25,000, applies only to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.
Eligibility depends on which country youre in:
- In England, your business needs to have a rateable value between £15,001 and £51,000 to be eligible.
- In Scotland, your business needs to have a rateable value between £18,000 and £51,000.
- In Wales, your business needs to have a rateable value between £12,001 and £51,000.
- While in Northern Ireland, your business needs to have a rateable value up to £51,000.
For both grants, your local authority shouldve already contacted you if youre eligible. You might want to check their website if you havent received anything.
In particular, theyll need your up-to-date bank details in order to make the payment, so you might want to get in touch to check.
