Micro-Grants in Canada: Small Business Funding Programs and How to Apply

ESSOR, Volet 1 (Investissement Québec, Quebec businesses). This is the closest thing to a micro-grant for Quebec companies. It is a non-repayable contribution of up to 50% of eligible expenses, and it funds early-stage work rather than the investment itself. According to Investissement Québec:

• Sub-stream 1A (feasibility studies): up to $50,000 per project.
• Sub-stream 1B (digital diagnostics, digital plans, system selection): up to $20,000 for the duration of the program.
• Sub-stream 1C (implementing a digital plan): up to $50,000 for the duration of the program, and a digital plan completed within the last 24 months is required.
• For 1B and 1C, the business must have 250 employees or fewer and annual revenue of at least $2.5M.
• The program is listed as ending on March 31, 2027, and intake can be suspended without notice. The page was last updated April 1, 2025, so confirm current terms before you plan around it.

CanExport SMEs (Trade Commissioner Service). Offers up to $50,000 for international business development activities, assessed on a rolling, competitive basis. Applications are not being accepted at the moment: the latest intake closed on August 31, 2026, and the page says future intake information will be posted when available. Watch that page if exporting is on your roadmap.

Canada Summer Jobs (Employment and Social Development Canada). A wage subsidy rather than a grant. Private sector employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees can receive up to 50% of the provincial or territorial minimum wage for the job. The 2027 call for applications is scheduled to open on October 27, 2026, at 9:00 am Eastern.

NRC IRAP. The National Research Council's program can include funding for innovative, technology-driven projects, but the official page states no amounts and no intake dates. You start by calling an advisor at 1-877-994-4727. Businesses must be incorporated, for-profit, operating in Canada, and have up to 500 employees.

Canada Small Business Financing Program. This one is a loan, not a grant: the federal government shares lending risk with participating lenders, and businesses can use the financing for working capital, equipment, renovations or intellectual property. The page does not list maximum amounts, so ask a participating lender.

The Business Benefits Finder, run by the federal government, lists more than 1,500 programs from federal, provincial and territorial governments. You answer a few questions about your business and it returns a tailored list. You can filter for programs that are currently accepting applications and sign up for alerts when new matches appear. The page was last modified on August 5, 2026.

Programs change often, so treat every figure here as a starting point and verify it on the official page on the day you apply.

• Read the official eligibility page first, then the applicant guide. Small programs still have strict rules.
• Check when expenses become eligible. For ESSOR, expenses are eligible from the date of the acknowledgment of receipt, not before.
• Do not treat a prequalification form as an approval. It is a preliminary check only.
• Keep quotes, business registration details and financial statements ready. Incomplete applications can be refused automatically.

• A project with a clear scope, a start date and an end date.
• Quotes from external providers that match the budget you submit.
• A short explanation of the business result: more sales, lower costs, a new market.
• Consistency between your financial statements, your plan and the amounts requested.
• Starting early. Intakes open and close, and some programs have limited funds.

Small programs often have narrow windows and specific conditions, which makes it easy to miss one that fits. We can look at your business, your sector and your projects, and tell you which programs are worth a formal application.

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