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Grants, funding & tax credits · Ontario & federal · checked September 2026
Government money most businesses never claim.
Grants, non-repayable contributions, low-cost loans and refundable tax credits for Ontario small businesses, manufacturers, non-profits and families — in plain language, with what each one actually takes to get. We prepare the financials, the claims and the schedules; you get the cheque.
Start here
Grant, contribution, loan or credit — they're not the same thing.
- Grant — money you don't repay. Usually a cash award or an in-kind service (free equipment, free training). Taxable as income or netted against the cost it funded.
- Non-repayable contribution — also not repaid, but paid as a share of costs you've already incurred (typically 50–80%), against receipts. Cash flow matters: you spend first.
- Loan — repaid, but cheaper or easier to get than a bank loan because a government guarantees or funds it.
- Tax credit — claimed on the T2 or T1. A refundable credit is paid out even if no tax is owing; a non-refundable one only reduces tax. Filed late, it's gone: most have an 18-month clock.
Every program below was checked against its official page on September 18, 2026. Amounts and dates change; we confirm the current terms before anything is filed.
What we do
Eligibility check — a short call, and an honest answer about whether a program is worth your time.
Application-ready financials — statements, cash-flow projections, project budgets and payroll records in the format the program wants.
Claims on the return — SR&ED (T661), Ontario Made (Schedule 572), co-op and apprenticeship credits, HST rebates, filed with the T2 or T1 and on time.
Reporting after the money lands — claims, milestone reports and the audit file the funder can ask for years later.
What changed in 2026
Six things worth a phone call this year.
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SR&ED got bigger
The enhanced 35% refundable credit now applies to up to $6 million of eligible spending a year (was $3 million), and equipment bought for R&D qualifies again. Law since March 26, 2026.
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100% first-year write-off for equipment
The federal Productivity Mega Deduction announced September 15, 2026 lets most machinery, computers, clean-energy equipment and zero-emission vehicles bought on or after that date be expensed in full in year one. Draft legislation — timing of purchases matters.
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Ontario Made Manufacturing credit is 15%
Up from 10%: a refundable 15% on new manufacturing buildings and machinery, to a maximum of $3 million a year, for investments after May 14, 2025. Runs to the end of 2029.
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Ontario small-business tax rate cut
From 3.2% to 2.2% on July 1, 2026 — about 11.7% combined on the first $500,000 for a December 31, 2026 year-end, and about 11.2% from 2027, because the cut is prorated across a year that straddles July 1. The dividend tax credit on non-eligible dividends falls January 1, 2027, so salary-versus-dividend planning for 2026 is worth revisiting.
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Ontario Job Grant is back
The Canada-Ontario Job Grant paused in November 2025 and relaunched May 1, 2026 as the Ontario Job Grant: up to $10,000 per trainee, with small employers paying one-sixth.
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New-home HST rebate for first-time buyers
Federal GST rebate up to $50,000 plus Ontario's 8% part up to $80,000 — up to $130,000 on a new home up to $1 million. Ontario applications opened June 5, 2026.
Small businesses
Grants and non-repayable money for Ontario small businesses.
Peel and Halton businesses first; most programs are province-wide.
| Program | Who it's for | What you get | Status, September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Company Plus (Mississauga) | New or young businesses, owner 18+, not a student | Up to $5,000 grant plus training and three months of mentoring | Recruiting for the January–March 2027 cohort |
| Summer Company | Students 15–29 starting a summer business | Up to $3,000 | 2026 closed; 2027 intake opens in spring |
| Save on Energy — Small Business Program | Any Ontario business with 50 or fewer employees at the site | Free assessment plus up to $3,000 of LED lighting and $2,500 of refrigeration and thermostat upgrades, installed at no cost | Open |
| CanExport SMEs | Incorporated, 3–500 employees, revenue $300,000–$100 million, selling outside Canada | 50% of export-marketing costs, $10,000–$50,000 | 2026–27 intake closed August 31; next intake to be announced |
| Ontario Together Trade Fund | Ontario businesses hit by US tariffs, 5+ employees, project of $200,000+ | 10–20% of project costs (more in exceptional cases) up to $5 million; interest-free loans up to 30% forgivable | Continuous intake |
| FedDev — Regional Tariff Response Initiative | Southern Ontario businesses with $1 million+ revenue affected by tariffs | Non-repayable up to $1 million for pivot projects (50% of costs); larger amounts repayable | Accepting applications; projects end by March 2029 |
| NRC IRAP | Incorporated, for-profit, under 500 employees, doing technical R&D | Up to 80% of R&D salaries; typical first awards $75,000–$200,000, non-repayable | Continuous intake |
Each of these wants financial statements, a budget or projection, and — after the money — proof of spending. That is the part we prepare.
Manufacturers
For manufacturers, the credits are worth more than the grants.
A Mississauga machine shop that bought $500,000 of equipment in 2026 can claim a $75,000 refundable Ontario credit, write the whole purchase off in year one, and — if it solved a technical problem along the way — claim SR&ED on the wages. None of it is automatic; all of it goes through the T2.
| Program | Who it's for | What you get | Status, September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit | Canadian-controlled private corporations buying manufacturing buildings or machinery used in Ontario | 15% refundable on up to $20 million a year — up to $3 million back | Investments after May 14, 2025, through 2029. Schedule 572 with the T2 |
| SR&ED (federal) | Corporations solving technical problems — new processes, materials, tooling, software | 35% refundable on up to $6 million of wages, materials and contractors; capital now eligible | Claim within 18 months of year-end (Form T661) |
| Ontario Innovation Tax Credit and Ontario R&D credit | The same SR&ED work, Ontario's share | 8% refundable on up to $3 million plus 3.5% non-refundable | Filed with the SR&ED claim (Schedules 566 and 508) |
| Productivity Mega Deduction | Any business buying machinery, computers, clean-energy equipment or zero-emission vehicles | 100% first-year deduction on purchases on or after September 15, 2026; manufacturing buildings bought after November 4, 2025 also 100% | Announced September 15, 2026; draft legislation |
| Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit | Corporations installing solar, wind, battery storage, heat pumps or non-road electric vehicles | 30% refundable (20% if the labour conditions aren't met) | Property available for use to 2034 |
| NRC IRAP | Product or process development with a technical risk | Up to 80% of R&D salaries, non-repayable; stacks with SR&ED | Continuous intake; apply before the project starts |
| Ontario Together Trade Fund / FedDev tariff response | Manufacturers re-tooling, re-shoring or finding new markets because of US tariffs | Grants, forgivable loans and non-repayable contributions — see above | Open |
What a manufacturing file looks like with us
Books that track cost of goods, inventory and work-in-progress properly; payroll coded by project so SR&ED wages are provable; a capital-asset register with available-for-use dates for the Ontario Made credit and the Mega Deduction; and a T2 with Schedules 31, 508, 566 and 572 done before the deadline, not after.
Grant applications
For IRAP, FedDev, the Trade Fund and CanExport we prepare the financial package — three years of statements, the project budget, cash-flow projections and the tariff-impact analysis where it's asked for — and the claims and milestone reports afterwards. Ask before the project starts: most programs will not fund costs incurred before approval.
Hiring & training
Wage subsidies and training money for any employer.
| Program | Who it's for | What you get | Status, September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Job Grant | Employers with an Ontario location for a year or more, training current or new staff | Up to $10,000 per trainee; employers under 100 staff contribute one-sixth. Hiring an unemployed person: 100% up to $15,000 | Year-round since May 1, 2026; one application at a time |
| Canada Summer Jobs | Employers with 50 or fewer staff hiring people 15–30 for 6–16 weeks | 50% of minimum wage (non-profits: 100% plus payroll costs) | 2027 applications expected late November to mid-December 2026 |
| Student Work Placement Program | Any employer hiring a post-secondary student for a work term | 50% of wages up to $5,000 per placement (some delivery partners pay more for first-year and under-represented students) | Fall 2026 intake open, first come first served |
| Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit | Employers hosting co-op or intern students for 10 weeks or more | 25–30% of wages, up to $3,000 per placement, refundable | Claimed on the T2 (Schedule 550) or T1 |
| Youth Job Connection | Employers hiring youth 15–29 who face barriers, through an Employment Ontario provider | Up to $7,500 per hire | Ongoing |
| Apprenticeship — Achievement Incentive and the federal Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit | Employers sponsoring apprentices in Red Seal trades | $1,000 per milestone up to $17,000 per apprentice, plus a tax credit of 10% of wages up to $2,000 a year | Ongoing. A new federal $10,000 first-year apprentice incentive was announced in April 2026 and isn't open yet |
Loans
When a grant isn't there, government-backed loans usually are.
| Program | Who it's for | What you get | Status, September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Small Business Financing Program | Businesses with revenue of $10 million or less, through your bank or credit union | Term loans up to $1 million (equipment, leaseholds, working capital) and lines of credit up to $150,000, government-guaranteed | Open |
| BDC Small Business Loan | Businesses operating 24 months or more with revenue of $100,000+ | Up to $350,000 online, with interest-only months at the start | Open |
| Futurpreneur | Founders 18–39, pre-launch or under a year of sales | Up to $75,000 (Futurpreneur plus BDC) and two years of mentoring | Open, rolling |
| Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund | Majority women-owned businesses | Micro-loans up to $50,000 | Renewed June 2026 |
| Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund | Businesses at least 51% Black-owned | Loans of $25,000–$250,000 | Accepting applications |
Every lender on this list asks for year-end statements and a cash-flow projection. Clean books are the difference between an approval in two weeks and a request for more information in six.
Not-for-profits & charities
Foundation and government funding for Ontario organizations.
Funders read the financial statements before the proposal. Our not-for-profit page covers the annual filings; these are the funding programs.
| Program | Who it's for | What you get | Status, September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Trillium Foundation — Seed, Grow and Capital grants | Ontario non-profits and charities | Seed $10,000–$100,000; Capital $10,000–$200,000; Grow grants run two to three years | Seed 2026 closed August 19; Capital closed March 4; Grow deadline expected November — confirm on otf.ca |
| Canada Summer Jobs | Non-profits hiring youth 15–30 for the summer | 100% of minimum wage plus payroll costs | 2027 applications expected late November to mid-December 2026 |
| HST public service body rebate | Registered charities and qualifying non-profits | 50% of the federal part and 82% of the Ontario part of HST paid — often the largest unclaimed amount we find | Ongoing; claims can go back years |
| Enabling Accessibility Fund | Non-profits, small businesses and municipalities making spaces accessible | Grants for accessibility projects; 2026 call funded workplace projects of $500,000 to $1 million | 2026 call closed March 16; annual |
| New Horizons for Seniors | Organizations serving seniors | Up to $50,000 per community project | 2026–27 call closed July 14; annual |
| City of Mississauga Community and Culture Grants and Peel Community Investment Program | Mississauga and Peel non-profits | Operating and project grants | Peel Equity Fund closes September 30, 2026; Mississauga 2027 deadline expected October |
Individuals & families
Benefits and credits on the personal return, 2026.
Most of these arrive automatically — but only if the return is filed, on time, with the right schedules. The ones people miss are in bold.
| Program | Who it's for | What you get | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Child Benefit | Families with children under 18 | Up to $8,157 a year per child under 6 and $6,883 for 6–17, July 2026 to June 2027 | Newcomers: form RC66 with the first return |
| Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit | Low and modest incomes | Replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026 at 25% more: $679 single, $890 couple, $234 per child | Automatic on filing |
| Canada Disability Benefit | Adults 18–64 approved for the disability tax credit | $204.20 a month; a one-time $150 payment toward DTC costs this fall | Needs the DTC (form T2201) first — we prepare it |
| Ontario CARE child-care credit | Families with income up to $150,000 paying for child care | Up to 75% of child-care costs — up to $6,000 per child under 7 | On top of the federal child-care deduction |
| First-time buyer HST rebate on new homes | First-time buyers of a newly built home | Up to $130,000 (federal $50,000 plus Ontario $80,000) on homes up to $1 million, phased out to $1.5 million | Agreements from March 20, 2025; Ontario applications since June 5, 2026 |
| FHSA and Home Buyers' Plan | First-time buyers | $8,000 a year to $40,000 deductible and tax-free for a home; plus $60,000 from an RRSP, repayment starting in the fifth year | Both, together, are the usual plan |
| Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit | Building a suite for a parent over 65 or a relative with a disability | 14% of up to $50,000 — $7,000 refundable | Pairs with the Home Accessibility credit and the Ontario energy rebates |
| Ontario Home Renovation Savings Program | Ontario homeowners | Rebates: cold-climate heat pump up to $7,500, insulation up to $7,700, windows $100 per opening, solar and battery up to $10,000 | Not taxable |
| Ontario Fertility Treatment Tax Credit | Ontario residents paying for fertility treatment | 25% of up to $20,000 — $5,000 a year, refundable | Expenses since January 1, 2025, alongside the medical expense claim |
| Ontario Seniors Care at Home | Seniors 70+ with medical expenses | 25% of up to $6,000 — $1,500, refundable, reduced above $35,000 of family income | Form ON479 |
| Canadian Dental Care Plan | Households under $90,000 without private dental coverage | Dental coverage with a co-pay of 0–60% by income | Renewal needs last year's return filed |
Closed programs
Still advertised online, no longer paying out.
- Canada Digital Adoption Program — both streams closed by March 2024. Nothing has replaced it.
- Digital Main Street $2,500 grant — Ontario funding ended March 2024.
- Canada Carbon Rebate — final payments 2025; the small-business rebate paid out in late 2025.
- Canada-Ontario Job Grant — replaced by the Ontario Job Grant (above).
- Canadian Apprenticeship Service employer grant — no intake since March 2024; a successor is announced for late 2026.
- Community Services Recovery Fund and the OTF Resilient Communities Fund — one-time, finished.
- Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit — never covered Peel; ends December 31, 2026.
- Canadian Entrepreneurs' Incentive — cancelled in Budget 2025. The lifetime capital gains exemption is $1,275,000 for 2026, indexed.
A word on grant-writing services
Firms that charge a percentage of "grants found" usually start from this same public list. The hard part isn't finding the program — it's having books, statements and projections a funder will accept, and filing the claim on time. That is accounting work, and it's what you're paying us for anyway.
Common questions
What clients ask about grants and credits.
Is a grant taxable?
Usually, yes. A grant or wage subsidy is income to the business in the year it's received, or it reduces the cost of the asset it paid for. Refundable tax credits like SR&ED and the Ontario Made credit reduce the expense or asset they relate to. We account for it so there's no surprise at year-end — and it's still worth far more than not applying.
Can a sole proprietor apply, or do I need a corporation?
It depends on the program. IRAP, CanExport, SR&ED's 35% refundable rate and the Ontario Made credit are for corporations. Wage subsidies, the Ontario Job Grant, Save on Energy and most loans are open to sole proprietors. If a program you want requires a corporation, incorporating first is often the right sequence — see our incorporation page.
How long does it take to get the money?
Tax credits arrive with your assessment, typically two to four months after the T2 is filed. Wage subsidies pay after the placement, against payroll records. Contribution programs like IRAP and FedDev pay as you submit claims during the project, and a first payment can take a few months from approval. Nothing pays for costs you incurred before approval, so timing the application comes first.
What do you charge?
A fixed fee per claim or application, agreed before we start, based on the work involved — not a percentage of the money. For clients whose books we already keep, most claims are a modest add-on because the records are already in order. Call 647-870-8498 for a quote.
How do I know this list is current?
Each program was checked against its official government page on September 18, 2026, and the dates shown are the ones published then. Programs open and close during the year, so we confirm the terms again before you apply. If a link above has changed, call us — that's usually the first sign a program has been renewed or replaced.
Programs, amounts, deadlines and eligibility change often, and several of these close without notice. General information, not advice for your business — check the program page before relying on anything here.
Want to know which of these you qualify for?
Call 647-870-8498 or email info@ghayurtax.com — a short call is enough to rule programs in or out.