Grants/Contests/Awards 

Business Benefits Finder (Government of Canada)

Open - Local Initiatives Program (Community Futures Development Corp.; Inc. Not-For-Profit only)

Open - Facade Improvement Grant (Community Futures Development Corp.)

Open - Rhyze Up! (Female-led businesses)

June 3 open (until funds are used) - Honey Bee Health Initiative (50% funding)

June 3 open (until funds are used) - Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program 

December 1, 2025 deadline (or until funds are used) - Food Safety and Growth Initiative (OMAFA/OMRA)

2025 - Starter Company Plus Grant (Small Business Centre)

2025 - Canada Summer Jobs (wage subsidy, 2024 was 100% funded)

2025 - Young Canada Works

Open:

100 Women Who Care (Bancroft)

Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program: Access to Capital

Applied Research and Development Grant
Alliance Grant (R&D partnerships with educational institutions and businesses)

Benefits and Grant Finder (search tool)

Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund (FACE)

Black Opportunity Fund (contact for current funding availability)

BITS Bucks (Up to $5,000 grant/loan for youth 18-34)

Canada-Ontario Jobs Grant (Up to $10,000 for training)

Canadian Digital Adoption Program (Up to $15,000)

CIP Programs (Signage and façade) – Marmora and Lake, Tweed, Centre Hastings (2024 closed)

Community Futures Local Initiatives Program (L.I.P.) (Up to $3,500 for incorporated not-for-profits)

Digital Main Street (Up to $2,500)

Eastern Ontario Development Fund (up to 15% funding to a maximum of $5 million)

First Nations Women’s Entrepreneurship program (FNWE) (Loans and grants up to $15,000)

Funding for WMCO wood manufacturing members (expenses up to $100,000 at 45% funding)

Grow Your Business Online Grant ($2,400)

Hockey Canada - Call for Indigenous Artists 

Honey Bee Health Initiative (cost-sharing up to $25,000)

Mitacs Entrepreneur International (up to $5,000 travel grant)

ODSP Start Up Benefit (Up to $500 for training and business costs)

Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (partial funding)

PEFIP (Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program)

R.A.I.S.E (Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs, up to $10,000)

(SR&ED) Scientific Research and Experimental Development (earn tax incentives that reduce income tax payable) 

Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (various programs)

Venture-Capital Ready (investment training for women entrepreneurs)

See Training and Workforce section for recruitment funding support

Loans
December 20 deadline - Funding for businesses in southern Ontario (FedDev)

December 20 deadline - Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative in southern Ontario (FedDev)

BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada) 
BITS Bucks (Business In The Streets) - Up to $5,000 grant/loan for youth 18-34

Black Opportunity Fund 

Business Scale-up and Productivity - FedDev Ontario

Community Economic Development Diversification - FedDev Ontario 

Community Futures 

DELIA - Microloans for underserved women

FACE (Federation of African Canadian Economics)

FCC Women Entrepreneur Program

Futurpreneur - Ages 18-39

IAPO First Nations Farm & Business Financing
PARO - Women
WEOC (Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada)

Workshops, Events, Education

Open until December - Training for Co-op Enterprise Developers (CoopZone)

November 12, 10am - Social Media Strategy (MellowBrew Marketing)

November 13, 9am-5pm - Unlocking Funding Success: Fundraising & Grant Writing For Non-For-Profits (Small Business Centre, in-person)

November 13-14 - SaaS North Conference (Ottawa) - PARO has organized a delegation of women-owned companies 

November 14, 7pm - Bancroft BIA General Meeting (Zoom)

November 14, 5-7pm - Chamber on Tap (Firehall Food, Madoc & District Chamber of Commerce)

November 15 deadline - Tourism Survey (OHTO)

November 16, 10am-3pm - Holiday Pop-Up Shop (117 Durham St S.; Madoc & District Chamber of Commerce)

November 21, 9am-1pm - Ask the Pros (Trent Port Marina, Trenton)

November 26, 9-11am - Social Media Strategies for Small Business (CO' Marketing)

November 27, 8am - Chamber Breakfast (Emerald Earring 665 Lahey Rd., Madoc, Madoc & District Chamber of Commerce)

 
Open/On Demand:

BDC Learning Centre

OBCT (Ontario Building Trades and Construction) Newsletter

Ontario Chamber of Commerce Webinars

Small Business Centres Ontario: Business Basics, Start-Up, Business Growth

Start Now Incubator for Women Entrepreneurs

StrikeUp - Digital conference for women entrepreneurs

Teeny Tiny Summits

Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub  (WEKH)
Product Testing at Loyalist College - Contact Loyalist Industry Partnership Officer Laurie Caouette [email protected]

Reports

Our Economic and Tourism Development Staff collect and analyze statistics, conduct research and review reports regularly. This helps inform our plans and programming, and should also serve to help you with your business planning.