Grant Guidebook for Small Businesses in Ontario
How much grant funding can I get in Ontario?

Executive Summary

• Funding amount varies depending on the grant type, and is either a set amount or a percentage of the project costs. 
• Grants may have funding limits that stipulate the maximum amount of funding you can get in one fiscal year. 
• You can leverage, or stack, multiple grants to maximize your government support and grow your business.

The amount of grant funding you can get depends on what types of grants you’re applying for. Each program will have this information front and center, it’s usually found on the first page of the website. 

Although funding varies between grant programs in Ontario, the ratios are consistent between program types. Let’s dive into the most common ones: hiring, training, and market expansion. 

• Hiring: Most hiring grants are wage subsidies. This means they’ll cover between 20-80% of the employee’s wages for a specified time frame, up to a certain amount. This range accounts for the type of role you’re hiring for. Entry-level positions will be on the lower end, while more technical roles that require education or previous experience will be on the higher end. 
• Training: Depending on the type of training you’re doing, each training grant will offer a range of coverage. This typically ranges between 60-100% of training costs. You read that right – some programs will cover 100% of the costs to train up your team!
• Market Expansion: This is where funding varies the most. Some market expansion programs offer up to $50,000 in funding, while others can be in the hundreds of thousands – even millions. Regardless of the funding total, these programs will typically cover 50-75% of project expenses up to the specific amount. 

Grant programs in Ontario typically have funding caps. This means that in one fiscal year, they have a maximum amount of grant funding available from one program. After all, money isn’t infinite! This is where grant planning and strategy comes in. By preparing early and planning ahead, you could leverage a mix of grant types to maximize funding for your small business. 

A lesser-known fact: you can leverage multiple grants for one initiative or project. This is called ‘stacking’, and is subject to specific conditions. Head over to our article on grant stacking to find out more. 

To find out how much grant funding you could qualify for, head over to our Grant Calculator!