Grants for Small Business Guidebook
What SMBs need to get started with grants

Summary: 

• At the very least, you’ll need to have your business license to prove you are a Canadian business. 
• The required documents vary depending on the grant type. The larger the grant, the more supporting documentation you’ll need. 
• Be sure to check the applicant guides and make a checklist for your submission documents.

So you’re ready to start applying for government grants. Before you dive in, there are a few things you should have on hand to make the process easier. Most of the work associated with securing grant funds is administrative, so being organized and knowing what you need is key. The required documents vary depending on the grant type, so let’s take a look. 

What you need to apply for hiring grants

• Business license
• Registered business number
• Job description
• Candidate resume

What you need to apply for training grants

• Business license
• Training course identified
• Course outline
• NAICS code

What you need to apply for market expansion grants

• Business license
• Business plan or export plan
• Budget forecast
• Marketing strategy

These are the absolute bare necessities for applying for grants. Each grant may have additional requirements such as market research documents, letters of support, business cases, and even a video submission. As you can see, the documents will vary depending on the grant type, and the grant size. The larger the grant, the more documents you’ll need to provide to provide justification as to why your business should be approved. That’s why it’s always important to review the applicant guidelines to make sure you submit all the required documentation. 

Keeping track of your expenses, reports, and reimbursements will help you monitor the grant, and will better your reputation with the grant program. Applicants that are organized make the grant life cycle simpler, and will increase your chances of getting approved again in the future.