Government grants, loans and funding for Indigenous businesses and communities

Ranked programs

Top 36 of 59 open, ongoing or intake-based programs, best score first.

1. Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Business Development: Access to Capital (Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program)

   Indigenous Services Canada, delivered by Indigenous Financial Institutions and Metis Capital Corporations

   Non-repayable equity-type contributions and business services for Indigenous entrepreneurs and Indigenous community businesses to start, expand or acquire a business...

   OngoingFederalGrantsUp to $250K
   43

   Strong

2. Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF)

   Ministry of Sport

   $500 million cost-shared program to repair/upgrade existing sport and recreation facilities (Stream 1) and build new or signature facilities (Stream 2).

   OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $10M
   41

   Strong

3. First Nations Community Building Retrofit Program

   IESO (Save on Energy)

   Energy-efficiency retrofits for community buildings in on-reserve First Nations.

   OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $330K
   41

   Strong

4. Mitacs Accelerate

   Mitacs

   Matches partner contributions to fund research internships connecting businesses and organizations with university researchers and trainees.

   OngoingFederalGrants
   41

   Strong

5. FedNor - Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP)

   FedNor

   FedNor's NODP funds community economic development, SME business growth and a municipal/First Nation economic-development-officer initiative (CIINO) in Northern Ontario...

   OngoingFederalGrantsUp to $170K
   40

   Strong

6. Mitacs AI Advantage (ADOPT and AI+X)

   Mitacs

   Non-competitive Mitacs offerings supporting organizations to adopt and innovate with AI through trainee-led projects: ADOPT (AI readiness to implementation) and AI+X...

   OpenFederalGrantsUp to $25K
   39

   Strong

7. NOHFC Enhance Your Community Program

   Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

   Funds community infrastructure projects in Northern Ontario.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $2M
   39

   Strong

8. NOHFC Rural Enhancement Program

   Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

   Funds quality-of-life projects in rural Northern Ontario communities.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $500K
   39

   Strong

9. Great Lakes Local Action Fund

   Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

   Project funding for community-based action that increases climate resilience and protects or improves water quality in the Great Lakes, including wetland, shoreline and...

   OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $100K
   38

   Strong

10. Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (BSI)

    Mitacs

    Matches partner funds to place students, postdocs and recent graduates in business-strategy and innovation projects at Canadian organizations.

    OngoingFederalGrantsUp to $15K
    37

    Worth a look

11. Celebrate Canada Funding Program

    Canadian Heritage

    Funds community activities held on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Canadian Multiculturalism Day and Canada Day.

    OpenFederalGrants
    36

    Worth a look

12. Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program

    Employment and Social Development Canada

    Funds Indigenous service delivery organizations that design and deliver job training and employment services to First Nations, Inuit, Metis and urban/non-affiliated...

    OngoingFederalOther incentives
    35

    Worth a look

13. Enabling Accessibility Fund - Express Workplace Accessibility Grant (EWAG)

    Employment and Social Development Canada (Service Canada)

    Funds immediate workplace accessibility updates that support hiring, retention or continued employment of persons with disabilities. Projects can remove barriers through...

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $50K
    34

    Worth a look

14. Ontario Trillium Foundation: Grow Grant

    Ontario Trillium Foundation

    Multi-year funding for established non-profits to scale proven community programs.

    OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $200K
    34

    Worth a look

15. Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (CGHAP)

    Natural Resources Canada (transitioning to Environment and Climate Change Canada); delivered through provincial and territorial programs

    Provides low-to-median-income homeowners and tenants with no-cost home retrofits such as insulation and heat pumps. Selected organizations deliver the work directly, so...

    OngoingFederalOther incentives
    33

    Worth a look

16. NOHFC Community Events Program

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Funds events that promote economic development in Northern Ontario.

    OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
    32

    Worth a look

17. Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit

    Canada Revenue Agency / Natural Resources Canada

    Refundable credit of up to 15% of capital cost of eligible clean electricity property (generation, storage, transmission), open to taxable corporations and also to...

    OngoingFederalOther incentives
    31

    Worth a look

18. Changing Narratives Fund

    Department of Canadian Heritage

    The Changing Narratives Fund supports diverse communities (Indigenous, Black, racialized, ethno-religious minority, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+) in sharing...

    OngoingFederalGrants
    30

    Worth a look

19. FedNor - Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII)

    FedNor

    Helps Northern Ontario SMEs, not-for-profits, Indigenous organizations and municipalities commercialize and adopt AI. For-profits normally receive repayable...

    OngoingFederalLoansLoans up to $700M
    30

    Worth a look

20. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program - Events component

    Canadian Heritage

    Funds community events that promote intercultural or interfaith understanding, discuss multiculturalism and racism, or celebrate a community's history and culture such...

    OpenFederalGrants
    29

    Worth a look

21. FedNor - Build Communities Strong Fund, Local Impact Stream (Northern Ontario)

    FedNor

    Non-repayable funding for shovel-ready community projects in Northern Ontario that deliver public benefits.

    Intake-basedFederalGrantsUp to $1M
    28

    Worth a look

22. Indigenous Transportation Initiatives Fund for Indigenous Communities and Organizations

    Ministry of Transportation

    The Indigenous Transportation Initiatives Fund (ITIF) is an application-based funding program for Indigenous communities and organizations pursuing...

    OpenOntarioGrants
    28

    Worth a look

23. Ontario Transit Investment Fund (OTIF)

    Ministry of Transportation

    Time-limited, application-based funding for up to 5 years to support the start-up and growth of transit services, especially in smaller and rural communities.

    OpenOntarioGrants
    28

    Worth a look

24. Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy

    Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

    A community-based program funding projects that prevent and reduce homelessness in urban, Indigenous, territorial and rural and remote communities, with decisions made...

    OngoingFederalGrants
    28

    Worth a look

25. Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk

    Fisheries and Oceans Canada

    The Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR) supports the recovery and protection of aquatic species at risk. It funds multi-species, place-based and...

    OpenFederalGrants
    27

    Worth a look

26. Indigenous Participation Fund: Mining Conferences Sub-Stream

    Ministry of Energy and Mines

    Financial assistance for Indigenous communities and organizations to attend mining conferences in Ontario and build relationships and knowledge about the mineral sector.

    OpenOntarioGrants
    26

    Worth a look

27. Rural Ontario Development (ROD) Program

    Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA)

    Cost-share for rural economic development: plans, diversification, workforce, events, community infrastructure and rural small business.

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $250K
    26

    Worth a look

28. NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Funds salaries for Indigenous interns hired by Northern Ontario organizations.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $53K
    25

    Worth a look

29. Futurpreneur Core Startup Program (also Black and Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Programs)

    Futurpreneur Canada with BDC

    Equity-free start-up loan for entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39, with up to two years of one-to-one mentorship. Black and Indigenous streams offer tailored mentorship.

    OngoingFederalLoansLoans up to $75K
    24

    Long shot

30. Ontario Arts Council Project Grants (35+ programs)

    Ontario Arts Council

    One-time grants for specific projects by Ontario artists, arts professionals, collectives and organizations, delivered through about 40 discipline and priority-group...

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $60K
    24

    Long shot

31. Ontario Trillium Foundation: Capital Grant

    Ontario Trillium Foundation

    Funding for equipment, renovation and capital projects of non-profits.

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $200K
    24

    Long shot

32. Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage - Local Festivals

    Canadian Heritage

    Funds local festivals that celebrate local arts and heritage and encourage community engagement.

    Intake-basedFederalGrantsUp to $200K
    23

    Long shot

33. First Nation Adapt Program

    Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)

    Funds First Nation-led projects that assess climate change impacts and build climate resilience, such as hazard mapping, adaptation planning and community discussions.

    OngoingFederalGrants
    23

    Long shot

34. Northern REACHE (Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity)

    Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)

    Funds clean energy projects and related capacity building and planning in northern communities to reduce reliance on diesel for heating and electricity.

    OngoingFederalGrants
    23

    Long shot

35. Team Canada Strong Youth Placements

    Employment and Social Development Canada

    Funds organizations to deliver paid, entry-level construction and trades work placements for youth aged 15 to 30, supporting pathways into apprenticeships.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $30M
    23

    Long shot

36. Canada Council for the Arts - Creating, Knowing and Sharing (First Nations, Inuit and Metis arts)

    Canada Council for the Arts

    Funds Indigenous individuals, groups and Indigenous-led arts organizations that foster a vital and resilient Indigenous arts ecosystem, via five funding opportunities...

    OngoingFederalGrants
    22

    Long shot

There are 23 more. Create a free account to filter the full list by your own profile.

Questions

How many programs for Indigenous businesses and communities are open right now?

Of the 138 programs for Indigenous businesses and communities in our database, 43 are open or ongoing and 16 take applications only in intake windows. The rest are closed, paused or of unknown status, so they are not ranked on this page. Counts reflect our last check on Nov 4, 2026; programs can change without notice.

What is the largest published amount among these programs?

FedNor - Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) publishes the largest figure on this page, shown as "Loans up to $700M". Published figures are program maximums, caps or limits, not what an applicant should expect to receive; many programs pay a share of eligible costs and amounts depend on your project and eligibility.

Which programs for Indigenous businesses and communities rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Business Development: Access to Capital (43, Strong), Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (41, Strong), First Nations Community Building Retrofit Program (41, Strong). The score combines the size of the published amount, how much work an application takes, how likely an eligible applicant is to succeed and how many people qualify.

Do I have to pay this money back?

It depends on the program. Grants and incentives are generally not repaid, loans always are, and some contribution agreements are partly or fully repayable, so read the terms of each program. Among the 43 open or ongoing programs here, 33 are in our Grants category, 5 are loans and 5 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

27 of the 43 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 16 from the Ontario government. Both levels can usually be combined, but many programs have stacking rules that cap total government funding for the same costs, so check them before you apply.

Is this an official government website?

No. Grants & Loans Finder is an independent research tool. Each program page links to the official source, and applications are always made with the government agency or lender that runs the program.