Federal government grants, loans and incentives for municipalities and local governments

Ranked programs

30 open, ongoing or intake-based programs, best score first.

1. Electric Vehicle Affordability Program (EVAP)

   Transport Canada

   Point-of-sale incentives for Canadians, organizations and businesses buying or leasing an eligible new electric vehicle. It replaces the closed iZEV program.

   OngoingFederalOther incentivesUp to $5K
   45

   Strong

2. Mitacs Accelerate

   Mitacs

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

   OngoingFederalGrants
   41

   Strong

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Commemorative Partnership Program (Community Engagement and Community War Memorials)

   Veterans Affairs Canada

   Funds remembrance initiatives and the construction, restoration or expansion of community war memorials. Several streams with year-round and fixed-deadline intakes.

   OpenFederalGrantsUp to $25K
   35

   Worth a look

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Investments in Training Equipment (Canada Apprenticeship Strategy)

    Employment and Social Development Canada

    Funds the purchase of new, up-to-date training equipment and materials for Red Seal trades apprenticeship training. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $5M
    28

    Worth a look

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. CMHC Apartment Construction Loan Program (ACLP)

    Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

    Low-cost construction-to-stabilization loans for rental housing, including standard rental, seniors and student housing. Key financing for real estate developers.

    OpenFederalLoans
    21

    Long shot

19. Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative

    Canada Water Agency

    Supports local action to restore Great Lakes Areas of Concern, prevent toxic and nuisance algae, protect coastal wetlands, reduce harmful chemicals and increase...

    OpenFederalGrants
    21

    Long shot

20. Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF)

    Canadian Heritage

    Supports improving physical conditions for arts, heritage and creative innovation, including renovation projects and the acquisition of specialized equipment for...

    OngoingFederalGrants
    20

    Long shot

21. FedNor - Economic Development Initiative (EDI), Northern Ontario

    FedNor

    Funds projects that encourage economic growth in Northern Ontario's Francophone communities and that capitalize on economic opportunities made possible through the use...

    OngoingFederalGrants
    20

    Long shot

22. National Cost-Sharing Program for Heritage Places

    Parks Canada

    Cost-shares conservation and presentation work at national historic sites, heritage lighthouses and heritage railway stations through annual calls for project proposals.

    OpenFederalGrants
    20

    Long shot

23. Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF)

    Canadian Heritage

    Financial assistance to organizations that professionally present arts festivals or performing arts series, and to presenter support organizations; supports about 800...

    Intake-basedFederalGrants
    17

    Long shot

24. Museums Assistance Program (MAP)

    Canadian Heritage

    Supports heritage institutions and workers to preserve and present heritage collections, with components for Indigenous Heritage, Access to Heritage, Exhibition...

    Intake-basedFederalGrants
    15

    Long shot

25. Environmental Damages Fund (EDF)

    Environment and Climate Change Canada

    Funds projects that benefit Canada's natural environment in restoration, environmental quality improvement, research and development, and education and awareness, using...

    Intake-basedFederalGrants
    14

    Long shot

26. FedNor - Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative (Northern Ontario)

    FedNor

    Supports Northern Ontario businesses and organizations strengthening the housing supply chain and residential construction innovation. Commercial projects are generally...

    Intake-basedFederalLoansLoans up to $500K
    14

    Long shot

27. Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF)

    Environment and Climate Change Canada

    A ten-year fund backing projects that avoid, restore or better manage ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, peatlands and grasslands to cut greenhouse gas emissions...

    Intake-basedFederalGrants
    14

    Long shot

28. Build Canada Homes (BCH) - proposal portal and financing

    Build Canada Homes (Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada)

    Federal agency that finances and builds affordable housing with private developers, non-profits, Indigenous partners and governments; uses tools such as loans, loan...

    OpenFederalLoans
    13

    Long shot

29. Canada Infrastructure Bank - Infrastructure for Housing Initiative

    Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)

    Low-cost, risk-sharing loans for public infrastructure that enables housing growth; repayments are linked to growth in housing units. The CIB finances enabling...

    OngoingFederalLoans
    10

    Long shot

30. Federal Lands Initiative (CMHC)

    Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

    Transfers or leases surplus federal lands and buildings to eligible housing providers at discounted or no cost for development into affordable, accessible...

    Intake-basedFederalOther incentives
    6

    Long shot

Questions

How many federal programs for municipalities and local governments are open right now?

Of the 89 federal programs for municipalities and local governments in our database, 22 are open or ongoing and 8 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 federal programs for municipalities and local governments rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Electric Vehicle Affordability Program (45, Strong), Mitacs Accelerate (41, Strong), FedNor - Northern Ontario Development Program (40, 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 22 open or ongoing programs here, 16 are in our Grants category, 4 are loans and 2 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

22 of the 22 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 0 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.