Ontario government grants, loans and incentives for small businesses

Ranked programs

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

1. Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER)

   Government of Ontario (Ministry of Energy and Mines; applied by utilities)

   Automatic percentage reduction on the electricity bills of eligible small businesses and farms.

   OngoingOntarioOther incentives
   58

   Top pick

2. Save on Energy Instant Discounts Program (lighting)

   IESO (Save on Energy)

   Point-of-sale discounts on energy-efficient lighting products from participating distributors for existing Ontario commercial, agricultural, industrial, institutional...

   OngoingOntarioOther incentives
   58

   Top pick

3. Apprenticeship Achievement Incentive (employer and group sponsor milestone payments)

   Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

   Pays employers and group sponsors at apprentice milestones: registration, each in-class level, and certification.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $17K
   51

   Top pick

4. Save on Energy Small Business Program

   IESO (Save on Energy)

   Free energy assessment plus no-cost direct installation of lighting, refrigeration and smart thermostat upgrades for small businesses.

   OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $6K
   49

   Strong

5. OCI Digital Competence Centre

   Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI)

   Digital adoption support for Ontario SMEs, including funded digital modernization plans and technology demonstration projects.

   OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $50K
   46

   Strong

6. Save on Energy Retrofit Program

   IESO (Save on Energy)

   Incentives for Ontario businesses, institutions, multi-residential and agricultural facilities that cut electricity use. Prescriptive (fixed per measure) and Custom...

   OngoingOntarioOther incentives
   46

   Strong

7. Ontario Innovation Tax Credit (OITC)

   Ontario Ministry of Finance / Canada Revenue Agency

   Refundable credit on qualifying scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) expenditures performed in Ontario by eligible corporations. Helps smaller...

   OngoingOntarioOther incentivesLimit $240K
   45

   Strong

8. Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG)

   Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (federal-provincial cost-shared)

   Helps individual Ontario employers pay for short-term training for existing or new employees, with the government covering a share of eligible training costs.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
   42

   Strong

9. Ontario Job Grant (formerly Canada-Ontario Job Grant)

   Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (Employment Ontario)

   Helps employers pay for short-term third-party training for new or existing employees. Employer and government share the training cost.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
   42

   Strong

10. Enbridge Gas Business Energy Efficiency Programs (UTILITY PROGRAM - not government)

    Enbridge Gas Inc. (private utility; NOT a government program)

    Natural-gas utility incentives for commercial and industrial customers: prescriptive equipment incentives, custom retrofits, new construction, audits and assessments...

    OngoingOntarioOther incentives
    39

    Strong

11. Save on Energy Energy Performance Program (EPP)

    IESO (Save on Energy)

    Pay-for-performance incentives for commercial, institutional and industrial facilities that reduce electricity use through operational and capital changes, paid per kWh...

    OpenOntarioOther incentives
    39

    Strong

12. Save on Energy Peak Performance Program

    IESO (Save on Energy)

    Demand response incentives for commercial and institutional buildings that reduce HVAC loads on forecast peak electricity demand days.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentives
    37

    Worth a look

13. NOHFC Invest North - Launch

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Conditional contribution for new start-ups in Northern Ontario.

    OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $200K
    35

    Worth a look

14. Hamilton Commercial District Revitalization Grant (CDRG) Program

    City of Hamilton / Invest in Hamilton

    Matching grant for permanent exterior, accessibility and sustainability improvements to commercial or mixed-use properties in designated Hamilton commercial districts...

    OngoingOntarioGrants
    34

    Worth a look

15. London Industrial Development Charges Grant

    City of London

    Grant equal to a share of development charges for industrial development, redevelopment and adaptive reuse within London's Urban Growth Boundary.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $250K
    34

    Worth a look

16. London Core Area Safety Audit Grant

    City of London (Planning and Development)

    Matching grant to improve safety and security of properties in London's Core Area, such as exterior lighting, storefront gates, landscaping and security cameras.

    OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $10K
    33

    Worth a look

17. Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit

    Ontario Ministry of Finance / Canada Revenue Agency

    Refundable credit for employers that hire post-secondary co-op students in qualifying work placements.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesLimit $3K
    32

    Worth a look

18. Kitchener Downtown Façade Grant Program

    City of Kitchener

    Matching grants for street-facing façade improvements to downtown Kitchener buildings, including storefronts, signage, windows, awnings and AODA accessibility upgrades.

    OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $30K
    31

    Worth a look

19. NOHFC Workforce Development Program (internships)

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Funds internship salaries for Northern Ontario employers.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $35K
    30

    Worth a look

20. London Façade Improvement Loan (Community Improvement Plan)

    City of London (Planning and Development)

    Low-cost loan for exterior building improvements such as windows, doors, brick repair, painting, lighting and attached signage within London's Community Improvement...

    OngoingOntarioLoansLoans up to $50K
    29

    Worth a look

21. Starter Company Plus

    Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (via Small Business Enterprise Centres)

    Training, mentoring and a grant for people starting, expanding or buying a business.

    OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $5K
    28

    Worth a look

22. 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

23. Save on Energy Peak Perks (residential and small business thermostats)

    IESO (Save on Energy)

    Participants with an eligible smart thermostat allow brief adjustments during peak summer demand and receive a sign-up payment plus an annual payment.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentives
    26

    Worth a look

24. 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

25. Ontario Creates Futures Forward Program

    Ontario Creates

    Early-stage development funding for emerging interactive and linear content creators who complete the Futures Forward workshop.

    OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $20K
    24

    Long shot

26. OVIN Technology Pilot Zones

    Ontario Centre of Innovation (OVIN)

    Gives Ontario SMEs real-world environments to pilot automotive and mobility solutions.

    Intake-basedOntarioOther incentivesUp to $100K
    24

    Long shot

27. Small Business Peak Perks

    IESO (Save on Energy)

    Credit for enrolling eligible smart thermostats in demand-response events.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $75
    22

    Long shot

28. Kitchener Designated Heritage Grant Program

    City of Kitchener

    Grants toward conserving individually designated heritage properties and properties in Kitchener heritage districts.

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
    20

    Long shot

29. Ontario Creates Publishing Marketing and Discoverability Fund

    Ontario Creates

    Combines the former Book Fund and Magazine Fund; supports Ontario book and magazine publishers' marketing and discoverability projects.

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $150K
    20

    Long shot

30. OVIN R&D Partnership Fund

    Ontario Centre of Innovation (OVIN)

    Co-investment for SMEs developing and demonstrating automotive and mobility technologies (connected/autonomous vehicles, EVs, charging, semiconductors).

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $1M
    20

    Long shot

31. Toronto Heritage Property Tax Rebate Program

    City of Toronto (Heritage Planning)

    Property tax rebate for eligible commercial and industrial heritage properties in Toronto that complete qualifying conservation work.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentives
    18

    Long shot

32. Ontario Creates Intellectual Property (IP) Fund

    Ontario Creates

    Ontario Creates' main screen-content fund, with three streams: Linear Content (development and production of feature films and digital series), Interactive Content...

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $500K
    17

    Long shot

33. Ontario Music Investment Fund: Live Music, Company Development, Futures, Industry Development and Global Market Development

    Ontario Creates (Ontario Music Office)

    Ontario Music Investment Fund streams run by the Ontario Music Office: Live Music (grants to promoters and presenters), Music Company Development, Music Futures...

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $125K
    17

    Long shot

34. Regional Development Program: Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) Stream

    Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

    Financial support to advanced manufacturing companies, with a focus on SMEs, for capital equipment, technology adoption and skills development to improve competitiveness.

    Intake-basedOntarioGrants
    12

    Long shot

Questions

How many Ontario programs for small businesses are open right now?

Of the 56 Ontario programs for small businesses in our database, 25 are open or ongoing and 9 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?

London Industrial Development Charges Grant publishes the largest figure on this page, shown as "Up to $250K". 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 Ontario programs for small businesses rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Ontario Electricity Rebate (58, Top pick), Save on Energy Instant Discounts Program (58, Top pick), Apprenticeship Achievement Incentive (51, Top pick). 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 25 open or ongoing programs here, 10 are in our Grants category, 1 are loans and 14 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

0 of the 25 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 25 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.