Creative Export Canada advertises 75% grant funding up to $2.5 million towards heightening international exposure and increase export profitability of Canada’s creative industries. Eligible recipients include not-for profit organizations as well as private sector businesses with annual revenues under $500 million.

Eligible projects must:

• have a minimum total cost of $300,000,
• have at least 25% by privately sourced financing,
• be market ready (export research/plan is fully developed),
• expect to generate new export revenues,
• support one or more of the following creative industries:
  • Interactive Digital Media (in combination with at least one of the industries listed below).
  • Audiovisual
  • Design (limited to exhibit design, fashion design, artistic product design, public art design, urban design)
  • Music
  • Performing Arts,
  • Publishing,
  • Visual Arts

Only project-related cash expenses are eligible; these may include:

• acquisition of digital or other technologies
• professional services
• employee salaries
• marketing and travel expenses
• 15% of administrative costs
• 10% of translation and interpretation expenses

Ineligible expenses include but not limited to:

• capital related to applicant’s ongoing operating activities (e.g. computer or equipment purchase, etc.)
• content creation
• hospitality (e.g. meals and beverages served at an event, catering fees)
• in-kind expenses
• hiring me as a nude model for an art class in the Netherlands (Been there. Done that)

Project duration can be up to 24 months years starting April 1, 2021 and ending no later than March 31, 2023. Deadline for applications is deadline is 11.59 pm. November 25, 2020.

The Canada United Small Business Relief Fund (CUSBRF) is advertising 100% funding up to $5,000 to reimburse Canadian businesses and organizations for costs directly incurred due to Covid-19. Applicants must have no more than 75 employees and sales between $150,000 to $3 million. Eligible activities and costs are:

• Renovation of space includes alterations specifically related to Covid-19 that are temporary or permanent, made to the applicant’s business to reduce the risk to customers or staff.
• Enhancement of website/ e-commerce capability: which involves developing or upgrading a website to better serve customers and pivot business operations as a direct response to Covid -19.
• Purchase of Personal Protective Equipment: may include equipment purchased to ensure operations are safe for both customers and employees.

All costs must have incurrent after March 15,2020. Priority will be given to Indigenous People, women, visible minorities, LGBTQ2+, and persons with disabilities.  Considerations will also be made to ensure the fund is distributed broadly to all regions across the country. Municipalities, charities and government organizations are not eligible. Applicants require $1 million in commercial general liability insurance, plus cannot stack program funding with other government incentives. Apply immediately since, based on previous program releases, funding will go fast.

APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED

The Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SODF) advertises 15% up to $5 million in grants and four-year interest-free loans towards investments that create jobs and lead to economic growth. Eligible expenditures include equipment, consulting services, facility retrofits and expansions, as well as employee training and other project-related costs incurred over 3 to 4 years. Only expenses incurred after receiving approval (i.e. March 2, 2021) will be eligible for reimbursement.

Businesses are required to have 3 years of financial statements and be (or plan to be) located in one of the following Southwestern Ontario counties: (Brant, Bruce, Chatham-Kent, Dufferin, Elgin, Essex, Grey, Haldimand, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Niagara, Norfolk, Oxford, Perth, Simcoe, Waterloo and Wellington)

Applicants in rural communities (populations under 100,000) must have at least 5 employees and may receive up to $500,000 as a grant. Rural businesses are required to make investments of no less than $200,000.

Applicants in communities with populations over 100,000 may receive 15% up to $5 million as an interest-free loan. These businesses must have 10 or more employees and plan to invest at least $500,000. Up to 30% of the loan is forgivable to a maximum of $500,000 if the applicant achieves its job creation and investment targets.

Strategic new investments to Ontario (companies without a presence in Ontario), or companies whose investment plans (including new mandates, expansions or re-shoring/relocation) are subject to significant risk due to incentives offered from other jurisdictions, are eligible to receive 15% up to $1.5 million as a grant.

Businesses with 15 or more employees must create 5 jobs by project completion. Companies with fewer employees are required to increase their workforce by 30%. Only costs incurred after approval are eligible for funding.

There is also 50% grants funding up to $1.5 million for community economic development.

Next application intake deadline is December 1, 2020.

The AgriAssurance program offers 50% grant funding up to $50,000 towards obtaining  third-party certification required to meet a specific export client product certification (e.g. Costco U.S. Addendum, Wholefoods’ Global Animal Partnership, Blue Nile’s Halal cheese certification). Funding is available to Canadian agriculture/agrifood businesses (including fish and seafood) that have less than 250 employees and $50 million in revenue, who have an export buyer expressing interest in purchasing their product(s) if certified. Eligible expenditures include:

• Contracted Professional Services
• Hiring New Employees
• Travel

All eligible expenditures must directly relate to achieving first-time certification. Applicants will be assessed on their capability of serving an export market (e.g. have a supply chain in place, sufficient production capacity, etc.). 

The AgriScience Program (Projects) will contribute 50% to just under $5 million towards private sector pre-commercial science activities and cutting-edge short-term research which lead to new technologies, products, practices, processes and systems benefiting agriculture and agri-food sector and Canadians.

Projects are expected to address at least one of the following program priorities:

• Improve support for minor commodities, emerging, and transformative areas. For example:
  • conducting scientific research that addresses emerging market potential of small production crops and livestock.

• • value-added transformation, e.g. bioproducts from agricultural fibre and agricultural residue from plants
  • improve agricultural production, such as the application of emerging technologies (e.g. robotics, sensors, artificial intelligence, big data analytics).
• Invest in research, discovery, and applied science for major commodity sectors (canola, wheat, dairy, beef, and pork, etc.) to:
  • maintain sector economic growth,
  • increase agricultural productivity, improving traits for food and non-food uses, addressing threats to the agriculture and agri-food value chain, and/or improving environmental performance.
  • boost crop variety development, finishing, and/or, resistance to pest and disease
  • address agreed upon priorities of the sector (such as those identified by the Value Chain Round Tables)
• Enhance efforts in clean growth, environment, and climate change, such as:
  • addressing environmental challenges and adaptation to changing climate, agricultural impacts on air, water, and soil
  • reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions
  • transforming agricultural products into biofuels
  • water management and soil management
• Accelerate growth of Canada’s food and beverage processing or value-added sector. For example:
  • ensuring the safety and quality of foods
  • research addressing market access issues leading to increased exports
• Strengthen knowledge transfer and adoption of research. For example:
  • ensuring that research programs include consideration of end users and practical application of research results
  • making information readily available in formats easily accessible, such as social media, brochures, videos

Projects can be for up to 5 years during which time eligible project-related costs include capital acquisitions, employee wages, consultant and researcher fees, administration expenses, travel, and facility rental disbursements. The fund does not support activities, including research, occurring at the commercialization phase of development for products, practices, processes, systems, or technologies.

The Canada Ontario Job Grant will contribute up to 100% of out-of-pocket costs towards employee training to a maximum of $15,000/trainee. Eligible costs include tuition/trainer fees, training materials, clothing and tools, employee travel over 48 km. return, facility rental as well as examination, student tuition and examination expenses. Training must be delivered over a period of 1 year or less by a recognized for-profit training company (e.g. must be training for a minimum 2 years and in the field of expertise for 4 years), a public university, college or school, or a government recognized unionized or private training institution. Vendor training (i.e. training associated with the purchase of new equipment or services) is ineligible as is mandatory, executive, apprenticeship and preparatory instruction. Ontario companies with more than 100 employees must contribute 50% towards eligible costs and can receive a maximum of $10,000/trainee. Businesses with less than 100 employees are eligible for $15,000/trainee and need to contribute 1/6^th of related expenses for training existing employees and contribute zero towards training new personnel. Companies with more than 500 employees are not entitled to receive funding for senior management-related instruction. There is no limit on the amount of funding requested or the frequency and number of applications, which can be made. However, funding will only be awarded for instruction given by one trainer over a period of one year or less. Please note that this program exist across Canada.