Toronto Small Business Grants & Funding in 2026: What's Open Now?

Searching for small-business grants in Toronto can be surprisingly confusing.

A program can continue appearing in search results long after applications close. Some programs reopen with little notice. And funding described broadly as “business support” may actually be a loan, repayable contribution, tax incentive or highly targeted grant.

That makes the date of the information extremely important.

As of September 21, 2026, Toronto entrepreneurs have one particularly relevant City micro-grant accepting applications again: Starter Company Plus.

At the federal level, the Regional Tariff Response Initiative is also accepting applications, but it is aimed at much larger, established businesses affected by trade pressures rather than typical startups.

Several other well-known Toronto and federal programs are currently closed.

Here is where things stand.

Last checked: September 21, 2026. Funding programs can open, close or change quickly. Confirm the current status with the administering government agency before preparing an application.

Quick Summary: What's Open Right Now?

• Starter Company Plus — $5,000 micro-grant — OPEN
• Regional Tariff Response Initiative — potentially substantial funding for qualifying tariff-impacted businesses — OPEN
• CanExport SMEs — up to $50,000 — CLOSED
• Toronto Trade Accelerator Program — $5,000 micro-grant — CLOSED
• Summer Company — up to $3,000 — CLOSED
• Commercial Space Renovation Grant — up to $20,000 base funding, plus qualifying accessibility support — CLOSED

For many ordinary Toronto small businesses, Starter Company Plus is currently the most directly actionable program on this list.

1. Starter Company Plus: $5,000 — Open Now

This is the biggest change since AD18 Local last reviewed Toronto business funding.

The City of Toronto's Starter Company Plus Grant is currently accepting applications.

The deadline is:

October 9, 2026 at 4:29 p.m.

The program combines:

• up to 15 hours of business training
• advisory and mentoring support
• the opportunity to apply for a $5,000 micro-grant

This is not simply a form where every applicant receives $5,000.

Applicants must meet both entrepreneur and business eligibility requirements, and applications are evaluated competitively.

Who Can Apply for Starter Company Plus?

Current City requirements include that the applicant must:

• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• be at least 18 years old
• live in Toronto
• not be attending school or planning to return to school while enrolled in the program
• devote at least 35 hours per week to the business
• not be employed elsewhere
• not be enrolled in another government-funded employment program

The business must also meet requirements including:

• be registered
• have a Toronto address on its registration documents
• have a commercial business bank account
• have operated for at least six months but no more than five years
• demonstrate financial activity
• be majority-owned by the applicant
• operate in Toronto
• operate year-round
• hold required licences or certifications where applicable

Applicants must also have already invested at least $1,250, equivalent to 25% of the grant amount, into legitimate business expenses.

Starter Company Plus Is Not Open to Every Type of Business

The City's current rules exclude a number of business models.

Examples include certain:

• franchises
• charities and non-profits
• childcare centres
• property-rental businesses
• cryptocurrency businesses
• financial and investment businesses
• businesses raising money for other organizations
• product-reselling online businesses
• businesses based around controlled substances
• other specifically excluded activities

So do not spend hours building an application until you have checked the current eligibility list.

For a qualifying Toronto entrepreneur with an operating business between six months and five years old, though, this is currently one of the most accessible City funding opportunities.

2. Regional Tariff Response Initiative: Open, but for Larger Businesses

The federal Regional Tariff Response Initiative, or RTRI, is currently accepting applications through FedDev Ontario for southern Ontario.

This program is very different from Starter Company Plus.

It is designed for businesses experiencing pressure from tariffs and global trade disruption.

FedDev Ontario currently says the initiative is focused on tariff-impacted businesses with minimum annual revenue of $1 million.

That means it is not designed as a typical startup grant.

What Funding Can RTRI Provide?

The program currently has two major types of business support.

Liquidity Assistance

For businesses experiencing tariff-related financial pressure:

• up to $2 million in non-repayable funding
• generally up to 50% of eligible costs
• support can cover a period of up to 12 months

Pivot Projects

For projects intended to improve productivity, competitiveness or resilience:

• up to $1 million in non-repayable funding for qualifying projects with local or regional economic benefits
• generally up to 50% of eligible costs

Larger transformative projects may receive repayable support above $1 million.

FedDev Ontario says a qualifying business may receive up to $3 million in combined non-repayable RTRI funding and potentially up to $20 million in total RTRI support when repayable funding is included.

Those amounts are substantially larger than a conventional small-business grant.

The eligibility bar is also much higher.

Applicants should expect to provide detailed financial statements and supporting business documentation.

Which Toronto Businesses Should Look at RTRI?

The program is most relevant to established companies that:

• operate in southern Ontario
• generate at least approximately $1 million in annual revenue
• are experiencing tariff-related pressure
• need liquidity support
• are investing in productivity or competitiveness
• are reducing exposure to trade disruption
• are diversifying markets or supply chains

A new Toronto freelancer or neighbourhood microbusiness should probably look elsewhere first.

An established manufacturer, exporter or other tariff-exposed company may find RTRI much more relevant.

3. CanExport SMEs: Closed After August 31

Canadian businesses planning international expansion should know about CanExport SMEs.

The program helps eligible small and medium-sized Canadian businesses share the cost of activities intended to develop new international markets.

Successful projects may receive up to:

$50,000

However, the 2026–27 intake is no longer accepting applications.

The application period ended at:

12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 31, 2026

The federal government says information about future application periods will be posted when available.

If exporting is part of your 2027 plan, this is a program worth monitoring rather than funding you can apply for today.

4. Toronto Trade Accelerator Program: Closed

Toronto's Trade Accelerator Program, or TAP, supports established export-ready businesses.

It combines:

• export training
• mentorship
• customized export planning
• access to a $5,000 micro-grant for qualifying businesses implementing export-growth strategies

Current eligibility requirements include that a business generally must:

• operate in Toronto
• be incorporated
• be for-profit
• have operated for at least two years
• generate more than $50,000 in annual revenue
• have an active Business Number
• have a commercial bank account
• meet additional program conditions

Applications are currently closed.

Businesses already generating meaningful revenue and considering international expansion should monitor future rounds.

5. Summer Company: Closed for 2026

Ontario's Summer Company program supports eligible student entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 29.

Participants can receive:

• business training
• mentorship
• up to $3,000 in grant funding

For 2026, the general application deadline was:

May 15, 2026

Toronto's Summer Company page currently confirms that applications are closed.

Students who want to start a business during summer 2027 should watch for the next intake well before summer begins.

6. Commercial Space Renovation Grant: Closed

Toronto's Commercial Space Renovation Grant Program supports eligible improvements to commercial spaces.

The program provides matching funding equal to 50% of eligible project costs.

The base grant can reach:

up to $20,000

Eligible accessibility improvements can add:

up to $4,000

bringing the potential base maximum to $24,000 in qualifying cases.

Additional rules apply to the property, project and applicant.

Applications are currently closed.

Businesses considering future storefront renovations should monitor the City for another intake before beginning work that they expect a grant to reimburse.

Government grant programs frequently require an application or approval before eligible project expenses are incurred.

Why Do So Many Grants Show Up Even When They're Closed?

Many government business-funding programs operate through temporary intake rounds.

The program itself may continue to exist even while no applications are being accepted.

That creates confusing search results.

A page can describe:

• eligibility
• funding amounts
• previous deadlines
• program benefits

while the actual intake is closed.

Before spending serious time on an application, check three things:

1. Are applications currently being accepted?
2. Does my business actually meet the eligibility requirements?
3. Is the money a grant, repayable contribution, loan or another form of support?

Those checks can eliminate a lot of wasted work.

Grants Are Not the Only Business Funding Available

Toronto entrepreneurs should not limit their search to programs containing the word “grant.”

Government and business-support programs can include:

• grants
• loans
• repayable contributions
• tax credits
• wage subsidies
• training support
• export assistance
• financing
• advisory services
• business competitions

A loan that helps finance equipment may be more useful to one business than waiting six months for a small grant intake to reopen.

The right funding depends on the actual project.

Use the Business Benefits Finder

The federal Business Benefits Finder is one of the more useful places to search because it brings together a large number of government business-support programs.

Businesses can filter for support such as:

• grants and funding
• loans and capital
• tax credits
• wage subsidies
• expert advice
• research and collaboration

The tool can also filter results based on whether programs are currently accepting applications.

That makes it much more useful than relying on an old article listing “100 Canadian grants.”

Check Toronto's Official Business Funding Directory

The City of Toronto also maintains a central list of:

• grants
• incentives
• rebates
• business financing resources

Some programs are available only to:

• property owners
• BIAs
• non-profit organizations
• particular industries
• particular types of projects

Others can directly support qualifying businesses.

Read the recipient type and eligibility rules before assuming a program applies to you.

A Practical Funding Checklist

Before starting an application, answer these questions.

1. Is the Program Open?

Look for the actual current application status.

2. What Is the Deadline?

Put it in your calendar before working backward on the application.

3. Is My Business Eligible?

Check requirements involving:

• location
• business age
• revenue
• ownership
• incorporation
• industry
• employee count
• licences
• previous government funding

4. Is the Funding Repayable?

“Government funding” does not automatically mean free money.

5. Does the Business Need to Contribute Its Own Money?

Some programs require matching funds or evidence that the applicant has already invested in the business.

6. Can I Start Spending Before Approval?

Do not assume so.

Some programs will not reimburse expenses incurred before a particular eligibility or approval date.

7. What Records Will I Need?

Applications can require:

• financial statements
• tax information
• business plans
• project budgets
• quotations
• payroll records
• incorporation documents
• proof of ownership
• proof of expenses

Start gathering those early.

Find Business Services in Toronto

Businesses preparing funding applications may need help with:

• bookkeeping
• accounting
• financial statements
• business planning
• consulting
• legal work
• marketing
• export planning

You can discover service providers through the AD18 Business Directory.

• Business Services: Browse Toronto business services →
• Financial Services: Browse Toronto financial services →
• Professional Services: Browse Toronto professional services →
• Toronto Business Directory: Browse all Toronto businesses →

An AD18 Directory listing is a discovery tool.

It does not mean AD18 has independently verified a provider's qualifications, funding advice, pricing or professional credentials.

Run a business in Canada? Add your business free to the AD18 Business Directory.

You may also want to read:

• Starting a Home-Based Business in Toronto in 2026 →
• Toronto Business Licence Guide 2026 →

The Bottom Line

There is legitimate business funding available to Toronto companies in 2026.

But there is no universal grant that gives every new small business free money.

As of September 21, 2026, the most immediately relevant program on this list for qualifying smaller Toronto businesses is:

Starter Company Plus — $5,000 — applications open until October 9, 2026 at 4:29 p.m.

For larger companies affected by tariffs:

Regional Tariff Response Initiative — applications currently open

Other well-known programs including CanExport SMEs, Toronto's Trade Accelerator Program, Summer Company and the Commercial Space Renovation Grant are currently closed.

The best approach is:

identify the project → check live programs → confirm eligibility → understand whether funding is repayable → prepare the required records → apply before the deadline

And because these programs change quickly, always check the official government page before making a business decision based on funding.

Sources & Verification

This article was reviewed on September 21, 2026.

Key official sources reviewed:

• City of Toronto — Starter Company Plus Grant
• City of Toronto — Trade Accelerator Program
• City of Toronto — Summer Company Grant
• City of Toronto — Commercial Space Renovation Grant Program
• City of Toronto — Business Grants, Incentives & Rebates
• FedDev Ontario — Regional Tariff Response Initiative in Southern Ontario
• Government of Canada Trade Commissioner Service — CanExport SMEs
• Innovation Canada — Business Benefits Finder

Funding status, eligibility requirements, deadlines and available amounts can change quickly.

This article provides general business information and is not financial, legal, accounting or grant-application advice. Always confirm current program requirements directly with the government agency administering the funding before applying or making business expenditures.