Toronto Business Incubation & Commercialization Grant Program 2026 – YOA

Deadline: November 20, 2025

Applications are open for the Toronto Business Incubation & Commercialization Grant Program 2026. The Business Incubation and Commercialization Grant Program supplies monetary assist to incubators and entrepreneurship organizations involved in creating enterprise formation, innovation, and job creation in Toronto and who present sturdy programming to new entrepreneurs, companies and begin-ups.

This program is designed to assist not-for-revenue entrepreneurship, incubation and accelerator actions whose main targets are to create companies and jobs, encourage the event of latest concepts, and work in direction of organizational effectivity, sustainability and whereas using business finest practices. This program doesn’t present grants to particular person for-revenue companies however as a substitute is aimed toward not-for-revenue organizations that supply entrepreneurship and incubation or acceleration programming to entrepreneurs.

Funding

There are two streams throughout the program providing funding:

• Programs and Events
  • Up to 50 per cent of eligible bills, to a most of $20,000, for packages. Program grants shall be disbursed in two elements: 75 per cent supplied upfront and 25 per cent held again till completion; or
  • Up to 50 per cent of eligible bills, to a most of $10,000, for occasions. Event grants shall be disbursed in a one-time cost.
• Multi-Year Operating (3-yr cycle) contingent on the provision of funds
  • Up to twenty per cent of eligible bills, to a most of $100,000, for candidates within the multi-yr working stream. Grants shall be disbursed in two elements: 75 per cent supplied upfront and 25 per cent held again till completion.

Annual working, venture, occasion or improvement funding obtained in a single yr doesn’t assure funding in subsequent years.

Eligibility

The Business Incubation and Commercialization Grant Program is accessible to the next kinds of not-for-revenue organizations that present incubation-sort programming to entrepreneurs:

• Pre-Incubator: a company that gives programming comparable to improvement of consumer’s enterprise concept. Services usually embody: enterprise advisory assist, mentoring, networking and market analysis.
• Incubator: a company that provides programming comparable to implementation of a enterprise concept into precise operation whereas offering numerous helps all through the method, comparable to enterprise advisory assist, workplace or studio house, shared industrial/business tools, product/prototype improvement, mentoring, networking and market analysis.
• Accelerator: a company that focuses on fast development by way of the availability of strategic financing and market readiness methods. Services usually embody financing or funding, enterprise advisory assist, mentoring and workplace or studio house.
• Post-Secondary Education Institution: a tutorial establishment that features entrepreneurship and enterprise assist as part of its curriculum and programming, together with campus-led incubators and accelerators. (Only eligible for the Programs and Events Stream and the variety of supplied grants is capped at 4 per educational establishment.)
• Industry Association: a company that represents a sure enterprise sector and has a concentrate on entrepreneurship and sector improvement.

To be eligible for funding, not-for-revenue organizations should additionally show:

• Programming that’s Toronto-centric and helps Toronto-based entrepreneurs and startups,
• Robust enterprise incubation, acceleration and entrepreneurship programming,
• Detailed and complete application and supporting paperwork, and
• Proof of Not-for-Profit Status
  • Proof of Charitable or Not-for-Profit standing can differ and embody articles of incorporation, certificates of incorporation or letters patent. To affirm if integrated provincially, use the Ontario Business Registry’s search characteristic. To affirm if integrated nationally, use Corporations Canada’s search characteristic. To affirm if a registered charity, look by way of Canada Revenue Agency’s database of charities.

Multi-Year Operating Stream Requirements

Offered contingent on the provision of funds. Meeting eligibility necessities doesn’t assure funding. Applicant organizations should meet the next to be eligible for Multi-year Operating Stream:

• Have been integrated for 3 years or extra and have paid employees,
• Have programming tailor-made particularly to firm formation and job creation,
• Demonstrate a historical past of profitable entrepreneurship and sturdy incubation or accelerator programming for 3 years or extra, and
• Be in a position to present its most up-to-date audited monetary statements demonstrating revenues between $100,000 to $1 million.

Programs and Events Stream Requirements

Applicant organizations should meet the next to be eligible for the Programs and Events Stream:

• Have been integrated for at the very least two years,
• Programming can cowl a spread of entrepreneurship and innovation improvement together with pre-incubation, incubation and accelerator actions, in addition to one-time or a collection of networking occasions with focused sectoral or demographical attain and affect,
• Demonstrate a historical past of profitable entrepreneurship, campus entrepreneurship, or social enterprise programming, and
• Be in a position to present a complete funds for overview with its application, demonstrating income of lower than $100,000 for Programs or $50,000 for Events.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications shall be reviewed and scored by an evaluation panel comprised of group advisors (the place doable) and City employees. Applications shall be assessed utilizing the above famous standards in addition to a scoring system constructed on 4 key program priorities:

• Program Alignment
• Program Impact and Engagement
• Organizational Capacity
• Financial Sustainability

Application

Click here to apply

For extra info, go to Toronto Business Incubation & Commercialization Grant Program.