An independent registry of Northern Ontario funding Data updated Oct 1, 2026 · CC-BY-4.0
Northern Ontario Grants
Next intake not announced

Starter Company Plus

by Grants Ontario / Transfer Payment Ontario

Starter Company Plus gives Ontario entrepreneurs 18+ (not in school full-time) a grant of up to $5,000 plus business training, one-on-one advisor guidance and mentorship, delivered through local Small Business Enterprise Centres. You must contribute at least 25% of the grant amount in cash or in kind, and it covers starting, expanding or buying a business. Intakes run as cohorts that vary by centre, contact your local Northern Ontario SBEC for the next round.

Amount
Up to $5,000 Grant of up to $5,000, plus training, one-on-one advisor guidance and mentorship through your local Small Business Enterprise Centre. This award range, $5,000, against every tracked amount from $1,000 to $500,000,000, on a logarithmic scale.

Against all tracked amounts, $1,000 to $500,000,000, logarithmic.

ontario.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source

a grant of up to $5,000

Instrument
Grant (non-repayable)
Status
Next intake not announced watch this page or subscribe to the calendar
Your share
25% of the grant amount, in cash or in kind

ontario.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source

Who qualifies
Individuals Businesses
  • individual
  • sole-proprietor
  • small-business
  • 18 years of age or older
  • Ontario resident and Canadian citizen or permanent resident
  • Not attending school full-time or returning to school
  • Starting a new company, expanding an existing company, or buying a business in Ontario
  • Must contribute at least 25% of the grant amount in cash or in kind

ontario.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source

Where
Algoma District · Cochrane District · Greater Sudbury (single-tier census division) · Kenora District · Manitoulin District · District Municipality of Muskoka · Nipissing District · Parry Sound District · Rainy River District · Sudbury District (excl. Greater Sudbury) · Thunder Bay District · Timiskaming District11 of 11 Northern Ontario districts are eligible for this program.Algoma District: eligibleCochrane District: eligibleGreater Sudbury (single-tier census division): eligibleKenora District: eligibleManitoulin District: eligibleNipissing District: eligibleParry Sound District: eligibleRainy River District: eligibleSudbury District (excl. Greater Sudbury): eligibleThunder Bay District: eligibleTimiskaming District: eligible

11 of 11 Northern Ontario districts are eligible for this program. A filled dot is eligible, an outline is not.

Built for
Startups & new entrepreneurs Small business, expansion

How do you apply?

Call first. This funder expects contact with a program officer before you apply.

  1. Contact your local Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC)
  2. Join a cohort: business training plus one-on-one guidance from an SBEC advisor
  3. Develop and pitch your business plan
  4. Grant of up to $5,000 awarded to successful participants
  5. Up to ~3 months of advisory and mentoring follow-on

ontario.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source

Common questions

Is the $5,000 guaranteed if I'm accepted?

No. You complete training and develop a business plan; grants of up to $5,000 are then awarded to successful participants, many SBECs run it as a pitch-style competition, and not every participant receives the full amount.

What counts toward the 25% contribution?

Cash or in-kind contributions worth at least 25% of the grant amount (e.g., $1,250 against a $5,000 grant). Confirm what in-kind items your SBEC accepts.

Can an existing business apply?

Yes, the program covers starting a new company, expanding an existing one, or buying a business in Ontario.

Where do I apply in Northern Ontario?

Through your local SBEC, centres operate in Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Greater Sudbury, North Bay, Timmins, Kenora and other Northern communities. Each runs its own cohort schedule.

Where else could this money come from?

Chosen by what these programs have in common with this one, not by hand. The reason is shown for each, so you can judge whether it holds.

Guides that cover this program

Notes on this record

Province-wide program listed here for its Northern Ontario delivery. Funded by the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; the '15 hours of training / 3 months mentoring' framing appears in SBEC materials but not on the ontario.ca page, so it is kept to the process notes.

Apply

Apply on the funder’s site and confirm current terms there:

www.ontario.ca