Funding questions and answers
Grants, loans, rebates and tax credits: how small-business funding works in Canada, what it can pay for, and how BBN helps you find it. You apply yourself, on the official program site. If your question isn't here, run the fit check or send us a message. We reply within 2 business days.
Frequently asked questions
How do small business grants work in Canada?
Federal, provincial and city governments all run programs that help small businesses grow. Some pay part of a project's cost (grants and rebates), some are loans, often for owners who cannot get a regular bank loan, and some come back at tax time (tax credits). Every program has its own rules, deadlines and paperwork, and most want you approved before you spend any money. If you buy before you are approved, you can lose funding you would have received.
Is BBN's funding help free?
Yes. Finding programs that fit your business and explaining the rules and deadlines costs you nothing. You apply yourself on the official program site, which is free too. You never pay us to find funding.
Do I have to pay back a grant?
No. A grant is money you keep, as long as you follow the program's rules. A loan gets paid back, a rebate refunds part of what you spent, and a tax credit comes off your taxes. Every program on this site says which kind of money it is. A loan is never called a grant here.
What can small business funding pay for?
More than most business owners expect: equipment, storefront and signage work, websites and e-commerce, energy savings, accessibility improvements, hiring and staff training, and the costs of starting up. What's covered depends on the program and your province. The fit check matches your project to programs that may fund it.
How fast do I hear back after the fit check?
We reply within 2 business days, by email or the way you choose. Not a call centre, not an automated email chain. You get your matches, what each program pays for, and its deadline.
Do you submit the application for me?
No. You apply yourself, on the official program site, and applying there is free. BBN finds programs that may fit, explains the rules and the papers each one asks for, and sends free deadline alerts so you do not miss a date.
Is BBN Labs a government agency?
No. BBN Labs is an independent Canadian company, not affiliated with any government, funding agency or program administrator, and the final approval decision always belongs to the program. BBN Labs checks program information, explains the rules and deadlines, and helps you find programs that may fit. You apply yourself, on the official program site.
Which parts of Canada does BBN serve?
All of it. We track verified programs in every province and territory, Quebec included, plus city grants in more than 75 municipalities from Victoria to St. John's. We track programs for small businesses across the country.
How do I know the program information is current?
Every program page shows the date we last checked it with the official source, and many pages quote the official program page directly. Programs change, budgets run out and deadlines move, which is exactly why we track them. If a program is closed, the page says so.
What does the funding fit check actually do?
You answer four quick questions: what your business is, where it is, what you want funding for, and how soon you want it done. It compares your answers with the programs we track and shows what may fit, with the rules and deadlines. If you send us a question, we reply within 2 business days. It's free, and nothing gets submitted anywhere.
Who answers these? Meet BBN Labs: who we are and how we check programs →