Toronto Business Incubation Grant 2026: Up to $100,000 for Entrepreneurship Programs

Toronto’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is one of the most vibrant in North America. From tech startups in the MaRS Discovery District to social enterprises in Regent Park, the city is home to thousands of entrepreneurs building businesses that create jobs, drive innovation, and solve problems.

Behind many of these success stories are incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurship support organizations that provide the mentorship, resources, and connections entrepreneurs need to succeed. If you run one of these organizations—or you’re part of a post-secondary institution, industry association, or community group that supports entrepreneurs—the Toronto Business Incubation & Commercialization Grant Program can help fund your work.

This City of Toronto program provides grants to not-for-profit organizations that foster entrepreneurship and innovation in Toronto. Depending on your organization’s stage and needs, you can receive:

Up to $20,000 for specific programs that support entrepreneurs
Up to $10,000 for events that connect and educate the entrepreneurial community
Up to $100,000 for multi-year operating support if you’re an established incubator or accelerator

The program recognizes that different organizations need different types of support. A new pre-incubator running its first cohort needs different funding than an established accelerator with years of track record. The two funding streams—Programs and Events Stream, and Multi-Year Operating Stream—are designed to meet organizations where they are.

For many entrepreneurship organizations, especially smaller or newer ones, this grant provides crucial funding that allows them to expand programming, hire staff, or invest in infrastructure. For established organizations, multi-year operating support provides stability and allows for long-term planning.

Key Details at a Glance

What This Grant Offers

Funding for Entrepreneurship Programs
The Programs and Events Stream provides up to $20,000 for specific programs that support entrepreneurs. This might include:

Cohort-based incubator or accelerator programs
Mentorship programs connecting entrepreneurs with experienced business leaders
Skills training workshops on topics like financial management, marketing, or product development
Market research and validation support for early-stage ventures
Pitch competitions and demo days
Sector-specific entrepreneurship programs (e.g., cleantech, social enterprise, food and beverage)

The funding can cover program costs like facilitator fees, venue rental, materials, marketing, and participant support. You can’t use it for capital expenses (buying equipment or renovating space), but you can use it for the programming that happens in that space.

Support for Entrepreneurship Events
The Programs and Events Stream also provides up to $10,000 for events that benefit Toronto’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. This might include:

Conferences bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers
Networking events connecting entrepreneurs across sectors or neighborhoods
Panel discussions and speaker series featuring successful entrepreneurs
Pitch events showcasing startups to potential investors or customers
Celebration events recognizing entrepreneurial achievement

Event funding can cover venue costs, speaker fees, catering, marketing, and event production. The key is that events must have clear entrepreneurship focus and benefit Toronto-based entrepreneurs.

Multi-Year Operating Support for Established Organizations
The Multi-Year Operating Stream provides up to $100,000 over three years for established incubators and accelerators with proven track records. This is unrestricted operating support—you can use it for:

Staff salaries and benefits
Rent and utilities
Technology and software
Marketing and communications
Program delivery costs
Administrative expenses

Multi-year funding provides stability that allows you to plan long-term, invest in staff development, and focus on impact rather than constantly chasing short-term grants. It’s designed for organizations that have demonstrated they can deliver results and need support to sustain and scale their work.

Recognition and Credibility
Receiving a City of Toronto grant signals to entrepreneurs, partners, and other funders that your organization is credible and doing valuable work. It can help you attract additional funding, recruit stronger mentors and advisors, and draw higher-quality entrepreneurs to your programs.

Connection to City Resources
Grant recipients become part of the City’s network of entrepreneurship support organizations. This can lead to connections with other city programs, referrals from economic development staff, and opportunities to collaborate with other funded organizations.

Who Should Apply

This grant is designed for not-for-profit organizations at various stages of development that support Toronto entrepreneurs.

Pre-Incubators
If you help aspiring entrepreneurs develop and validate business ideas before they’re ready for formal incubation, you’re a pre-incubator. Your programming might include:

Idea generation and validation workshops
Market research support
Business model development
Connecting entrepreneurs with mentors and advisors
Helping entrepreneurs access other support programs

Pre-incubators typically work with entrepreneurs at the earliest stages—people who have an idea but haven’t yet formed a company or developed a minimum viable product.

Incubators
If you help entrepreneurs turn validated ideas into operational businesses, you’re an incubator. Your programming might include:

Workspace (office space, meeting rooms, equipment)
Mentorship and advisory support
Access to professional services (legal, accounting, marketing)
Connections to customers, partners, and investors
Skills training and workshops
Peer learning and community building

Incubators typically work with entrepreneurs over 6-24 months as they build their businesses from concept to early revenue.

Accelerators
If you help existing businesses achieve rapid growth through intensive, time-limited programming, you’re an accelerator. Your programming might include:

Cohort-based programs (typically 3-6 months)
Intensive mentorship from successful entrepreneurs and industry experts
Connections to investors and strategic partners
Market readiness and go-to-market strategy support
Pitch coaching and investor introductions
Sometimes seed funding or investment

Accelerators typically work with businesses that have product-market fit and are ready to scale.

Post-Secondary Institutions
If you’re a university or college with entrepreneurship programming for students, faculty, or the broader community, you can apply. This might include:

Student entrepreneurship clubs and competitions
Entrepreneurship courses and certificate programs
Incubators or accelerators for student and alumni ventures
Technology transfer and commercialization support for faculty research
Community entrepreneurship programs

Post-secondary institutions are limited to four grants maximum under the Programs and Events Stream, so prioritize your strongest initiatives.

Industry Associations
If you represent a specific business sector and provide entrepreneurship support to members or the broader community, you can apply. This might include:

Sector-specific incubation or acceleration programs
Entrepreneurship training and mentorship
Networking and matchmaking events
Market intelligence and sector research
Advocacy and policy work that supports entrepreneurs

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

Having reviewed successful applications and spoken with program staff and past recipients, here’s what actually makes a difference.

Choose the Right Funding Stream
Don’t apply for multi-year operating support if you’re a two-year-old organization with $50,000 in revenue and no paid staff. You won’t qualify. Apply for Programs and Events funding instead, build your track record, and apply for operating support in a future year when you meet the criteria.

Conversely, if you’re an established organization with three years of operations, paid staff, and $500,000 in audited revenue, don’t limit yourself to a $20,000 program grant. Apply for the multi-year operating support that can provide meaningful, sustained funding.

Be Specific About Impact
Generic statements like “we support entrepreneurs” or “we foster innovation” don’t cut it. Be specific:

How many entrepreneurs did you serve last year?
What outcomes did they achieve? (businesses launched, jobs created, revenue generated, funding raised)
What specific services did you provide?
What makes your approach unique or effective?

Use data. “In 2024, we supported 45 entrepreneurs through our 6-month incubator program. 38 launched businesses, creating 67 jobs and generating $2.1 million in first-year revenue. Our mentorship model pairs each entrepreneur with three mentors—one industry expert, one successful entrepreneur, and one investor—which our evaluation shows increases business survival rates by 40% compared to single-mentor models.”

Demonstrate Organizational Capacity
The City wants to fund organizations that can actually deliver what they promise. Show that you have:

Experienced staff and leadership
Strong governance (active board, clear policies)
Sound financial management
Proven ability to deliver programs
Partnerships and collaborations that strengthen your work

Include brief bios of key staff and board members. Highlight relevant experience and expertise. If you have partnerships with other organizations, investors, or corporate sponsors, mention them.

Provide a Detailed, Realistic Budget
Your budget should be detailed enough that reviewers can see exactly how you’ll use the funds, but not so granular that it’s overwhelming. Break costs into clear categories:

Personnel (with roles and % of time)
Program delivery (facilitators, materials, participant support)
Space and facilities
Marketing and communications
Technology and software
Administrative costs

Justify major expenses. If you’re budgeting $15,000 for a facilitator, explain: “Lead facilitator for 12-week program, 4 hours/week at $125/hour = $6,000. Guest facilitators (6 sessions at $500 each) = $3,000. Curriculum development = $6,000.”

Show matching funds or in-kind contributions if you have them. This demonstrates that others believe in your work and that the City’s investment is leveraged.

Connect to City Priorities
The City of Toronto has economic development priorities: inclusive growth, innovation, sector development, job creation. Show how your work aligns:

If you serve underrepresented entrepreneurs (women, racialized communities, newcomers, people with disabilities), highlight this
If you focus on priority sectors (tech, life sciences, cleantech, creative industries), make that clear
If you operate in neighborhoods with high unemployment or economic challenges, emphasize your local impact
If you create pathways to employment, quantify job creation

Tell Compelling Stories
Data is important, but stories bring your work to life. Include 1-2 brief case studies of entrepreneurs you’ve supported:

“Amira came to our program with an idea for a sustainable fashion brand but no business experience. Through our 6-month incubator, she developed her business model, connected with a manufacturer, and launched her first collection. Within a year, she was selling in 15 boutiques across Toronto and had hired three employees. She credits our mentorship program and connections to the fashion industry with making her business viable.”

Stories like this help reviewers understand the real-world impact of your work.

For Multi-Year Operating: Show Sustainability
If you’re applying for multi-year operating support, the City wants to know you’ll still be around in three years. Show:

Diversified revenue (not dependent on a single funder)
Growing or stable financial position
Strategic plan for the next 3-5 years
Strong governance and succession planning
Demonstrated demand for your services

The City is making a three-year investment. They need confidence you’ll use it well and that you’ll be sustainable beyond the grant period.

Application Timeline

Working backward from the November 20, 2025 deadline, here’s a realistic timeline.

September: Research and Planning
Review the program guidelines thoroughly. Decide which funding stream is right for you. If you’re unsure, contact the program staff—they can help you determine fit.

Look at your organization’s capacity. Do you have the staff time to prepare a strong application? If not, can you bring in help?

Start gathering information you’ll need: financial statements, program data, outcome metrics, partner letters of support.

October 1-15: Draft Your Proposal
Write a first draft of your application narrative. Focus on:

Clear description of your organization and its track record
Specific description of what you’ll do with grant funds
Demonstrated impact and outcomes
Organizational capacity to deliver
Budget with justifications

Don’t worry about perfection in the first draft. Get your ideas down.

October 16-31: Gather Supporting Documents
Collect all required documents:

Articles of incorporation or letters patent
Most recent audited financial statements (for multi-year operating applicants)
Most recent financial statements (for programs and events applicants)
Board list with affiliations
Organizational chart
Letters of support from partners (if applicable)

Make sure all documents are current and clearly labeled.

November 1-10: Refine and Get Feedback
Revise your application based on your own review. Then share it with trusted colleagues, board members, or mentors for feedback. Ask them:

Is the impact clear and compelling?
Is the budget realistic and well-justified?
Are there any gaps or weaknesses?
Does it align with City priorities?

Incorporate feedback and revise again.

November 11-18: Final Review and Submission
Do a final review of your entire application package:

All questions answered completely
All required documents included and clearly labeled
Budget adds up correctly
No typos or errors
Formatting is clean and professional

Submit at least 48 hours before the deadline. Don’t wait until November 20 at 11:59 PM. Technical problems always happen at the worst time.

December-February: Review Period
The City reviews applications and may contact you with questions or requests for clarification. Respond promptly to any requests.

March-April: Funding Decisions
Successful applicants are notified and receive funding agreements. If you’re not successful, you can request feedback to strengthen future applications.

Required Materials

Application Form
Complete the online application form at the City’s portal. This includes questions about your organization, your proposed program or operations, your budget, and your expected outcomes.

Organizational Documents
Articles of incorporation or letters patent proving your not-for-profit status. If you’re a post-secondary institution, provide documentation of your entrepreneurship programming.

Financial Statements
For multi-year operating applicants: Audited financial statements for the most recent fiscal year, showing revenue between $100,000 and $1 million.

For programs and events applicants: Most recent financial statements (audited or reviewed if available, but not required to be audited).

Budget
Detailed budget for your proposed program, event, or operations. Include all revenue sources (City grant, other grants, earned revenue, in-kind) and all expenses, broken down by category.

Board List
List of current board members with their affiliations. This shows your governance structure and connections to the community.

Organizational Chart
Chart showing your staff structure, reporting relationships, and key roles. For multi-year operating applicants, this demonstrates you have paid staff as required.

Letters of Support (Optional but Recommended)
Letters from partners, collaborators, entrepreneurs you’ve served, or other stakeholders attesting to the value of your work. These aren’t required but can strengthen your application.

What Makes an Application Stand Out

Clear, Measurable Outcomes
The strongest applications articulate specific, measurable outcomes:

“We will serve 30 entrepreneurs through our 12-week accelerator program. Based on our track record, we expect 25 to launch businesses, creating an average of 2.5 jobs each (75 total jobs). We expect participants to raise an average of $50,000 in funding (total $1.5 million).”

This is much stronger than “We will support entrepreneurs and help them grow their businesses.”

Demonstrated Track Record
Show what you’ve accomplished:

Number of entrepreneurs served
Businesses launched
Jobs created
Funding raised by participants
Revenue generated
Survival rates
Awards or recognition received

If you’re newer and don’t have extensive track record, show what you’ve accomplished so far and provide evidence of demand for your services.

Strong Partnerships
Organizations that collaborate with others tend to be more effective and sustainable. Highlight partnerships with:

Other entrepreneurship support organizations
Investors and funding sources
Corporate partners who provide mentorship or resources
Educational institutions
Government programs
Community organizations

Focus on Underserved Entrepreneurs
Toronto is diverse, but not all entrepreneurs have equal access to support. If you serve underrepresented groups—women, racialized communities, newcomers, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, youth, seniors—this is valuable and should be highlighted.

Alignment with City Priorities
Show how your work supports the City’s economic development goals: inclusive growth, innovation, job creation, sector development, neighborhood revitalization.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applying for the Wrong Stream
Don’t apply for multi-year operating support if you don’t meet the eligibility criteria (3+ years incorporated, paid staff, $100K-$1M revenue). You’ll be automatically rejected. Apply for programs and events instead.

Vague or Generic Descriptions
“We support entrepreneurs” tells reviewers nothing. Be specific about what you do, who you serve, and what outcomes you achieve.

Incomplete Applications
Missing required documents or leaving questions blank weakens your application. Make sure everything is complete before submitting.

Unrealistic Budgets
Budgets that are clearly inflated or that don’t match the proposed activities raise red flags. Be realistic and justify your costs.

No Evidence of Impact
If you can’t show what you’ve accomplished or what outcomes you expect to achieve, reviewers have no basis to believe you’ll use funds effectively.

Submitting at the Last Minute
Technical problems, missing documents, and errors always surface at the worst time. Submit early.

Ignoring Feedback from Previous Applications
If you applied before and weren’t successful, request feedback and address the issues in your new application. Submitting the same weak application again won’t yield different results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can for-profit organizations apply?
No. This program is only for not-for-profit organizations. If you’re a for-profit incubator or accelerator, you’re not eligible.

Can we apply for both funding streams?
No. You must choose either the Programs and Events Stream or the Multi-Year Operating Stream. You cannot apply for both in the same year.

Can we submit multiple applications?
Post-secondary institutions can submit up to four applications under the Programs and Events Stream. Other organizations should submit one application per funding stream.

What if our revenue is above $1 million?
You’re not eligible for the Multi-Year Operating Stream, which is capped at organizations with revenue up to $1 million. You can still apply for Programs and Events funding.

Can we use the grant for capital expenses?
No. Grant funds cannot be used for capital expenses like purchasing equipment, renovating space, or buying property. They can be used for programming, operations, and events.

What if we serve entrepreneurs outside Toronto?
The grant is specifically for supporting Toronto-based entrepreneurs. If some of your participants are from outside Toronto, that’s fine, but the primary focus must be on Toronto entrepreneurs.

How competitive is the program?
The City doesn’t publish acceptance rates, but it’s competitive. Strong applications with clear impact, demonstrated capacity, and alignment with City priorities have the best chance.

Can we apply again if we’ve received funding before?
Yes. Past recipients can apply for future funding, though there’s no guarantee of continued support. You’ll need to show continued or improved impact.

How to Apply

Ready to apply for the Toronto Business Incubation & Commercialization Grant? Here’s exactly what to do:

Step 1: Review the Guidelines
Read the complete program guidelines on the City of Toronto website. Make sure you understand eligibility requirements, funding streams, and application requirements.

Step 2: Determine Your Fit
Decide which funding stream is right for your organization. If you’re unsure, contact the program staff for guidance.

Step 3: Gather Your Materials
Collect all required documents: incorporation documents, financial statements, board list, organizational chart, and any supporting materials.

Step 4: Draft Your Application
Write your application narrative, focusing on clear description of your work, demonstrated impact, and alignment with City priorities. Develop your detailed budget.

Step 5: Get Feedback
Have colleagues, board members, or mentors review your draft and provide feedback. Revise based on their input.

Step 6: Submit Online
Complete and submit your application through the City’s online portal at https://cityoftoronto.tfaforms.net/356348. Submit at least 48 hours before the November 20, 2025 deadline.

Step 7: Respond to Follow-Up
If the City contacts you with questions or requests for additional information, respond promptly.

For complete program information and to access the application portal, visit: https://cityoftoronto.tfaforms.net/356348

Questions about eligibility or the application process? Contact the City of Toronto’s Economic Development & Culture division. Contact information is available on the program website.

Toronto’s entrepreneurial ecosystem thrives because of organizations like yours that provide the support, mentorship, and resources entrepreneurs need to succeed. If you’re doing this work, this grant can help you do more of it and do it better.