Impact Applications logo
Impact Applications

Grant Research & Eligibility Assessment for Canadian Businesses

Grant research is the process of identifying every government funding program your business qualifies for and ranking them by win probability and funding value. Impact Applications maintains a continuously-updated database of every active federal and provincial grant program in Canada and produces personalized eligibility reports in under one business day.

Why grant research matters more than people realize

Most Canadian businesses underestimate the funding they qualify for. The typical pattern: a founder hears about IRAP, applies for IRAP, gets IRAP. Meanwhile, they qualified for AgriInnovate, RTRI, CanExport, and three provincial wage subsidies that would have stacked cleanly with the IRAP project.

Grant research surfaces the full portfolio before any applications are drafted. It's the difference between getting one $200K grant and stacking six programs into $750K.

What our research process produces

A standard engagement returns:

  • Ranked program list: every program you qualify for, ordered by funding value × win probability × effort.
  • Eligibility detail per program: exactly which criteria your business meets and which you'd need to address.
  • Stacking map: which programs combine on the same project and which collide.
  • Application sequencing: the order to apply in to maximize stacking and minimize claim conflicts.
  • Timing & deadlines: open/close dates, retroactive cost windows, fiscal-year alignment.

What we look at

  • Corporate structure (CCPC status, ownership, jurisdiction)
  • Industry classification (NAICS codes for program eligibility matching)
  • Revenue, employees, growth trajectory (size-based eligibility tiers)
  • Project plans (R&D, capital, export, hiring, sustainability)
  • Geographic operations (regional development agency eligibility)
  • Past grant history (re-applicant rules, stacking caps)
  • Intellectual property and commercialization status

We don't ask for all of this in the initial assessment — just the highest-signal data points. The rest comes during deeper research if we move forward.

Try it free

Start with a no-obligation assessment via our contact page or browse the full program catalogue in our grant database.

Programs we work with

Grant programs commonly covered by grant research engagements

RTRI

Open

Incorporated for-profit businesses in AB, SK, MB impacted by U.S., Chinese, or Canadian counter-tariffs. Must demonstrate tariff impact and financial viability pre-March 2025.

Up to $1M non-repayable + $5M repayablePrairiesCan

IRAP

Open

Canadian SMEs (≤500 employees) pursuing technology-driven innovation

Up to $75K/yearNational Research Council Canada

SR&ED

Open

Any Canadian business performing qualifying R&D activities

15-35% of eligible R&D expendituresCanada Revenue Agency

AgriInnovate

Open

Agri-food businesses commercializing innovative products, processes, or technologies

Up to $10M (repayable contributions)Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

CanExport

Open

Canadian SMEs with $200K–$100M revenue seeking new export markets

Up to $75,000Trade Commissioner Service

CDAP

Open

Canadian businesses looking to adopt digital technologies

$15K grant + $100K interest-free loanInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Frequently asked questions

What is grant research?

Grant research is the systematic process of identifying which government funding programs your business qualifies for. It's the discovery phase that comes before any application work — without it, businesses end up applying to programs they can't win or missing programs that would have approved them.

How many grant programs exist in Canada?

There are over 300 active government funding programs across Canada — roughly 80 federal, 200+ provincial and territorial, plus regional and municipal programs. New programs launch and existing ones close regularly, which is why static lists go stale within months.

How long does a grant eligibility assessment take?

A standard eligibility assessment for a single business takes Impact Applications about one business day. We collect 8–12 data points about your business (industry, revenue, employees, location, project plans, R&D activity), run them against our database, and return a ranked portfolio of programs you qualify for.

Is grant research free?

Initial eligibility assessments at Impact Applications are free and no-obligation. Deeper research — e.g. a multi-year funding strategy for a specific roadmap — is part of a paid engagement because it involves modelling stacking scenarios and projecting program changes.

How do you keep up with new and changing programs?

Three feeds: a daily review of program announcement channels (PrairiesCan, FedDev, ISED, RDA newsletters, provincial agency releases), direct relationships with program officers, and client feedback loops that surface program changes the moment our clients hit them in real applications.

Talk to Impact Applications about grant research

Free eligibility assessment. No obligation. Typical response within one business day.