SmartStart Seed Fund (Ontario)
Gives Ontario tech and IP-driven startups seed funding plus a training grant, typically requiring the founder to match the funds.
Businesses apply through a participating regional innovation centre with a business and funding plan, and must be first-time applicants meeting age, ownership and IP-ownership requirements plus an endorsement. Funding typically comes with a 1:1 matching requirement, meaning the founder needs to bring an equivalent amount of their own funding.
SmartStart targets early-stage, innovation-based startups in Ontario with intellectual property and scalable potential, and is popular with first-time founders. It is delivered through participating regional innovation centres rather than one central portal.
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Guides for this application
All guides →Grant Financials and Co-Funding Evidence: Examples for Startup Applications
See examples of grant financials, match funding evidence, co-funding tables, accountant letters, investor commitments, and budget-to-work-plan checks.
Write proposalGrant Proposal Cover Letter: What to Include and What to Avoid
Learn how to write a grant proposal cover letter, what information belongs in it, how it differs from a cover sheet or letter of support, and common mistakes to avoid.
DocumentsGrant Application Form Example: Fields, Attachments, and Portal Answers
See a grant application form example with common fields, portal answer patterns, attachment logic, and mistakes to avoid.
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