Call for Applications: CanExport SMEs Program (Canada)

By sharing the costs of certain international business development activities and thereby reducing risk associated with entering new markets, the program enhances the export diversification efforts of Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises. By helping businesses to increase and diversify their exports, the program contributes to the expansion and growth in Canada of those businesses. The program supports Canadian companies that have meaningful economic ties to Canada, the potential to contribute significantly to Canada’s economy, and the capacity and commitment to expand globally.

Funding Information

• Amount of funding and cost-sharing
  • In their applications, businesses must describe the activities that they wish to fund via the CanExport SMEs program. These activities are grouped into a “project”.
  • There are minimum and maximum amounts of funding that applicants may receive from CanExport SMEs. Each project must require from the program at least $10,000 CAD and no more than $50,000 CAD per year. This means that the total cost of each project must be between $20,000 and $100,000 CAD, with 50% funded by the applicant and 50% funded by the program. In-kind contributions are not permitted.
• Multiple projects
  • A company may have only one active CanExport SMEs project at any given time.
  • A company may have an active project with another CanExport funding stream.
  • A group of related Canadian companies may apply concurrently to the program, provided their products and services are completely distinct from one another.
  • Applicants must comply with funding limits as described in the relevant program guidelines.
• Types of financial assistance
  • There are 2 types of funding: contributions and grants. The type of funding made available to an applicant is at the sole discretion of the CanExport SMEs program.
    • Contribution payments are reimbursed after expenses are incurred and require detailed reporting. Applicants must be able to fully fund their activities upfront and activities must be completed, invoiced, and paid before claiming for reimbursement.
    • Grant payments are provided in full per fiscal year and after signing the funding agreement. No claims are required to receive the funds. Recipients are required to report on results achieved.
• Project periods
  • CanExport SMEs supports projects that have a duration of up to 12 months within a Government of Canada fiscal year, which begins on April 1 and ends on March 31 of the following calendar year (e.g. April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026). The duration of a project is based on the timing of proposed activities.
  • In exceptional circumstances, projects spanning 2 fiscal years may be considered e.g. paying for trade show participation in one fiscal year and travelling to the trade show in the next fiscal year. Costs must be itemized by the fiscal year in which payments are made. Funds cannot be transferred between fiscal years.

Expenses and Activities

• Category A: Travel for meetings or events with key contacts
  • CanExport SMEs may support international travel expenses for attending trade events to meet with key contacts from target market(s) and/or conduct market visits.
  • Eligible expenses include:
    • airfare
    • seat selection for a flight to an approved target market or destination
    • baggage fees for checked luggage or excess baggage
    • ground transportation in the approved destination
    • travel to and from the traveler’s home or office to the airport
    • airport parking
    • per diems
    • costs related to obtaining an electronic travel authority
    • mandatory visa fee
• Category B: Participation in trade events (non-travel related)
  • Eligible costs include:
    • Event attendance by a maximum of 2 eligible travelers per event. The trade event must be named and have confirmed dates.
  • Event attendance by a maximum of 2 eligible travelers per event. The trade event must be named and have confirmed dates.
    • registration for space or a booth
    • on-site booth design, assembly, and installation
    • booth rental
    • utilities like electricity and internet access
    • rental of business card scanners or audiovisual equipment
    • liability insurance
    • when membership or sponsorship is required for participation in an event, eligible expenses apply only to the lowest applicable tier or class (additional documentation is required)
  • Shipping and handling costs for international shipping and transportation of items associated with event participation such as printed information materials, booth pop-ups, and products or prototypes, including return to Canada. Prototypes must be returned to Canada to be eligible for funding (costs for shipping prototypes that are not returned to Canada will not be reimbursed). For companies in the agri-food sector this includes the shipping of food samples.
  • Business meeting room rental.
• Category C: Marketing and translation
  • They support certain expenses related to marketing materials and translation that are tailored to target market(s). This includes creating, adapting, or translating content to meet specific market needs. Costs should be reasonable and support the objective of the project proposal. All activities must be carried out by an independent contractor with no affiliation to the applicant company, ensuring all transactions are conducted at arm’s length and at fair market value.
  • Eligible costs include:
    • Creation or translation of new or existing promotional materials that are required to explain or present an applicant’s products and services from English or French to a language used in the target market. Promotional material includes brochures, pamphlets, flyers, banners, posters, post cards, content writing, copywriting, and digital magazine articles.
    • Adapting a website which is defined as the cost of engaging an independent contractor to create a landing page for an existing website, adapt an existing website specifically for a target market. In all cases, evidence is required of how these activities are tailored for the target market(s). Translation associated with this material from English or French to a language used in the target market.
    • Creating a new video or adapting an existing video for use at a trade event or in meetings with stakeholders. Other supported costs include infographics, voiceover, animations, closed captioning, content writing, editing, and subtitles. In all cases, a detailed explanation of the product adaptation for the target market is required.
    • Advertising costs related to participation in a trade event. Advertising must be targeted to audiences in the approved target market and cannot include advertising to other markets such as Canada. Advertising is defined as costs to advertise on an online industry publication or online magazine, costs to sponsor content (advertorial) or banner ads at a tradeshow or on a tradeshow website.
  • Category D: Interpretation services
    • They may support paying for an interpreter to facilitate in-person interactions with key contacts from target market(s). In your application, indicate the language for which you need interpretation. The interpreter must be an independent contractor, not affiliated with the applicant company in any way, and all transactions must be at arm’s-length and at fair market value.
  • Category E: Contractual agreements and supplier diversity certification
    • CanExport SMEs may support the adaptation and translation of contractual agreements and fees paid for supplier diversity certification in a target market(s).
    • Eligible costs include:
      • Engaging with an independent contractor to adapt and/or translate sales contracts, distribution agreements, nondisclosure agreements, and other similar contractual agreements that are legally binding and that are required to penetrate a target market.
      • Obtaining Supplier Diversity Certification by a recognized body for companies that are owned by women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, or members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. The applicant must clearly demonstrate that the certification is for use in and is recognized in the target market.
  • Category F: Consultants – business, tax, and legal advice
    • They may support consultant or legal fees for expert business, tax, or legal advice that support entry of the applicant’s product(s) or service(s) into the target market(s) identified in the project.
    • Eligible costs include:
      • Expert advice for legal, tax or business matters. Fees paid to an accounting firm, a legal firm, or a business consulting firm for advice relating specifically to legal, tax, or business matters for your target market.
      • Expert advice on regulatory issues. Fees paid to a consultant or legal firm for advice on issues such as market access and certifications relating specifically to your target market (including compliance with rules of origin).
  • Category G: Consultants – market research, feasibility studies, identification of key contacts, business-to-business (B2B) facilitation
    • CanExport SMEs may support the costs for a consultant to provide services or create products for international business development (IBD) for your target market(s).
    • Eligible costs include:
      • export market research, including market-entry strategies
      • identification of key contacts
      • facilitation of B2B meeting programs and matchmaking
      • feasibility studies for the target market
    • The purchase of information resources relevant to international business development for the duration of your project may be eligible with appropriate justification including:
      • prepared research studies or market evaluations
      • contact lists from reputable sources
      • market research software or subscription for the duration of your project
  • Category H: Intellectual property (IP) protection
    • They may support expenses related to the protection of IP in your target market.
    • Eligible costs include:
      • filing a patent or industrial design application
      • application for the registration of a trademark or copyright
      • IP professional services from a consultant and/or legal firm, including the development of an international IP strategy, database search, drafting, and/or filing of formal IP documentation

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible, your small or medium-sized enterprise must:
  • be established in Canada
  • be for-profit
  • be an incorporated legal entity, limited liability partnership (LLP), or cooperative in Canada
  • have an active Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number
  • have between 1 and 500 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
  • have between $100,000 and $100 million in annual revenue declared in Canada during its last complete tax reporting year (or during the last 12 months for monthly and quarterly filers)

For more information, visit Trade Commissioner Service.