CREation Community Grants: Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise Stream (Canada)

CREation is a multi-level funding program that will support strengths-based, community-focused and youth-led projects taking place in communities across Canada. Funding is dispersed through themed streams, which focus on specific funding gaps and needs in communities.

This stream is being offered in partnership with H&M, and focuses on empowering Indigenous youth entrepreneurs to build, scale and enhance their businesses. Projects must be led by either individual Indigenous youth (ages 15-29) or 2+ Indigenous youth (ages 15-29). Youth leaders (grantees) will receive capacity building opportunities throughout the project, including opportunities to learn from other Indigenous business-owners about growing, scaling and developing a business.

Funding Stream Priorities

There is a priority in this stream to support:

• New and emerging Indigenous youth-led businesses and social enterprises
• Existing small Indigenous youth-led businesses and social enterprises that are looking to scale and/or grow
• There is a priority to fund business led by Indigenous youth who also carry Afro-Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ identities.

Project Focus Areas

Projects should focus on building the capacity of an Indigenous youth-led businesses and/or social enterprise.

Below are some possible examples of eligible projects. These examples do not include every type of project that they would fund.

• Building a business plan or strategic growth plan
• Designing and making new products for a business
• Developing social media and/or promotional materials
• Launching or redeveloping a website or platform
• Supporting ongoing operations of your business
• Engaging with community to plan initiatives, programs and/or give back events
• Hosting a product launch or artist events
• Working with a business advisor or taking training/capacity building workshops.

Eligibility Criteria

• Funding in this stream will only fund Indigenous youth-led businesses or social enterprises.
• Please note: for the purpose of this program, CRE defines Indigenous as status and non-status First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada, living both on and off reserve.
• Eligible groups and projects include:
  • Incorporated and unincorporated Indigenous youth-led businesses
  • Indigenous youth-led social enterprises
  • Individual projects led by an Indigenous youth
• Ineligible groups and projects:
  • Projects that are not youth-led (or where the majority of leadership is 30+)
  • Non-Indigenous groups, organizations and/or businesses
  • Non-youth groups, organizations and/or businesses
  • Projects taking place outside of Canada.

For more information, visit CRE.