Deadline: June 9, 2025
Applications are open for the Amex Canadian Small Businesses Grant Program 2025. Funded by American Express Canada and administered by DMZ at Toronto Metropolitan University, 100 Canadian small businesses with community significance, owned by individuals experiencing economic hardship, will be selected to receive a $10,000 CAD grant and mentoring support from DMZ.
Each selected business will receive mentoring support consisting of workshops, small group sessions, and one-on-one meetings with experienced DMZ program mentors. On a part-time basis, small business owners will receive coaching and knowledge on areas relevant to their business, such as sales, marketing, operations, and leadership.
Benefits
- Selected businesses will receive a $10,000 CAD grant.
- In addition to receiving a grant, selected participants will have access to virtual mentoring support run by DMZ for a 12-week period. Mentorship programming will consist of small group sessions and one-on-one meetings with experienced DMZ program mentors. On a part-time basis, small business owners will receive coaching and knowledge on areas relevant to their business, such as sales, marketing, operations, and leadership. The training component of the program also includes access to an on-demand, online learning platform.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the program, an applicant must meet the following criteria:
- The applicant must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or hold current and valid authorization in Canada;
- The applicant must be at least 18 years or older;
- The business must be an independent business and not part of a franchise;
- Own a business incorporated in Canada, where the business is primarily operated and managed in Canada;
- The business must be currently active in the Canadian market and been in operation on or before Jan 1, 2024;
- The business must have an annual revenue in 2024 of less than $1.5M CAD;
- The business must operate either out of a physical location or online;
- The applicant should be comfortable conducting business in either English or French (mentorship will be conducted in English or French).
Preference will be given to applicants that best demonstrate:
- Businesses with community reach and/or significance;
- Economic challenges experienced in the course of running or starting their business;
- Clear use of grant funds and the anticipated impact on their business.
Application
Submit your application by June 9, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Applicants will be contacted about the results of their application by June 23, 2025.
For more information, visit Amex Canadian Small Businesses Grant.
