Deadline: October 1, 2025
Applications for the Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (RAISE) Grant Program 2025-2026 are open. The Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (RAISE) is a grant program that supports Indigenous, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs who live and operate their business in Ontario.
After completion of the program, participants will be required to submit a report back confirming that they have used the entirety of the grant on eligible expenses related to their Business Action Plan. Participants will also be invited to take part in surveys and other evaluation methods to improve the quality of the program.
Grant
The grant program will provide:
- Business development training
- Culturally responsive and tailored business coaching
- Networking opportunities
- A one-time grant of $10,000
Eligibility
Businesses must meet the following requirements to be eligible:
- Registered with the Canada Revenue Agency
- Employs 1 to 5 full-time equivalent employees, or up to 10 employees for businesses in the Accommodation and Food Services sector (as defined by the North American Industry Classification System), including the applicant as the business owner.
- Operates in Ontario on September 10, 2025, and at all times while participating in the program.
- Has an annual gross revenue that does not exceed $750,000.
- In the market demonstrating sales/revenue. Businesses with ideas only or unproven products and services are not eligible.
- Has commercial general liability insurance with a limit of not less than $2 million ($2,000,000) for the business.
- Demonstrates need for and intended use of the grant funding.
- Nature of the business is legal under applicable laws in Ontario and Canada.
- Be in compliance with filing, reporting and other requirements under the federal Income Tax Act or as established by the Canada Revenue Agency.
- Attests that it is in compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and hate-related laws under the Criminal Code.
- Is not a:
- Business or applicant that participated in the RAISE grant program in previous years.
- Early development business (i.e., business idea only, not yet registered with the Canada Revenue Agency).
- Mature business planning for exit through sale.
- Franchise, including those individually owned and operated.
- Not-for-profit organization or charity.
- Crown corporation, government agency, public administration or political organization.
- Business that involves illegal, harmful or sexually exploitive activities.
- Business that processes or sells tobacco, firearms, other weapons and related equipment. An exemption exists for businesses that process or sell tobacco for traditional Indigenous cultural or spiritual purposes.
- Property rental including residential, commercial and student housing.
- Quasi-financial institution or money service and money transfer business (including insurance companies and financial services companies).
- Cryptocurrency (e.g., Bitcoin) business and traders.
- Business brokering funds or taking on a fiduciary duty handling funds for clients (including investment, insurance, and real estate brokers who handle funds in trust for clients).
- Collection agency.
- Business that raises investment capital for other businesses.
- Business with shares offered for public sale.
- Business that limits memberships for purposes other than capacity or regulations.
- Businesses with social media history or other activity that is inconsistent with the purposes and mandate of the RAISE Grant Program and Ontario’s Anti-Racism Strategy may be determined to be ineligible on a case-by-case basis.
The owner of the business must be:
- Indigenous, Black or other racialized individual (self-identification is required in the application).
- 18 years of age or older.
- Legally permitted to operate a business in Canada.
- Currently living and operating their business in Ontario.
- Be (a) the sole proprietor of the business if it is operated as a sole proprietorship, (b) have ownership of at least 50% of the business if it is a corporation, or (c) be active in the business and have an entitlement to at least 50% of proceeds if the business is a partnership.
- Committed to participating in the training, coaching and networking, components of the program (minimum total time requirement of 10 hours), as well as developing a Business Action Plan to scale their business.
Application
Applications for the program must be submitted on or before October 1, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Business owners that participated in the program in previous years are not eligible. Business owners that previously applied but were not accepted into the program are encouraged to reapply this year.
Complete applications are processed on a first come, first served basis until the program’s capacity is reached.
For more information, visit RAISE Grant Program.
