Funding for young entrepreneurs in Ontario runs across three lanes: Futurpreneur Canada startup loans with mentorship for ages 18 to 39, Ontario youth grants such as Summer Company and Starter Company Plus delivered through Small Business Enterprise Centres, and general programs like the CSBFP that are open at any age. Here is how each works, and how to prepare a strong application.
Markham Office helps prepare and submit funding applications. We are not a lender and do not provide investment advice.
Being young is not a disadvantage when you look for startup money — in fact, several programs are built precisely for founders early in their journey. If you have a short business history or a thin credit file, you are exactly who these programs were designed for. The trick is knowing which door fits your age, your stage, and your plan, then walking in prepared rather than applying blindly. Below is the map, roughly in the order most young founders should consider it.
Futurpreneur Canada: Startup Financing with Mentorship
If you are aged 18 to 39, Futurpreneur is often the first stop. Its core startup program offers equity-free loan financing of up to $75,000 (including financing from BDC) to start or buy a business, paired with up to two years of one-on-one, hand-matched mentorship. Working with a mentor is actually one of the conditions of the financing, which tells you how central the guidance is to the model.
For a young founder, that mentorship can be worth as much as the money. A mentor who knows the Canadian market helps you avoid early missteps and present your business more credibly to other lenders later. Futurpreneur also runs specialized streams — for example programs aimed at newcomers, Black entrepreneurs, and Indigenous entrepreneurs — so it is worth checking which stream fits your situation. If you are a newcomer as well as a young founder, our guide to funding for newcomer and immigrant entrepreneurs in Ontario covers that overlap in more detail.
Remember that Futurpreneur is a repayable loan, not a grant. You get financing and structure built for first-time founders, but you still pay it back on agreed terms.
Grants for Young Entrepreneurs: Ontario's Youth Programs
Ontario runs youth-focused programs delivered through local Small Business Enterprise Centres (SBECs), and these are where you will find genuine grants for young entrepreneurs rather than loans.
Summer Company helps students start and run a business over the summer. It provides an award of up to $3,000 — typically paid as up to $1,500 at the start and up to $1,500 on successful completion — plus hands-on mentorship from local business leaders. It is generally open to students aged 15 to 29 who are returning to school, and you apply through your local SBEC. Because it is seasonal, intake dates and exact criteria change each year, so confirm the current round early.
Starter Company Plus is aimed at people launching or growing a small business who are past school age. It typically combines a grant of up to $5,000 with a required business-training course and a small co-investment from you, again delivered through the SBEC network. Availability and intake windows for Starter Company Plus vary by centre and by year, and it is not always open, so treat the details as something to verify locally rather than assume.
Because these grant amounts, eligibility rules, and application windows shift over time, the safest move is to contact your local Small Business Enterprise Centre and confirm what is actually running before you build a plan around it. For a broader look at when to chase grants versus borrow, see our explainer on business grants vs loans in Canada.
General Programs Every Young Founder Should Know
Age-specific programs are not your only options. Several general programs are open to founders of any age and can carry a young business further than a small youth grant alone.
The Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP) is a federal program that shares the lender's risk so banks and credit unions can approve small business loans more readily. You apply through a participating bank or credit union, and the maximum is up to about $1.15 million per borrower, with sub-limits for equipment, leasehold improvements, and other costs. It is a repayable loan, not a grant, and the risk-sharing can help a newer business get approved when its track record is short.
The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) offers financing and advice tailored to early-stage entrepreneurs, and it partners with Futurpreneur on the financing above. Beyond that, community lenders and microloan providers vary by region and can be a practical way to borrow a modest amount while you build a repayment record that larger lenders look for later.
Funding for Young Entrepreneurs at a Glance
| Program | Who it's for | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Futurpreneur (core startup) | Founders aged 18 to 39 | Equity-free loan up to $75,000 (with BDC) plus up to two years of mentorship |
| Summer Company | Students, generally aged 15 to 29, returning to school | Grant of up to $3,000 plus summer mentorship, via local SBEC |
| Starter Company Plus | New or growing small businesses (past school age) | Grant of up to $5,000 plus training and a co-investment, via local SBEC |
| CSBFP | Founders of any age needing a lender to share risk | Repayable loan up to about $1.15 million through a bank or credit union |
| BDC / community lenders | Early-stage founders and lean startups | Repayable financing and advice; microloans in many regions |
How to Prepare Your Application
Once you can see the map, preparing well is what actually moves you forward. First, decide how much you need and what for — that alone separates a $3,000 summer grant from CSBFP financing. Second, match your profile to the right program: your age, whether you are in school, and your stage all point you toward or away from specific options. Third, write one strong business plan with realistic numbers, since nearly every program asks for it and a credible plan can offset a thin track record. Finally, confirm current intake dates and amounts with the relevant program or SBEC, because youth-program details change year to year.
Young founders who work in this order tend to move faster, because they are not guessing. They know which door fits and they walk in prepared.
Where Markham Office Fits
Funding for young entrepreneurs is more accessible than it looks once the categories are clear: Futurpreneur financing with mentorship for ages 18 to 39, Ontario youth grants like Summer Company and Starter Company Plus, and general programs such as the CSBFP underneath them.
To be clear, Markham Office is not a lender and does not give investment advice. What we do is help you prepare and submit your funding application — loan-readiness reviews, lender-ready business plans, and organizing the numbers and documents so you approach a lender or program ready rather than guessing. The final decision always rests with the lender or program. If you would like a hand mapping your options and building an application that holds up, start with our funding page and reach out. We will help you put your best case forward.