Money for AI projects

Federal and provincial programs that pay for AI adoption, compute, research and talent — checked against official pages.

Accepting applicationsBusinessesNon-profitsStudents & grads

Mitacs AI Advantage

Mitacs, funded by the Government of Canada

Who it's for: Companies, non-profits, hospitals, municipalities and Indigenous governments that want to adopt AI — paired with students, recent grads (within 2 years) and postdocs.
What you get: Co-funded AI work placements in two streams: ADOPT (from AI readiness to a working implementation) and AI+X (applied AI research in your sector). Part of a federal plan for 10,000 placements over five years.
How to start: Contact a Mitacs advisor to scope a project.

Official page Last checked: October 6, 2026

Ongoing programBusinesses

NRC IRAP (Industrial Research Assistance Program)

National Research Council of Canada

Who it's for: Incorporated, for-profit Canadian SMEs with 500 or fewer employees developing new or improved technology products, services or processes in Canada.
What you get: Advice from an industrial technology advisor and possible funding for innovation projects — including AI projects. IRAP's AI Assist initiative also funds short AI advisory engagements for SMEs through partner organizations.
How to start: Call NRC IRAP at 1-877-994-4727 to be matched with an advisor.

Official page Last checked: October 6, 2026

Ongoing programBusinesses

SR&ED tax incentive

Canada Revenue Agency

Who it's for: Canadian businesses doing qualifying research and experimental development — which can include building new AI systems.
What you get: Tax credits and refunds on eligible R&D spending.
How to start: Read CRA's eligibility guidance and claim with your corporate tax return.

Official page Last checked: October 6, 2026

Ongoing programBusinesses

Scale AI Acceleration

Scale AI, Canada's AI Global Innovation Cluster

Who it's for: Start-ups building applied AI for supply chains and industry — through Scale AI's accredited incubators and accelerators across Canada.
What you get: Funded coaching, mentorship and commercialization support. Start-ups don't apply directly — join one of the partner programs.
How to start: Browse the partner programs Scale AI funds and apply to one.

Official page Last checked: October 6, 2026

Ongoing programBusinessesResearchers

Vector Institute and Ontario Centre of Innovation

Province of Ontario partners

Who it's for: Ontario SMEs that want help adopting AI, and companies working with Ontario researchers.
What you get: Provincially funded programs that connect companies with AI engineers and researchers, plus OCI technology-adoption funding for SMEs.
How to start: Start with OCI's program finder; Vector lists its industry programs on its site.

Official page Last checked: October 6, 2026

Ongoing programResearchers

CIFAR Pan-Canadian AI programs

CIFAR, with Amii (Edmonton), Mila (Montréal) and Vector (Toronto)

Who it's for: University researchers and research teams working on AI.
What you get: Canada CIFAR AI Chairs, catalyst grants and AI safety research funding.
How to start: Check CIFAR's open calls.

Official page Last checked: October 6, 2026

Intake varies by regionBusinesses

Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII)

Canada's regional development agencies (FedDev Ontario, FedNor, CED Québec, ACOA, PrairiesCan, PacifiCan, CanNor)

Who it's for: AI start-ups and growing firms bringing products to market, and SMEs adopting AI in sectors such as agriculture, health and manufacturing.
What you get: Funding for AI productization and commercialization, and for AI adoption. Budget 2024 set aside $200 million; the 2026 national AI strategy adds more through the same agencies.
How to start: Check your regional agency's site — in Ottawa and southern Ontario, that's FedDev Ontario.

Official page Last checked: October 6, 2026

Closed — watch for next intakeBusinesses

AI Compute Access Fund

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Who it's for: Canadian for-profit companies building AI products, under 500 employees, with revenue or at least Series A financing.
What you get: Two-thirds of eligible costs for Canadian cloud AI compute (half for non-Canadian), on projects worth $100,000 to $5 million over up to three years.
How to start: The last intake closed July 31, 2025. Watch the official page for the next round.

Official page Last checked: October 6, 2026

Policy roadmapEveryone

Canada's National AI Strategy: AI for All

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Who it's for: Anyone who wants to know where federal AI money is going next. Launched June 2026.
What you get: The roadmap behind new programs: free AI training for everyone in Canada, support for SME and non-profit adoption, and up to 90,000 AI jobs and placements for young Canadians by 2031.
How to start: Read the overview, then watch for program launches here.

Official page Last checked: October 6, 2026

Before you apply

Programs open and close, and amounts change. We check each listing against its official page and show the date we checked — but the official page always wins. Our guide explains how to pick the right program for you.

Read: How to find AI funding in Canada