Alberta is widely regarded as one of the best places to start a new business. With over 18,300 new small businesses created in the province between 2012 and 2017, it currently boasts the second highest proportion of small business per capita (after PEI) and is far ahead of the Canadian average. So, what makes the province so popular with entrepreneurs?
One key factor is the availability of financing and government support. Government grants in Alberta, tax credits, and contributions are identified as effective mechanisms to stimulate business expansion and incentivize innovation in the government’s top priority sectors.
For example, the Product Demonstration Program, part of Alberta Innovates, aims to support innovation and problem-solving technologies for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the province. In the wake of Alberta’s 2015-16 recession, small business prosperity has been more important than ever in driving economic recovery. Small businesses comprise 97.5% of all businesses in the province and employ over 542,000 people or 36% of all private sector jobs. They also generate 35% of Alberta’s GDP, the highest of all provinces, and well above the Canadian Average of 31%.
In this PDF file, we provide a detailed description of all government grants in the province of Alberta with their allocated funds per project, target business sectors, and eligibility requirements.