Grants for Psychotherapists and Social Workers in Canada

There is non-repayable government money that private practices can use. Many therapists never apply because they assume grants are for tech start-ups or large employers. In fact, there are programs for opening a practice, growing one, improving an office, hiring a summer student and training staff.Below are several programs worth knowing about.

Why should therapists look for funding?

A grant is money you generally don’t pay back, as long as you meet its conditions. Even $2,500 toward a new website, or half the cost of an accessible entrance, makes a real difference to a practice’s cash flow in its first few years.

The catch is timing. Most programs want you approved before you spend, and some open for only a few weeks a year. Practices that know what’s out there can line up a project with an intake.

Are grants taxable?

Usually, yes. Under paragraph 12(1)(x) of the Income Tax Act, government grants and similar assistance a business receives are generally included in its income. In some cases, the grant instead reduces the cost of the asset or expense it paid for, which lowers the deduction you can claim for it. Either way, set aside part of any grant for tax, and tell your accountant when you receive it.

Start-up and business grants

Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program (federal)

Non-repayable equity contributions for Indigenous entrepreneurs starting, expanding or buying a business. You apply through a local Indigenous Financial Institution or Métis Capital Corporation, and each one sets its own eligibility.

Suits: First Nations, Inuit and Métis therapists opening or growing a practice, anywhere in Canada.
Amount: up to $99,999 for individuals; up to $250,000 for eligible Indigenous community businesses. The amount depends on the project’s scope, need and budget.
Status: ongoing, with no deadline.
Official link: Indigenous Services Canada – Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program

Starter Company Plus (Ontario)

A grant plus training, an advisor and a mentor for people starting, expanding or buying a small business in Ontario. You contribute at least 25% of the grant amount, in cash or in kind. Local small business centres deliver it, each with its own intake dates and extra rules. Some, including Barrie and Hamilton, expect you to work at least 35 hours a week in the business, and a grant isn’t guaranteed.

Suits: new or young full-time practices, or an RP opening a first office.
Amount: up to $5,000.
Status: varies by city. As of November 3, 2026, intakes were open in Barrie, Orillia and Simcoe County (Health Venture cohort for health and wellness businesses, due November 27, 2026), Vaughan (due December 4, 2026; confirm with the centre, as its page also shows an older date) and Hamilton (for businesses six months to two years old, due January 8, 2027).
Official link: Ontario – Starter Company Plus

PARO Women’s Innovation Initiative – BIZGrowth (Southern Ontario)

Funded by FedDev Ontario, BIZGrowth helps existing women-led businesses expand into new markets or carry out an innovative growth plan. Health and digital services are among the sectors named. It’s aimed at businesses in cutting-edge and critical sectors. Health is one of them, but confirm with PARO that a therapy practice fits before applying.

Suits: established women-owned solo or group practices.
Amount: up to $2,500, matched 1:1 by the business (a $5,000 project).
Status: listed on PARO’s site, with no deadline posted.
Official link: PARO – Women’s Innovation Initiative

NOHFC Invest North – Launch (Northern Ontario)

Support for new businesses in Northern Ontario. Retail and service businesses are usually excluded, but professional services can qualify when they open in a small community with no full-time provider and no reasonable access to one in a nearby urban centre. Your proposal must also show how the service would improve quality of life in the community. The business must be operating six months or less, and you must work in it full-time.

Suits: an RP opening the first full-time practice in a small Northern town.
Amount: up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $200,000. You contribute at least 15%.
Status: ongoing. Funding is limited, and each project is decided by the NOHFC Board.
Official link: NOHFC – Invest North – Launch

City of Edmonton Storefront Improvement Program (Alberta)

A 50% matching grant for renovating a commercial storefront in a Business Improvement Area or Council-approved target area. The building owner applies, or someone the owner designates, such as a tenant. Home-based businesses aren’t eligible. Apart from design and engineering, no work can start until you’ve signed a Reimbursement Agreement with the City.

Suits: Edmonton clinics in a street-facing unit.
Amount: 50% of eligible costs, up to $50,000.
Status: the current intake runs November 1–30, 2026. The 2027 intakes are in February, April and September, though the City may cancel one if funding runs out.
Official link: City of Edmonton – Business Improvement Area Grants

Downtown Victoria Business Facade Improvement Grant (British Columbia)

Run by the Downtown Victoria Business Association and the City of Victoria, it helps businesses improve their storefronts. Many cities and business improvement areas run similar grants, so check yours.

Suits: practices with a street-facing office within the Downtown Victoria Business Association area.
Amount: 50% of eligible costs, up to $5,000 per business. Property owners can instead claim up to $5,000 per street-facing commercial tenant, for up to six tenants.
Status: open on a rolling basis until funding is allocated.
Official links: DVBA – Grants and City of Victoria announcement

Saskatchewan Young Entrepreneur Bursary

A one-time grant, with mentorship, for young owners of a for-profit Saskatchewan business that has been operating 10 years or less. It’s run by the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and funded by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Suits: counsellors aged 18–35 in their first years of practice.
Amount: $5,000.
Status: closed for now. The 2026 window ran May 27 to July 17, 2026. The Saskatchewan Chamber says a new cohort will be selected in 2027; dates haven’t been announced.
Official link: Saskatchewan Chamber – Young Entrepreneur Bursary

Gabriel Dumont Institute – Pathways for Entrepreneurship (Saskatchewan)

For Métis entrepreneurs (MN-S citizens or those eligible) aged 18 and over living in Saskatchewan who face barriers to self-employment or business development. Once you have a business plan or an existing business, Pathways can pay for professional services such as bookkeeping, accounting, legal or website consulting. Costs must be pre-approved. You can’t use it while receiving other GDI funding.

Suits: Métis counsellors and social workers in Saskatchewan starting or growing a practice.
Amount: up to $10,000 (lifetime) for professional services.
Status: ongoing.
Official link: GDI – Pathways for Entrepreneurship

Community Futures Small Business Supports (rural Saskatchewan and Manitoba)

Business owners with a self-declared disability or health condition can get help with digital marketing or business mentorship. The money is paid directly to the service provider.

Suits: rural solo practitioners. In Saskatchewan the business must be outside Saskatoon and Regina; in Manitoba, outside Winnipeg.
Amount: up to $750.
Status: accepting applications, which are approved as funding allows.
Official links: Community Futures Saskatchewan and Community Futures Manitoba

Hiring and training grants

Canada Summer Jobs (federal)

A wage subsidy for hiring a young person, aged 15 to 30, for a full-time summer job (30 to 40 hours a week, for 6 to 16 weeks). Private employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees qualify, and the business must have been operating for at least two years by December 31, 2026. Employers that met all the conditions of a CSJ 2026 agreement and were reimbursed for at least one job are exempt from this rule. You’ll need a CRA payroll account before you hire.

Suits: established practices with real summer work in intake, admin, marketing or outreach.
Amount: up to 50% of the provincial or territorial adult minimum hourly wage for each approved job.
Status: open. Applications close December 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. Jobs run between April 19 and August 28, 2027.
Official link: Canada Summer Jobs

Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant (Alberta)

Pays most of the cost of instructor-led training in business, digital or technical skills. Since October 8, 2025, business owners can be trainees too, which opens it to solo practitioners. The business must be registered and operational in Alberta for at least one year. Conferences don’t qualify, and neither does degree or diploma training taken mainly to earn an academic credential.

Suits: Alberta practices of any size, including solo owners.
Amount: 75% of eligible training costs, up to $5,000 per trainee per fiscal year. The employer pays the other 25%.
Status: open. Apply before training starts.
Official link: Alberta – Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant

CCPA Barbara MacCallum Legacy Innovation Grant (national, association-funded)

Not a government program, but worth knowing about. This new grant from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, the Canadian Career Development Foundation and the COMPASS Centre for Examination Development funds a project, program, learning module or study that advances counselling therapy, psychotherapy, career counselling or career development for people with disabilities or chronic or terminal illness. CCPA membership isn’t required, but you must live, work or study in Canada. It’s offered every two years.

Suits: therapists with a concrete program idea, such as a group for clients living with chronic pain.
Amount: $5,000.
Status: applications due April 15, 2027.
Official link: CCPA – Awards

What if a program is closed?

Some of these programs may be closed or between intakes when you read this, and rules change from year to year. The Saskatchewan bursary, for example, won’t reopen until 2027, and Starter Company Plus dates differ from city to city. It’s still worth learning about them. Many grants run on a yearly cycle, and new ones are introduced regularly. If you know what a program pays for, you can have your project, quotes and paperwork ready when it reopens, or when something similar comes along.

A few habits help:

Apply first, spend second. Costs incurred before approval often aren’t eligible.
Read the eligibility rules closely. Some programs require you to work in the business full-time or to have been operating for a minimum period.
Check the stacking rules. Many programs limit total government funding for a project; NOHFC, for example, caps combined federal and provincial funding at 50% of eligible costs.

A new resource: our full list of funding programs

The programs above are a short selection. We’ve reviewed many more across Canada and put them together in a comprehensive list: what each pays, who qualifies and where to apply. Once finalized, we will be sharing this list with our newsletter subscribers only. To get it, subscribe to our newsletter. You’ll also receive our quarterly tax tips, deadlines and CRA updates for mental health professionals.

General information only, not tax advice for your situation.