Government grants and tax credits are readily available for businesses operating in Manitoba. These grants and credits range in scope and can cover hiring, training, research and development, commercialization, international trade, and more. Here are just a few opportunities your business can cash in on when you hire in Manitoba:

Commercialization Support for Business Program: As a business owner operating in Manitoba, you could get financial help to commercialize innovative products and processes. Funds are available for all business sectors and in all regions of the province. Funding is available for product development (up to $50,000); product commercialization (up to $250,000); or market development (up to $30,000).

Community Enterprise Development Tax Credit Program: This program encourages Manitoban resident investors or eligible corporations to invest in specific community enterprises or in community development investment pools in their communities. Investors receive a 45% income tax credit on a maximum annual investment of $60,000 (up to $27,000 in tax credits).

Elevate! This program is for any persons with a disability looking to start a business in a rural, remote or northern community of Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba. Through this program entrepreneurs are eligible to receive support in: financial help with living, travel, and childcare expenses; business mentorship; and or accounting and bookkeeping support.

Growing Forward 2: Growing Forward 2 is a five-year agricultural policy framework agreement among federal-provincial-territorial governments. It is the foundation for co-ordinated government action to help the agriculture and agri-food sectors become more profitable, competitive and innovative. Funding is available to agri-businesses through a variety of grants, including: assurance, competitiveness, innovation, and commercialization.

Paid Work Experience Tax Credits: Through this program employers can receive a tax credit up to 25% to a maximum of $5,000 per person, per year, per level, when they hire high school co-op students or apprentices. Incentives also exist for hiring post-secondary co-op students and graduates.

Self-Employment Program: The program provides participants with the training and supports necessary to start a business by offering business planning, self-employment/entrepreneurial skills training (may include classroom instruction) and individual consulting. Participants of the program are eligible for up to 52 weeks of training and business supports with up to 39 weeks of income support.

Young Entrepreneurs: The Young Entrepreneurs Program encourages Manitoba’s young people to start their own full-time, viable businesses, and in the process pursue self-employment as a career choice. Applications are accepted on a year-round basis from youth aged 18 to 29 years. Under the Young Entrepreneurs program, approved applicants are eligible for a grant of up to $4,000 to help defray business start-up costs and capital expenditures.

Note: All projects are subject to change and availability.

Aboriginal Business and Entrepreneurship Development: This program is for Aboriginal entrepreneurs and communities. Through this program businesses can apply for up to $99,999 to help with: starting or buying a business; developing a business plan; growing existing business; marketing; development of new products; business advice; and more.

AgriInvest: Through AgriInvest, agricultural producers can get a matching amount from governments up to $15,000 per year to set aside savings, which can be used to recover from small income shortfalls, or to make investments to reduce on-farm risks.

Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit: This tax credit is for employers who hire an apprentice (in their first 2 years of an apprenticeship program). Employers are eligible for a tax credit equal to 10% of that person's salary. The maximum credit is $2,000 per year per eligible apprentice.

Canada Job Grant: The Canada Job Grant helps employers train new or existing employees for jobs that need to be filled. This flexible program is designed to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, in all industries and regions. If you are an employer, you could get a grant to cover up to 2/3 of the costs of training for your employees. The maximum you may receive is $10,000 per grant.

Canada Summer Jobs: The Canada Summer Jobs program is a wage subsidy that helps employers pay up to 50% of the salary to hire an eligible full-time student during the summer.

CanExport: The CanExport program helps businesses promote and market themselves in new international markets. Businesses can receive up to $99,999 to reimburse up to 50% of eligible expenses including business travel; trade fairs; market research; marketing tools; and more.

CareerFocus: CareerFocus provides financial assistance to employers that offer career-related work experience to young people between the ages of 15 and 30. To qualify, businesses must hire 8 or more recruits (exceptions for rural or remote regions); offer between 6 and 12 months of work that improves the skills of recruits; provide coaching or mentoring; and base the project in Canada.

Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP): The IRAP program provides financial support to qualified small and medium-sized enterprises in Canada to help them undertake technology innovation. Through the program employers can receive customized technical and business advice as well as non-repayable financial contributions to help them (1) research, develop, and commercialize new technologies and (2) accelerate the adoption and adaption of these technologies.

Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities: This program is for persons with a disability who want to start a business or employers who would like to hire someone with a disability. Through this program entrepreneurs are eligible for financial assistance for training and employers are eligible for a wage subsidy that can cover a portion of a salary. 

Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program (SR&ED): The SR&ED Program is a federal tax incentive program designed to encourage Canadian businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to conduct research and development (R&D) in Canada. Businesses are eligible for a tax refund or tax credit of up to 35% of what is spent on R&D.

Strategic Innovation Fund: The Strategic Innovation Fund allocates repayable and non-repayable contributions to firms of all sizes across all of Canada's industrial and technology sectors. The program has four streams, each with its own precise objective: (1) encourage R&D that will accelerate technology transfer and commercialization of innovative products, processes and services; (2) facilitate the growth and expansion of firms in Canada; (3) attract and retain large scale investments to Canada; and (4) advance industrial research, development and technology demonstration through collaboration between academia, non-profit organizations and the private sector.

Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative: The Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative is a five-year federal initiative that offers repayable contributions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with operations in Western Canada, in order to help move their new and innovative technologies from the later stages of research and development to the marketplace. The funding supports commercialization, including: technology development; pilot projects; validation of market potential; related marketing human resources, productivity, and process or quality improvement activities.

Youth Employment Program: Provides small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with financial assistance to hire young talent – specifically a post-secondary graduate to help with research, development, and or the commercialization of new technologies.

Note: All projects are subject to change and availability.