American Express Canada, in collaboration with DMZ, today announced the launch of the 2026 Backing Canadian Small Businesses’ grant program, aimed at empowering locally significant small businesses to grow and drive community impact.

Through the program, 100 Canadian small businesses will each receive a $10,000 grant and mentoring support from DMZ.

Each selected business will receive mentoring support, including small-group sessions and one-on-one meetings with experienced DMZ program mentors. In addition, on a part-time basis, small business owners will receive coaching on areas relevant to their business, such as sales, marketing, operations, and leadership.

Available Funding and Opportunities

Through the program, 100 small business recipients will receive:

• $10,000 grant to support their small business
• Mentoring support from DMZ for 12 weeks

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the 2026 Backing Canadian Small Businesses, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or hold current and valid authorization in Canada
• Must be at least 18 years or older
• The business must be independent and not part of a franchise.
• Own a business incorporated in Canada, where the business is primarily operated and managed in Canada.
• The business must be currently active in the Canadian market and have been in operation on or before January 1st, 2026
• The business must have an annual revenue in 2025 of less than $1.5M CAD.
• The business must operate either out of a physical location or online.
• The applicant should be comfortable conducting business in either English or French (mentorship will be conducted in English or French)

Applicants are encouraged to visit the website for full details and additional eligibility requirements.

How to Apply

Eligible applicants can apply by visiting the DMZ website and submitting their application before the deadline.

Deadline

Applications for the 2026 Backing Canadian Small Businesses Program are due by May 16th, 2026.

As always, we’ll continue to share relevant grants, funding opportunities, and programs for entrepreneurs and small businesses across Canada.

For more updates on opportunities, events, and community initiatives across Toronto and the GTA, follow efosa on Instagram.