Business succession planning is becoming increasingly important to Canada's economic growth, productivity and resilience as it helps to preserve business continuity, maintain employment and sustain local economies during ownership transitions. The Government of Canada recognizes that business owners and entrepreneurs may need help with buying or selling a business, whether it's transferring ownership of a business to a relative or selling to a new entrepreneur.
A significant share of Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are approaching a transition point. According to the 2023 Survey on Financing and Growth of SMEs, more than 17% of SME owners plan to exit their business within the next five years. Given the scale of anticipated ownership turnover, providing supports for business succession planning will be essential to protecting jobs and bolstering economic productivity.
That is why the government is issuing a call for proposals seeking a not-for-profit organization that can develop and deliver interactive support resources on business succession planning and business transfers to help Canadian small businesses and entrepreneurs through this anticipated transition.
On this page:
About the program
This initiative aims to strengthen support for Canadian small business owners and entrepreneurs in undertaking business succession planning and preparing for ownership transitions by increasing awareness and enhancing readiness for these processes.
A call for proposals will be used to identify and select a knowledgeable and experienced not-for-profit organization, or a consortium of organizations, to be awarded up to $3 million in non-repayable contribution funding to be disbursed over two years, starting in 2026–27. This funding will be used to:
- Develop and deliver interactive support resources and learning sessions to help entrepreneurs and small business owners, both current and prospective, navigate business succession planning and business transfer processes. These non-financial supports would be available to both small business sellers and buyers from all provinces and territories, free of charge.
- Develop, launch and host an online interactive map to provide quick and easy access to existing resources within the ecosystem by region and sector of the economy.
- Develop, launch and host two roadmaps, one for buyers and one for sellers, to relay pertinent information on each key step in the journey toward the successful sale and acquisition of an existing business.
- Develop a report on existing ecosystem gaps (related to business succession planning and business transfers) identified through the delivery of project activities and associated interactions with entrepreneurs and business owners.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants may apply independently or in partnership (as a consortium) with not for profit organizations or associations, provided that one organization is identified as the lead applicant. In these cases, supporting partners are required to provide letters of support confirming their involvement in the proposed initiative.
Eligible applicants must be Canadian incorporated (federally or provincially) entities and may be:
- not-for-profit organizations or associations
- not-for-profit social enterprises or co-operatives
- a group of eligible recipients that are a consortium of not-for-profit organizations
- a group of eligible recipients that are a consortium of not-for-profit and for-profit organizations or entities where the not-for-profit organization is the lead proponent
- post-secondary academic institutions or research institutes
- business and entrepreneur support organizations
- research or innovation hubs
- indigenous not-for-profit organizations
- business accelerators and incubators
How to apply
Applications will be assessed on a competitive basis and funding will be awarded to the applicant that best aligns with the objectives of the initiative and meets the assessment criteria found in the application guide.
See Section B of the application guide for instructions on how to download the PDF form.
Deadline
The deadline to submit an application package is July 28, 2026 at 11:59 Pacific Daylight Time.
For more information, consult our frequently asked questions (FAQ) or email the team at isedentrepreneurship-entrepreneuriatisde@ised-isde.gc.ca.