VentureLab Innovation Centre: federal grants and contributions

Updated 12 October 2026 · Markham, ON · grants and contributions register · Markham–Thornhill

VentureLab Innovation Centre: federal grants and contributions: 26 agreements; $32.6M value; 3 departments; 7 programs.

Assay record ASY-CA-1B8BNBB1TT · Cite as: Assay Systems, “VentureLab Innovation Centre: federal grants and contributions”, https://assay-systems.com/register/ca/grants/r/venturelab-innovation-centre/

$
26agreements
$32.6Mvalue
3departments
7programs

Largest agreements

1001962$10.7Mvalue2019start2023end

To create, grow and develop strong and inclusive regional ecosystems that support business growth and innovation, as well as the entrepreneurial environment necessary to foster more innovative regional economies and increase the competitiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises.

814609$9.7Mvalue2019start2023end

The Hardware Catalyst Initiative will be Canada's first hardware and silicon incubator. It will enhance existing regional strengths and enable SMEs to accelerate growth to become globally competitive.

1014247$4.5Mvalue2024start2027end

To support the expansion of a state-of-the-art semiconductor and hardware incubator in southern Ontario and provide programming and advisory services to companies working in this sector.

813658$1.7Mvalue2019start2023end

This project will aim to increase the number of women led tech companies that specifically build software or hardware-enabled solutions for various priority economic sectors.

Continued Expansion of the ventureLAB Capital Investment Program - National and International Approach and Investment DEI Initiative$750Kvalue2022start2023end

ventureLAB’s national Capital Investment Program will assist 40 growing and scaling IP-rich startups to raise capital from domestic or international private funds, enabling them to grow and scale globally from Canada, generating revenue and collaborating in their local economies, creating new jobs, and building Canadian competitive advantage.

Capital Investment Program - National and International Approach$500Kvalue2021start2022end

ventureLAB’s national Capital Investment Program will assist growing and scaling IP-rich startups to raise capital from domestic or international private funds, enabling them to grow and scale globally from Canada, generating revenue and collaborating in their local economies, creating new jobs, and building Canadian competitive advantage.

Continued Expansion of the ventureLAB capital investment Program-National and International Approach and investment DEI initiative$500Kvalue2023start2024end

The Capital Investment Program empowers Canadian high growth companies by enhancing investment readiness and unlocking investment opportunities through financial guidance, mentoring, networking, and educational support.

Capstone support for SME's in order to raise venture funding$500Kvalue2024start2025end

The Capital Investment Program empowers Canadian high growth companies by enhancing investment readiness and unlocking investment opportunities through financial guidance, mentoring, networking, and educational support.

Show all 26
Capstone support for SME's in order to raise venture funding$500Kvalue2025start2026end

The Capital Investment Program empowers Canadian high growth companies by enhancing investment readiness and unlocking investment opportunities through financial guidance, mentoring, networking, and educational support.

Agreement$468Kvalue2016start–end
Velocity of Capital$400Kvalue2018start2019end

Link to established investment community for mature scale-up SMEs

Agreement$393Kvalue2016start–end
Agreement$376Kvalue2017start–end
513303$370Kvalue2020start2021end

This project amendment is related to the national $15 million funding for WES Ecosystem projects that the Government announced in May 2020 to help women entrepreneurs through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Continued Expansion of the ventureLAB Capital Investment Program$300Kvalue2020start2021end

ventureLAB’s national Capital Investment Program will assist SMEs to raise capital from domestic or international private funds, enabling them to grow and scale globally from Canada, creating new jobs, and building Canadian competitive advantage.

Agreement$276Kvalue2017start–end
Expansion of the ventureLAB Investment Readiness Program - National and International Approach and Hardware Investment Readiness Initiative$200Kvalue2026start2027end

The Capital Investment Program empowers Canadian high growth companies by enhancing investment readiness and unlocking investment opportunities through financial guidance, mentoring, networking, and educational support.

Expansion of the ventureLAB Capital Investment Program$150Kvalue2019start2020end

Program will assist SME Tech Community raise capital, enabling them to grow and scale globally, creating new jobs, and building Canadian competitive advantage.

CSJ 2022 - Venturelab Innovation Centre (Markham–Thornhill)$43.6Kvalue2022start2022end

Through the application of national and local priorities, the CSJ program seeks to provide youth, particularly those who face barriers to employment with access to work opportunities. Funded employers must demonstrate that they are providing quality work experiences for youth that provide opportunities to develop and improve their skills.

CSJ 2021 - Venturelab Innovation Centre (Markham--Thornhill)$40.6Kvalue2021start2022end

Through the application of national and local priorities, the CSJ program seeks to provide youth, particularly those who face barriers to employment with access to work opportunities. Funded employers must demonstrate that they are providing quality work experiences for youth that provide opportunities to develop and improve their skills.

CSJ 2020 - Venturelab Innovation Centre (Markham-Thornhill)$26.6Kvalue2020start2020end

Through the application of national and local priorities, the CSJ program seeks to provide youth, particularly those who face barriers to employment with access to work opportunities. Funded employers must demonstrate that they are providing quality work experiences for youth that provide opportunities to develop and improve their skills.

CSJ2018-ventureLAB (Markham--Thornhill)$26.6Kvalue2018start2018end

N/A

Youth - Canada Summer Jobs$24.9Kvalue2019start2019end

Through the application of national and local priorities, the CSJ program seeks to provide youth who face barriers to employment with access to work opportunities. Funded employers must demonstrate that they are providing quality work experiences for youth that provide opportunities to develop and improve their skills. The CSJ program is delivered by the Department of ESD.

CSJ 2023 - Venturelab Innovation Centre (Markham-Thornhill)$20.0Kvalue2023start2023end

Through the application of national and local priorities, the CSJ program seeks to provide youth, particularly those who face barriers to employment with access to work opportunities. Funded employers must demonstrate that they are providing quality work experiences for youth that provide opportunities to develop and improve their skills.

CSJ 2024 - Venturelab Innovation Centre - (Markham-Thornhill) (OP)$10.7Kvalue2024start2024end

Through the application of national and local priorities, the CSJ program seeks to provide youth, particularly those who face barriers to employment with access to work opportunities. Funded employers must demonstrate that they are providing quality work experiences for youth that provide opportunities to develop and improve their skills.

Pilot-Canadian IP Retention Program - Increasing value of startups to enable Canadian M&A$0value2020start2022end

Connecting and increasing value of vulnerable technology companies (IP Companies) with stronger technology partners in order to facilitate a transaction that benefits both parties while retaining the IP in Canada.

Departments

Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario5agreements$27.1Mvalue4programs
  • Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE)
  • Regional Innovation Ecosystem
  • WES Ecosystem Fund (Regional)
  • WES Regional Top-Up

All grants from Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

National Research Council Canada14agreements$5.3Mvalue2programs
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program – Contributions to Organizations
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program

All grants from National Research Council Canada

Employment and Social Development Canada7agreements$193Kvalue1programs

Years

20261agreements$200Kvalue1programs
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program
20251agreements$500Kvalue1programs
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program – Contributions to Organizations
20243agreements$5.0Mvalue3programs
  • Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE)
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program – Contributions to Organizations
  • Youth - Canada Summer Jobs
20232agreements$520Kvalue2programs
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program – Contributions to Organizations
  • Youth - Canada Summer Jobs
20222agreements$794Kvalue2programs
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program – Contributions to Organizations
  • Youth - Canada Summer Jobs
20212agreements$541Kvalue2programs
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program – Contributions to Organizations
  • Youth - Canada Summer Jobs
20204agreements$696Kvalue3programs
  • WES Regional Top-Up
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program – Contributions to Organizations
  • Youth - Canada Summer Jobs
20195agreements$22.4Mvalue5programs
  • Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE)
  • Regional Innovation Ecosystem
  • WES Ecosystem Fund (Regional)
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program – Contributions to Organizations
  • Youth - Canada Summer Jobs
Show all 11
20182agreements$427Kvalue2programs
  • Industrial Research Assistance Program – Contributions to Organizations
  • Youth - Canada Summer Jobs
20172agreements$652Kvalue0programs
    20162agreements$861Kvalue0programs

      Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure of grants and contributions (open.canada.ca, dataset 432527ab-7aac-45b5-81d6-7597107a7013), 1,327,352 rows as published, collapsed to one agreement per agreement number (per reference number where none is given) at its latest amendment, which carries the full agreement value. Years are the agreement start year. Agreements with individuals are counted but not named.