Chamber Business Grants will help local entrepreneurs, companies reach next level

August 13, 2026 · 0 Comments

If you’re a local business or entrepreneur looking to take your operations or concepts to the next level, the Aurora Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for grants that will help you do just that.

This year, the Chamber is offering grants to benefit up to five local small businesses.

Rise Up and Scale Up Grants of $2,500 each will be available for four businesses looking to build or scale their businesses.

An additional grant, The Media Grant, offered by Addison Marketing Solutions, will offer $5,000 in services to support customer-facing media presence, including websites, promotions, and more.

Applications for each grant will be accepted by the Chamber through August 28 and Alison Mumford, President & CEO of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, says successful applicants should show how the grant will make a “tangible” difference to their business.

“We look for people who have something kind of tangible that they’re going to invest in, whether it’s a piece of equipment for their business, something that we can see direct results from,” she says. “There is a lot of people who apply and say, ‘I need to pay off my Visa.’ While also being a business owner, I fully understand the pressures and know the stresses of carrying that financial burden, especially in those first couple of months, until you can break through to the other side of profit, but that is not necessarily what we’re looking for. They are called Rise Up and Scale Up and, accordingly, this is something that we want to be able to invest in, something tangible that is going to help get their business to the next level. Whether that is a piece of equipment, [hiring] an employee, or buying a piece of software or something like that, it’s showing something quite tangible so we can see them progress.”

Since the Chamber launched the Business Grant Program five years ago, they have indeed been eagerly watching how recipient businesses have used their grants to “rise” and “scale” up.

One such business, she says, is Reach Indoor Climbing, a recipient in 2023 that used their grant to buy assistive technology to help people with physical barriers climb and take advantage of what the business offers. It even helped them host a paralympic climbing event at their gym, says Mumford.

Other recipients include Beverage Marketing, which was able to hire a new staff member with their grant money, and photographers Studio Bokeh used theirs to buy new sets to expand their offerings.

“They have all been able to reinvest back into their businesses, continue to be Chamber members, and we’re continuing to see their businesses thrive, which is really nice,” says Mumford, adding that, through the application process, preference is given to Chamber members. “That just goes back to our mandate of providing support to our members and for this to be a perk of membership. Now, if somebody applies and they’re a non-member, we can certainly take a look at that application and take a look at that business. We want people to see value in the Chamber, so being a member in good standing in advance of that, just to know they trust and value us, so that we can then trust and value them and provide the grants in that way.”

RiseUp Grant for small businesses (Value of $2500)

Revenue: The business must be revenue generating under $50K
Business size: The business may or may not have any employees
Business type: The business must be a for-profit business and a member in good standing of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce
Business stage: The business must be in the start-up stage and in operation for less than 2 years
Business purpose: The business must have a clear mission and purpose
Financial need: The business must demonstrate a clear need for funding and how the grant funds will be used.
Impact: The business must demonstrate how the grant funds will have a positive impact on the business and the broader community
Two (2) grants will be awarded in 2026

ScaleUp Grant for small businesses (Value of $2500)

Revenue: The business must be revenue generating between $51K and $200K
Business size: The business should have at least 1 employee or contract employee equivalent
Business type: The business must be a for-profit business and a member in good standing of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce
Business stage: The business must be in operation for at least 2+ years
Business purpose: The business must have a clear mission and purpose
Financial need: The business must demonstrate a clear need for funding and how the grant funds will be used.
Impact: The business must demonstrate how the grant funds will have a positive impact on the business and the broader community
Two (2) grants will be awarded in 2026

Media Grant for small businesses (Sponsored by Addison Marketing Solutions – value of $5000 to be used toward services provided by Addison Marketing Solutions)

Revenue: The business must be revenue generating up to $200K.
Business size: The business may or may not have any employees
Business type: The business must be a for-profit business and a member in good standing of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce
Business stage: The business must be in operation for 1+ years
Business purpose: The business must have a clear mission and purpose
Financial need: The business must demonstrate a clear need for the types of marketing services being offered by Addison Marketing Solutions.
Impact: The business must demonstrate how the marketing services will have a positive impact on the business
One (1) grant will be awarded in 2026.

For more information on this year’s Grant program, including how to apply, visit aurorachamber.on.ca/grants.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Program