GrantMatch's Strategic Expansion into the U.S. Market

Responding to Client Needs and Market Trends

We, as Canada’s leading government incentives consultancy, took a decisive step in 2020 by expanding operations into the United States. This strategic expansion was driven by clear client needs and emerging market trends. After 25+ years of experience and success in securing grants and incentives for organizations in Canada, we recognized that many of our clients were growing beyond borders. Multinational companies increasingly require support not only domestically but also in new markets like the U.S. In response, we established a U.S. presence, positioning ourselves to better serve enterprise clients on both sides of the border.

Our leadership understands that the funding landscape is becoming globally interconnected. Many of our Canadian clients have begun undertaking projects in the U.S., and they seek the same expertise abroad that we provide at home.

“We’ve had great success in working on projects in the U.S. for our Canadian clients, so it’s an easy decision to further expand our business into that market,”
— Dan Civiero, Managing Partner, GrantMatch

Client demand for cross-border support made U.S. expansion a natural next step.

Market trends also heavily informed this decision. By 2020, government incentive competition was on the rise internationally. In the United States alone, state and local governments offer an estimated $90 billion annually in fiscal incentives (grants, tax credits, etc.) to attract or retain business investments. At the same time, Canada continues to provide robust funding programs for innovation, expansion, and job creation.

This environment means that forward-thinking companies are chasing opportunities on both fronts, and they need guidance to navigate the complex patchwork of funding programs across jurisdictions. We saw an opportunity to fill this gap by extending our services into the U.S. market, ensuring clients can pursue funding wherever their growth takes them.

The Importance of Cross-Border Incentive Strategies for Multinationals

For multinational firms, having a cross-border government incentive strategy is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity. The rules, programs, and opportunities differ between countries, but a coordinated approach can turn these differences into competitive advantages.

Companies operating in multiple jurisdictions can benefit from aligning their projects with complementary funding programs in each location to maximize overall support. By strategically combining incentives from various sources, businesses can:

• Secure higher total grant contributions

• Boost project ROI

• Reduce risk

In practice, this might mean pairing a Canadian federal innovation grant with a U.S. state tax credit for a cross-border expansion project, ensuring that each aspect of the project is optimized for available funding.

Why is this cross-border approach so crucial?

• Maximizing Available Funding: Every jurisdiction – whether a Canadian province or a U.S. state – offers unique incentives. A coordinated strategy ensures no opportunity is overlooked, unlocking capital on both sides of the border to fuel growth.

• Offsetting Costs and Tariffs: Expanding internationally incurs additional costs (new facilities, supply chain adjustments, compliance, etc.), and external factors like tariffs can add pressure. A cross-border strategy helps offset these expenses through grants, tax credits, and other programs designed to alleviate financial burdens in each market.

• Competitive Advantage: Firms that leverage incentives in all the regions they operate gain an edge. They effectively lower their cost of expansion or operation, allowing them to invest more in innovation and competitiveness. In a world where governments are competing to attract business, savvy companies use incentive strategy as a strategic differentiator.

Our U.S. expansion directly supports clients in crafting these holistic strategies. Multinational companies trust us as a partner that understands the funding ecosystems in both Canada and the U.S., helping them navigate regulations and capitalize on funding programs across jurisdictions.

Serving Enterprise Clients in New Markets

One of our core strengths is our focus on serving enterprise-level clients, including many Fortune 500 companies, as they expand into new markets. This breadth of experience means our team is well-versed in the challenges large firms face when entering a new region — from meeting regulatory requirements to securing local support for major capital investments.

By entering the U.S. market, we now provide on-the-ground insights into American federal and state programs that benefit expanding businesses. For example, if a Canadian manufacturing company decides to open a production facility in the United States, we can identify U.S. incentives — such as state-level investment tax credits, workforce development grants, or property tax abatements — that make the expansion more cost-effective.

Conversely, if a U.S.-based client is looking to establish R&D operations in Canada, we can navigate Canadian federal and provincial grants that support innovation.

This full-spectrum service ensures enterprise clients have a single trusted partner coordinating their incentive strategy as they grow internationally — rather than juggling multiple consultants in each country.

Our approach is both high-tech and high-touch, which is particularly valuable to large organizations. The proprietary GrantMatch™ Funding Platform is a powerful software tool that tracks over 4,500 government programs – including grants, loans, tax credits, and more – across jurisdictions.

This platform allows our experts and clients to proactively research and identify funding opportunities in whichever market they’re operating. Armed with this data and insight, our funding strategists provide personalized guidance to align available programs with our client’s expansion plans. The result is a comprehensive funding roadmap that spans borders, tailored to the enterprise’s specific goals.

Offsetting Global Trade Pressures with Incentives

An uncertain trade climate puts new pressures on global companies. Tariff fluctuations and trade disputes — such as U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, and other goods — raise costs for many firms operating internationally. These pressures force companies to re-evaluate supply chains and consider new investment locations, all while trying to maintain profitability.

Fortunately, both the U.S. and Canadian governments have responded with incentive measures to help businesses adapt and remain competitive.

In the U.S., many companies adopted “onshoring” strategies to mitigate tariff costs — moving production closer to home. In support of this, state and local governments offered incentives such as:

• Tax credits

• Property tax abatements

• Infrastructure support

• Workforce training grants

In Canada, targeted programs were introduced to support industries affected by U.S. tariffs and encourage market diversification. For example, the Government of Canada launched the $100 million Steel and Aluminum Initiative to assist manufacturers, offering funding for:

• Productivity improvements

• Innovation adoption

• Supply chain diversification

Canada also offers programs like CanExport to help businesses explore new export markets and reduce over-reliance on any single trading partner.

These examples underscore a key point: in times of global trade volatility, funding opportunities often emerge as counterweights to external challenges.

Our cross-border expertise is especially valuable in this context. We stay on top of both U.S. and Canadian incentive responses to guide clients toward programs that soften the impact of tariffs and trade barriers.

Whether it’s helping a client tap into U.S. state grants for a new American facility or securing Canadian funding to upgrade equipment for efficiency, we enable companies to leverage public incentives as a shield against global headwinds.

This capability not only saves companies money — it gives them the confidence to keep growing and investing despite global uncertainty.

Delivering Coordinated Cross-Border Funding Solutions

Since our U.S. expansion in 2020, we’ve significantly expanded our capacity to deliver coordinated cross-border funding strategies for large and growing firms.

We established a physical presence in Lynchburg, Virginia — a key step that complements our Oakville, Ontario head office — to better serve clients on the ground in the United States. This bi-national presence allows our consultants to work closely with stakeholders in both countries, stay attuned to local program announcements, and build strong relationships with funding agencies across borders.

Critically, our team’s expertise scaled alongside our geographic reach. Our funding strategists are fluent in both the Canadian and U.S. incentive landscapes, ensuring we deliver strategies that consider the full range of options.

The marriage of our comprehensive funding database with a team of seasoned, adaptable experts makes our offering truly unique. Clients receive data-driven insights plus hands-on guidance — from initial research and application writing to compliance and reporting.

Our end-to-end, cross-border service means that growing companies can rely on us as a single, trusted partner to orchestrate their funding strategies across all locations and expansion plans.

Our journey into the U.S. has been more than just a geographic expansion — it represents an evolution into a North American-wide funding partner. By coordinating incentive strategies across Canada and the U.S., we help ensure that no opportunity is missed and that every client’s growth strategy is bolstered by the full suite of available support mechanisms.

Your Partner in Funding Across Borders – Connect with Us

Our expansion into the United States has solidified our role as a trusted partner for multinational companies navigating the complexities of government funding.

In a time when effective funding strategies can accelerate growth or offset unforeseen costs, we stand out as a guide and advocate for businesses operating in both Canada and the U.S.

With a proven track record in Canada and growing capacity across the U.S., we are uniquely positioned to deliver cross-border funding solutions that drive real results.

If your company is expanding into new markets — or wants to ensure it’s capitalizing on all available government incentives — now is the time to act.

📞 Connect with a GrantMatch funding expert today. We’ll work with you to develop a coordinated funding strategy tailored to your goals — whether it’s federal grants, state/provincial incentives, R&D tax credits, or other programs that can power your next move.

Don’t leave money on the table. Let us help you maximize your funding potential and drive your business forward together.