Grant funding can be challenging for businesses to navigate; companies need to understand how to comply with eligibility requirements, figure out when funding opportunities arise, strategize on which projects should take priority to maximize its funding potential, and learn how to proceed with post-grant reporting, all of which can take time and resources away from the core business. Working with GrantMatch is like having a road map, porters, and expert guides as you journey through the competitive grant funding landscape.
GrantMatch is the largest government incentives consulting firm in Canada today, but our story begins in 1994 when Dan Civiero first founded FairTax, a company that focused on tax recovery and expanded to include grants and incentives. In 2015, FairTax merged with Onager Solutions, a boutique grant consulting firm led by Mike Janke. The merger brought together the leadership and expertise of Dan and Mike, who together shaped the foundation of what GrantMatch is today.
Mike got his feet wet in the grants sphere back when he was 17 by receiving grant funding for his passion – wakeboarding. You can still catch him riding the waves and helping others discover the benefits of grant funding today.
Dan discovered early on that turning over every stone could uncover unexpected value. His first successes in tax recovery came from identifying hidden savings that even accountants had missed. His knack for digging deeper is what inspired him to found FairTax and still fuels his drive to help organizations maximize every grant opportunity today.
GrantMatch shook up the industry by becoming the first government incentives consulting firm to launch a software platform that combined all grant programs, information about historical approvals, and current funding news. Prior to launching the GrantMatch™ platform, there was no centralized place to search for applicable grant opportunities. This software was so innovative that GrantMatch successfully received grant funding in 2018 to accelerate its development. Today, our team and clients continue to utilize this software, which has now grown to house 12,000+ unique funding programs in its database.
When the pandemic reshaped the funding landscape, we stayed true to our principles. At GrantMatch, success has never meant chasing urgency for the sake of profit. It means showing up with integrity when organizations need thoughtful support. As the COVID-19 pandemic took its place on the world stage, GrantMatch felt a calling to pitch in and use our funding expertise to help firms access government assistance and stay afloat in trying times. We temporarily launched services free of charge and waived licensing fees for our software, enabling us to access funding for Canadian municipalities and businesses hard hit by the impacts of the pandemic. As a company run by people who understand the challenges our clients face, it was a natural step to do our part. But GrantMatch went one step further.
In 2020, GrantMatch also expanded our reach into the U.S. market and announced a new tool called FAST. The Funding Assessment Scoring Tool (FAST) was a direct response to the uncertainty of the times and enabled U.S. and Canadian businesses to quickly and freely determine if their organization qualified for government funding. We also opened a second office location in Lynchburg, Virginia, enabling us to provide on-the-ground support to our U.S. clients.
2021 marks the year that GrantMatch entered a strategic partnership with Canada’s largest bank, the Royal Bank of Canada. As part of RBC’s Services Beyond Banking, GrantMatch offers eligible RBC clients complimentary access to our FAST tool, which instantly generates a curated list of available funding opportunities. This partnership allows RBC clients to connect with the experts at GrantMatch to find the right funding options for their operations.
Today, GrantMatch works closely with over 400 clients across Canada and the United States, helping organizations secure over $500 million in government funding.
Our success over the past 30 years is a result of strong and forward-thinking leadership, innovative technology, and a unique, collaborative, and passionate team.
Behind every strategy, every application, and every partnership is a team whose diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Our team brings together a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds, including Business, Commerce, Political Science, Environmental Studies, English, and History. This breadth of experience, alongside daily team meetings and a collaborative company culture, allows us to approach funding challenges from multiple perspectives, think critically, and craft tailored solutions for every client. Whether you speak English or French, we have bilingual specialists here to guide you through the funding process with clarity and confidence.
The GrantMatch™ Platform helps our clients cut through the confusion of government funding by giving them access to our entire catalogue of 12,000+ funding programs, representing a potential funding pool of more than $35.17 billion. The GrantMatch™ Platform’s comprehensive search functionality allows clients to identify the most relevant program matches using built-in filters, helping them discover grants with the greatest impact on their business or community.
Once an opportunity is identified, the GrantMatch™ Platform keeps clients and Specialists connected and informed by providing a clear view of each grant opportunity’s progress. Clients can track applications through every stage, from identification to development to approval. This visibility helps clients stay organized, see which opportunities have been pursued, and understand what’s still in the pipeline.
Our proprietary software streamlines the development of long-term grant funding strategies by enabling Specialists to manage multiple grant applications for each client simultaneously, keep project details organized, and stay alert to deadlines, ensuring timely application submissions.
Our database of grant opportunities is updated daily by our internal Data Librarians and actively used by our Funding & Incentives Team to track the most relevant grant opportunities, ensuring that no opportunity is ever overlooked.
When you work with GrantMatch, you gain exclusive access to our team of grant experts, our proprietary database of grant opportunities, and dedicated personnel for application writing as well as compliance and reporting post approval. Here’s how it works:
Behind the scenes, our team works to create supporting documents, such as KML maps of your project location, business cases, Gantt charts of your project timeline, and any other resources to help reviewers better understand your project when deciding on which projects to fund.
Securing an approval is only the first step; staying compliant ensures you actually receive the full value of your award.
Once your project is approved, the post-approval compliance process begins. This stage can be just as complex as the application itself. Funding agencies require detailed reports on your project’s progression, proof of how funds are being allocated, and confirmation of outcomes such as the number of jobs created, a reduction in GHG emissions, or other measurable impacts. Missing a deadline, overlooking an eligible cost, or misreporting details can result in funding being clawed back.
That’s where Deborah “Debbie” Dunsire comes in. Debbie is GrantMatch’s dedicated Compliance Specialist, who brings clarity and strategy to the intricate world of compliance. Known for her meticulous eye, organizational talent, and deep understanding of government requirements, Debbie helps ensure ease in the compliance process.
Debbie’s diligence consistently turns potential shortfalls into success stories by balancing reporting requirements with the natural shifts that occur in any project. If a planned eligible expense doesn't move forward, she identifies alternative costs that keep clients fully funded while staying compliant with all program requirements. In this way, Debbie helps GrantMatch clients retain the full value of their funding, even if minor project details shift along the way.
At GrantMatch, we’ve spent three decades building the expertise, technology, and team to guide organizations through every stage of the funding journey. Whether you’re a business looking to expand or a municipality investing in community growth, our team is here to help you maximize your funding potential. Connect with our team today and see firsthand the difference a long-standing partnership with GrantMatch can make in achieving your funding goals.