Ontario is marking Small Business Week with a renewed focus on strengthening the backbone of its economy — the province’s more than half a million small businesses that collectively employ approximately 2.5 million Ontarians. In a statement released Tuesday, Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business, highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to foster entrepreneurship, protect jobs, and promote innovation across sectors amid growing global trade challenges and rapid technological change.
“On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I’m proud to celebrate and recognize the 500,000 small businesses in communities across Ontario. Employing roughly 2.5 million people, small businesses are vital to our province’s continued success, creating jobs and contributing new ideas and resources to our diverse economy,” Tangri said.
The Ontario government says it is taking decisive action to support entrepreneurs and protect local enterprises from external pressures, including trade disputes and tariffs. Tangri emphasized that Ontario is focused on building a stronger, more resilient, and self-reliant economy while ensuring workers and businesses are shielded from the impact of U.S. tariffs.
“To support our province’s entrepreneurs and small businesses, we’re taking decisive action to protect workers and jobs from the impact of U.S. tariffs, while building a stronger, more resilient and more self-reliant economy,” she said.
As part of this commitment, the province has provided nearly $12 billion in immediate relief and support to more than 80,000 businesses. These measures include the deferral of select taxes and rebates for safe employers through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). The support package is designed to give companies more flexibility to focus their resources on business needs and maintain stability in challenging conditions.
“This includes nearly $12 billion in immediate relief and support for more than 80,000 businesses through the deferring of select taxes as well as rebates for safe employers through the WSIB, allowing companies to focus their resources where they’re needed most,” Tangri added.
Ontario is also expanding its efforts to help small businesses adapt to digital transformation. With the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, the province has allocated an additional $7.5 million to its Digitalization Competence Centre. The program provides coaching, training, and grants to help business owners embrace innovation and remain competitive in a changing marketplace.
“To enhance digital competitiveness, we’re investing an additional $7.5 million towards our Digitalization Competence Centre to provide coaching, training and grants to help small business owners adopt new technologies in the era of artificial intelligence,” Tangri said.
Beyond digital adoption, the province continues to provide direct, on-the-ground support through its network of Small Business Enterprise Centres. These centres offer advisors and services to guide entrepreneurs at every stage of their business journey, from planning and launch to expansion and succession.
“We’re also providing boots-on-the-ground support across our province through our network of Small Business Enterprise Centres, which offer advisors and services to guide entrepreneurs at every stage of their business,” Tangri noted.
The government is also targeting the next generation of entrepreneurs through new funding initiatives. This summer, Ontario topped up its partnership with Futurpreneur — a national organization supporting young entrepreneurs — with a $2 million investment. The funding will help 320 new business owners access financing and mentorship as they launch and grow their ventures.
“This summer, we topped up our Futurpreneur program with a $2 million investment to help 320 young entrepreneurs find the financing they need to kick-start their businesses, while our programs like Starter Company Plus and Summer Company are helping the next generation with up to $5,000 in grants, hands-on training and mentoring that builds skills young people can carry into future careers and ventures,” Tangri said.
The government says it is also preparing to introduce a suite of new tools in the coming months to assist business owners with succession planning and other critical decisions that will determine long-term sustainability and growth.
“In the coming months, we’ll be taking further steps to support small businesses with a suite of tools to guide succession planning and other critical decisions,” she said.
Tangri reiterated that Ontario’s small business community is essential to the province’s growth, innovation, and economic resilience. She said the government will continue to reduce taxes, cut red tape, and invest in targeted programs that protect jobs and encourage entrepreneurship.
“Day in and day out, Ontario’s small business owners demonstrate what it means to be dedicated, to dream big and create opportunities for others. Our government will continue to support them by lowering taxes, cutting red tape and investing in the innovative programs needed to protect small businesses, workers and our economy,” she said.
As Small Business Week unfolds, the province’s message underscores that small enterprises remain central to Ontario’s economic health and community development. Through financial relief, digital innovation programs, and youth entrepreneurship initiatives, the government aims to ensure small business owners have the tools, resources, and confidence to drive the province’s economy forward.
