Business & Procurement
66 curated official resources. Search and filter these in the directory →
Federal
- BizPaL — Permits and Licences FinderGenerate a personalized list of federal, provincial, and municipal permits you need to operate a business
- Canada Business — Starting a BusinessOfficial guide for starting a business in Canada — permits, taxes, licensing, and supports by province
- Canada's Business Registries — Multi-Jurisdiction SearchFree basic search across the federal registry and eight provincial/territorial business registries from one page (not yet all 14 jurisdictions).
- Canada's Business Registries (ISED)Free cross-provincial business lookup aggregating the official registries of AB, BC, MB, NS, ON, QC, SK, and Corporations Canada — one search across jurisdictions.
- CanadaBuys — Federal TendersModern federal procurement portal replacing buyandsell.gc.ca — browse and bid on tenders
- Canadian Importers DatabaseFind the major companies importing any product into Canada — searchable by product, city, or country of origin, built from CBSA customs data, with the firms behind 80% of imports of each product.
- Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)Search and apply for patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs in Canada
- Canadian Patents DatabaseSearch over 2.6 million Canadian patent documents from 1869 to the present, with full-text and images, maintained by CIPO.
- Canadian Trademarks DatabaseCIPO's searchable database of more than 1.4 million Canadian trademarks registered from 1865 to the present, updated weekly.
- CBSA — Licensed Customs BrokersThe federal licensing page for customs brokers, with the public list of licensed brokers a business can use to check that a broker actually holds a licence, plus how brokers may act for importers and exporters. It explains the April 2024 move to national licensing and where to file a complaint about a broker or report someone acting as one without a licence.
- CFIA — Automated Import Reference System (AIRS)Question-and-answer tool that walks importers through the exact CFIA requirements, documents and HS codes for bringing food, plants and animals into Canada.
- CFIA — Food LicencesThe Canadian Food Inspection Agency's food-licence hub under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations: who needs a licence, how to apply through My CFIA, and how to validate a licence number.
- CIPO — Canadian Copyrights DatabaseSearch Canadian copyright registrations from 1991 onward by title, owner name, or registration number and view registration details.
- CIPO — Canadian Industrial Designs DatabaseSearch all registered Canadian industrial designs by title, owner, classification, or registration date, with drawings and status for each design.
- CIPO — Goods and Services ManualSearch CIPO's pre-approved goods and services terms and use the Classify List feature to assign Nice classes before filing a Canadian trademark application.
- Corporations Canada — Federal Corporation SearchConfirm the existence and status of any federally incorporated business, not-for-profit, cooperative or board of trade by name, corporation number or business number.
- Corporations Canada — Nuans Name SearchRun pre-searches and order official Nuans reports comparing a proposed corporate name against Canada's database of existing corporate names and trademarks.
- DFO — National Online Licensing SystemFisheries and Oceans Canada's online system where commercial fish harvesters and recreational fishers in DFO-managed waters apply for, renew and pay for fishing licences and print licence documents.
- FedDev OntarioFederal economic development agency supporting business growth, innovation, and community economic development in southern Ontario
- Innovation Canada — Business Benefits FinderPersonalized search of federal, provincial, and regional business funding and support programs
- ISED — Canadian Importers DatabaseLook up which companies import specific goods into Canada — search by product, city, or country to get lists of major importers based on CBSA customs data.
- ISED — Canadian Industry StatisticsGenerate industry snapshots by NAICS code or keyword — GDP, employment, number of businesses, trade, and financial performance trends for any Canadian industry.
- ISED — CSBFP Lender Finance MapFind 3,180+ Canada Small Business Financing Program lender branches on an interactive map, or download the full point list as CSV.
- ISED — ExploreIP: Canada's IP MarketplaceSearch thousands of patents held by Canadian governments, universities, and hospitals that are available to license or commercialize, and contact the IP holders directly.
- ISED — Financial Performance Data (SME Benchmarking)Build financial benchmark reports for 1,000+ industries — revenues, expenses, profit margins, and balance-sheet ratios — and compare your small business against industry averages.
- MERX — Canadian Procurement PlatformCanada's largest electronic procurement platform — access federal, provincial, and municipal tender notices across all industries
- OSB — Bankruptcy and Insolvency Records SearchSearch every bankruptcy and proposal filed in Canada since 1978, receiverships since 1993, and CCAA records (free); other searches cost $8 per name.
- OSB — Licensed Insolvency Trustee RegistryLook up every Licensed Insolvency Trustee in Canada — active, semi-active, and inactive — to verify a trustee's licence before engaging them.
- Regional Tariff Response InitiativeFederal program (expanded to ~$2.5B, intake open through December 2028) delivered by regional development agencies offering liquidity and pivot funding to SMEs hit by U.S. and China tariffs.
- Statistics Canada — Canadian International Merchandise Trade Web AppExplore monthly Canadian import and export data by HS commodity code, trading partner, and province, with charts, time series, and top-25 commodity rankings.
Provincial
- Alberta Purchasing ConnectionAlberta's public-sector tender site — bid opportunities, awards, and vendor accounts
- Treasury Board & Finance — Non-profit Listing DashboardSearch Alberta Corporate Registry non-profits by name, type, status and location; export the monthly listing and explore Power BI charts.
- BC Bid — Provincial ProcurementBC's electronic tendering portal for public-sector opportunities across the province
- BC Business Registry — Corporate OnlineSearch BC corporate records, register a new business, and file annual reports through BC Corporate Online
- British Columbia — Liquor and Cannabis LicensingBC's Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch hub: apply for or amend liquor and cannabis licences, find licensed establishments, and check licensing policy for bars, restaurants, manufacturers and cannabis retailers.
- OrgBook BCPublic verifiable-credential directory from BC Registries to confirm a business is legally incorporated and in good standing, with API access.
- Manitoba — Companies OfficeManitoba's Companies Office: incorporate, register business and trade names, and search the public registry of corporations and trade names.
- Manitoba TendersProvincial tender notices for Manitoba government and public-sector opportunities
- Service New Brunswick — Corporate Registry SearchKeyword-search the provincial registry of business corporations, non-profits, partnerships, business names and condominium corporations; buy certificates and filings online.
- Newfoundland and Labrador — Companies and Deeds Online (CADO)Search NL's registry of companies, co-operatives, condos, deeds and mechanics liens electronically, with records from 1982 to present.
- Northwest Territories — Corporate Registries Online (CROS)Search NWT-registered corporations, business names, partnerships, societies and co-ops — legal name, status and type are free; full profiles cost $4.
- Nova Scotia — RJSC Connect Business SearchSearch Nova Scotia's Registry of Joint Stock Companies by name or Registry ID to see any business, society or non-profit's status, addresses and filing dates.
- Nunavut — NNI Registered Business SearchSearch the Government of Nunavut's database of NNI-registered Nunavut and Inuit-owned businesses eligible for procurement preferences, by name, community or type.
- Ontario Business AccountSingle dashboard (launched Feb 2026) for Ontario businesses to register, link their Ontario Business Registry profile, manage filings, and see all government messages in one place.
- Ontario Business RegistryRegister, search, and manage Ontario business names, corporations, and partnerships online
- PEI — Business / Corporate Registry SearchSearch PEI's corporate and business names registry free of charge for corporations, non-profits, co-ops and trade names, and order full profile reports.
- Québec — Registre des entreprisesQuebec's official enterprise registry: search corporations, sole proprietorships, and nonprofits by name or NEQ number for status, directors, and filings. Note: site blocks automated requests; browse manually.
- SEAO — Système électronique d'appels d'offres du QuébecQuebec's electronic tender system for public contracts with full search and alerts — currently offline as of May 2026
- Saskatchewan — Corporate Registry (ISC)Search Saskatchewan's corporate registry for businesses, non-profits and legal entities; register or incorporate, file annual returns, and get digitally verified documents and certificates online.
- SaskTendersSaskatchewan government and public-sector tenders and bid opportunities
- Yukon — Corporate Online Registry (YCOR)Search Yukon's corporate registry for any business or non-profit and view summary information free, with fee-based entity profiles, certificates and filings.
Municipal
- Abbotsford — Business LicencesBusiness licensing hub covering which trades need a licence and what each category covers, with online new applications, annual renewals, and a licence inquiry route. It also spells out the rules businesses hit most often — 12-month validity, a $130 base fee, non-transferable licences, and what to do when a business moves, changes hands, or closes.
- Vernon — Business Licence SearchKeyword search across Vernon's issued business licences. Filter on business name, business type, street address or date issued, or search with no criteria to browse the whole list. Short-term rental licences are withheld under freedom-of-information limits.
- Burnaby — Business LicencesThe City of Burnaby's business-licence hub: apply for and renew resident, non-resident and inter-municipal business licences, including home-based, rental and short-term rental licences.
- Kitchener — Business LicencesBusiness licensing page for Kitchener covering which business categories need a licence, the general conditions (non-refundable fees, multiple licences per business, March 31 expiry), online apply and renew, three-to-four week processing, and related licensing such as AGCO liquor non-objection letters.
- Nanaimo — Business Licence SearchNanaimo's issued business licence register, searchable five ways: by address, by month issued, by product or service, by industry sector, or by keyword — plus a view-all tab. One of the few BC municipalities publishing a public lookup of licences already issued.
- Saskatoon — Business LicencesThe City of Saskatoon's business-licence hub: apply for, renew and look up commercial, home-based and rental-property business licences and check licence requirements by business type.
- Surrey — Applying for a Business LicenceThe City of Surrey's business-licence application page: apply for a new licence through the online portal or by form, with requirements for commercial, home-based and non-resident businesses.
- Waterloo — Get a Business LicenceWaterloo's business licence application page: every licence type with its requirements and fee, the mandatory documents (owner authorization letter, insurance certificate, proof of business status, photo ID, corporate profile report), criminal record checks where required, and the portal route for applying and renewing annually. Processing can run up to eight weeks.
- Waterloo — Renew Your Rental LicenceThe renewal half of Waterloo's rental licensing: annual renewal for both short-term and long-term licences, the first renewal on March 31 and then a street-name-based cycle, prorated first fees, and the document tables for each licence class including the gas and oil appliance inspection forms.
- Waterloo — Short-Term Rental LicenceLicensing route for renting a home for 30 days or less, including on Airbnb and VRBO. Sets out which property types are covered, the owner-occupancy rule, the Class B and Class S licence classes, and a table of required documents per class and situation, with new requirements flagged from July 1 2026. Short-term rental platforms also need their own business licence.
Agency
- Competition Bureau — Report of Merger ReviewsBrowse the weekly-updated register of ongoing and concluded merger reviews under the Competition Act, including pre-merger notifications and advance ruling requests.
- CPATA — Public Register of Patent and Trademark AgentsLook up any licensed Canadian patent or trademark agent by name, city, or employer and verify their current licence status with the College's regulator register.
- AGCO — Search Licences and Registrations (iAGCO)The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario's guide to searching iAGCO for liquor, gaming, cannabis retail, lottery and horse-racing licences, permits, authorizations and registrations without an account.
Crown Corp
- Canadian Commercial Corporation — Government ProcurementProcurement tools for businesses selling to governments domestically and internationally
- Defence Construction CanadaDefence construction contracting and project management