BDO buys GrantMatch to help businesses tap government funds

National business advisory BDO Canada LLP is acquiring funding adviser GrantMatch Corp., adding a team that will help clients tap governments for money at a time when many businesses are looking for support as they pivot to new markets.

Oakville, Ont.-based GrantMatch, a company of 35 employees, helps clients – including large manufacturing and food companies, entrepreneur-owned businesses and municipalities – access government grants.

GrantMatch uses custom-built software and artificial intelligence to track about 12,000 federal, provincial and municipal funding programs and help customers write applications for grants. The company’s research shows 60 per cent of small businesses have never applied for government support, despite being eligible.

As part of BDO, GrantMatch managing partner Mike Janke said the company can expand its customer base by pitching companies looking for government support as they pivot from the U.S. to new markets in Europe or Asia and enter new sectors in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff regime.

“In sectors such as energy, manufacturing food and defence, the government is rolling out programs to support growth,” said Mr. Janke, who will become a partner in BDO. “As part of BDO, we see opportunities to better serve those sectors.”

GrantMatch grew dramatically during the early days of COVID-19 pandemic as companies scrambled to qualify for government support. Mr. Janke said the firm is seeing a similar spike in demand for its services now, as businesses try to access newly created programs aimed at decreasing reliance on exports to the U.S. market.

GrantMatch’s clients include dairy co-operative Agropur, Clearwater Seafoods and WestJet Airlines Ltd. The company also helps municipal organizations tap provincial and federal coffers. Customers typically use the service to access grants for new jobs, investment in equipment, digital adoption and export programs.

Employee-owned GrantMatch was founded in 1994. Last year, it had $10-million in revenue. Mr. Janke said under BDO’s ownership, the group expects to double revenues in the next five years.

BDO and GrantMatch did not release financial terms of the transaction.

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“This deal has enabled the firm to expand its credits & incentives capabilities, making it easier to help our clients access the funding they need so they can continue to grow their businesses,” Rachel Gervais, BDO’s managing partner of tax, said in a news release.

BDO employs more than 3,000 professionals in 100 offices across the country. The firm is part of a global network with 1,800 offices in 164 countries.

In 2021, GrantMatch launched a partnership with Royal Bank of Canada that gives the bank’s business clients access to its software. More than 20,000 of the bank’s customers used the service.

In 2022, the company launched a service called the GrantMatch Hub that targets small- to medium-sized businesses, a sector that is also a focus for BDO. Over the past three years, 1,500 companies have used the platform.