GrantTrail

Grants you can apply for · Federal program · Non-repayable contribution

Universal Broadband Fund — Rapid Response Stream

Government of Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Taking applications?

Deadline passed (15 Jan 2021)

The official page says: “The Rapid Response Stream is no longer accepting applications”

Read from the official page on October 13, 2026. Confirm the deadline on the official page before you apply.

Go to the official page to apply
Amount
Up to $5M
Cost share
Not stated on the page
Who can apply
Businesses; Indigenous organizations and businesses; Municipalities; Non-profits and charities
Where
Anywhere in Canada

What it is

Funding for broadband internet

Get a contribution of up to $5 million to cover the costs of a shovel-ready broadband infrastructure project that will bring high-speed Internet at 50/10 Megabits per second to households in rural and remote communities.

Description from the Government of Canada’s Business Benefits Finder (list of July 17, 2025), Open Government Licence – Canada.

What applicants actually got

From the federal records of every agreement signed under this program. Advertised: up to $5m.

Agreements, last 12 months
10
starting Oct 2025 or later
Typical award
$629K–$9M
the middle half, since Oct 2023
Median award
$2.8M
136 agreements since Oct 2023
All agreements
468
$2.8B

Federal grants and contributions, agreements starting Jan 2006 to Oct 2026, each counted once at its latest amended value. Source: Treasury Board proactive disclosure, published October 11, 2026. Filed as “Universal Broadband Fund” (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 468).

Who got it

Organizations with the most funding under this program, all years.

RecipientAgreementsTotal
Le Gouvernement du Québec2$467M
Telus Communications Inc.40$267M
Xplore Fibre L.P.7$181M
Rogers Communications Canada Inc.13$159M
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation-SaskTel7$139M
Northwestel Inc.5$110M
RFNow Communications LP1$105M
Valley Fiber Communications LP1$96.9M
Arrow Technology Group GP Limited18$65.5M
Xplore Inc.10$61M
Rock Networks (H&M) Lp1$57M
Matawa First Nations Management1$50M
Island Lake Anisininew Anokiwin Inc.1$49.7M
Clearwater County7$45.4M
Cogeco Connexion Inc.21$37.9M
Grand Council Treaty #3 Representative Services1$37.7M
CityWest Cable & Telephone Corp.43$36.9M
Municipality of the County of Pictou2$34.4M
Broadband Communications North inc.5$33.6M
Keewaytinook Okimakanak/Northern Chiefs Council5$32.9M
Nunatsiavut Government1$32.6M
Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation1$29.2M
Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre Inc.2$28.7M
Yellowhead County3$24.4M
Lemalu Holdings Ltd.4$24.3M
BH Telecom Corp.7$22.4M
Slave Lake Communications Ltd.7$19.4M
YTN Telecom Network Inc.1$19.4M
Corporation of the County of Northumberland and Northumberland County Community Development Initiatives Corporation1$18.4M
Whitesand First Nation1$17.6M

Plus 71 agreements ($154M) to individuals, sole proprietors and recipients this site does not name. They count in every total above. Why

Who got it in your province

Open a province to see the organizations there with the most funding under this program, all years.

Ontario132 agreements · $778M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
Xplore Fibre L.P.7$181M
Rogers Communications Canada Inc.13$159M
Rock Networks (H&M) Lp1$57M
Matawa First Nations Management1$50M
Cogeco Connexion Inc.21$37.9M
Grand Council Treaty #3 Representative Services1$37.7M
Keewaytinook Okimakanak/Northern Chiefs Council5$32.9M
Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre Inc.2$28.7M
BH Telecom Corp.7$22.4M
YTN Telecom Network Inc.1$19.4M
Corporation of the County of Northumberland and Northumberland County Community Development Initiatives Corporation1$18.4M
Whitesand First Nation1$17.6M
Regional Municipality of Durham1$14.8M
Township of Pelee1$14.4M
Mornington Communications Cooperative Limited3$8.4M
Quebec76 agreements · $626M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
Le Gouvernement du Québec2$467M
Kativik Regional Government1$4.5M
Eeyou Communications Network1$551K
Développement Innovations Haut-Richelieu2$280K
Manitoba23 agreements · $352M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
RFNow Communications LP1$105M
Valley Fiber Communications LP1$96.9M
Island Lake Anisininew Anokiwin Inc.1$49.7M
Broadband Communications North inc.5$33.6M
Pimicikamak Communications Corporation1$14.6M
Westman Media Cooperative Ltd.3$13.3M
NHCN Broadband Inc.1$12.3M
Southeast Resource Development Council Corp.1$8M
RFNow Inc.2$6.2M
Mosakahiken Cree Nation1$5.8M
Sapotaweyak Cree First Nation1$3.2M
The Rural Municipality of St. Laurent1$1M
Park West Fibre Optics Co-op Inc.1$879K
Waywayseecappo First Nation1$702K
Rural Municipality of Yellowhead1$655K
British Columbia99 agreements · $348M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
Telus Communications Inc.40$267M
CityWest Cable & Telephone Corp.43$36.9M
Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation1$29.2M
Nisga'a Nation1$4.6M
Ktunaxa Nation Council Society2$2.9M
Advanced Interactive Canada Inc.3$1.8M
Village of Granisle1$1.6M
TELUS Communications Company1$1.1M
Swift Internet1$888K
Lytton Area Wireless Society1$640K
Kaslo Infonet Society2$527K
Trout Lake BC Internet Society (TLBCIS)1$295K
ispeed Communications Inc. ispeed CONFIDENTIAL PROPRIETARY2$123K
Alberta85 agreements · $288M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
Arrow Technology Group GP Limited18$65.5M
Clearwater County7$45.4M
Yellowhead County3$24.4M
Lemalu Holdings Ltd.4$24.3M
Slave Lake Communications Ltd.7$19.4M
Missing Link Internet Inc6$16.2M
Canadian Fiber Optics Corp.2$13.6M
Bearspaw First Nation1$11M
Siksika Nation1$7.3M
1447874 Alberta LTD2$7.1M
Iwantwireless.ca Ltd2$6.9M
Sturgeon County1$4.3M
Eastern Irrigation District1$4.2M
Red Deer County1$4.1M
Blood Tribe - Kainai Nation - Treaty 71$3.6M
Saskatchewan20 agreements · $161M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation-SaskTel7$139M
Access Communications Co-operative Limitied4$6.7M
Meadow Lake Tribal Council1$5.3M
Stafford Communications Inc.1$3.4M
Beaver River Broadband Inc.1$2.1M
Beardy's & Okemasis Cree Nation (BOCN)1$2M
Prairie Crocus Rural Internet1$1.3M
Kawacatoose First Nation1$561K
Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation #801$459K
Prairie Crocus Rural Internet Limited1$266K
Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation/ Sequorum Inc.1$189K
Yukon6 agreements · $110M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
Northwestel Inc.5$110M
Smith's Landing First Nation and Northwestel Inc.1$378K
New Brunswick12 agreements · $61.8M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
Xplore Inc.10$61M
Crave Technologies Ltd1$687K
Xplornet Communications Inc.1$140K
Nova Scotia4 agreements · $35.6M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
Municipality of the County of Pictou2$34.4M
Bragg Communications Inc.2$1.2M
Newfoundland and Labrador6 agreements · $35.3M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
Nunatsiavut Government1$32.6M
Big Land Networks Ltd.1$929K
Burgeo Broadcasting System1$793K
Aldera Communications Inc.2$678K
The Community Recreation Rebroadcasting Service Association1$232K
Northwest Territories3 agreements · $10.5M
RecipientAgreementsTotal
SSi Micro Ltd.2$5.5M
Tlicho Government1$5M
Prince Edward Island2 agreements · $693K
RecipientAgreementsTotal
Island Telecom Services Inc2$693K

Latest agreements

StartRecipientValue
Jul 2026Canadian Fiber Optics Corp.$1,495,700
Feb 2026Telus Communications Inc.$14,830,260
Jan 2026Telus Communications Inc.$22,951,915
Jan 2026Telus Communications Inc.$44,087,422
Jan 2026Telus Communications Inc.$37,667,436
Dec 2025Northwestel Inc.$86,976,502
Nov 2025Mosakahiken Cree Nation$5,829,615
Nov 2025CityWest Cable & Telephone Corp.$1,946,863
Oct 2025Northwestel Inc.$13,370,072
Oct 2025Ktunaxa Nation Council Society$595,282
Sep 2025Broadband North Inc.$7,321,608
Sep 2025Telus Communications Inc.$26,043,939
Sep 2025CityWest Cable & Telephone Corp.$51,102
Aug 2025CityWest Cable & Telephone Corp.$191,269
Aug 2025CityWest Cable & Telephone Corp.$424,400
Aug 2025CityWest Cable & Telephone Corp.$290,929
Jul 2025Bearspaw First Nation$10,951,875
Jun 2025Valley Fiber Communications LP$96,875,043
Jun 2025Clearwater County$10,283,944
Jun 2025CityWest Cable & Telephone Corp.$794,254

By year

Agreements by the year they started.

$0$500M$1B202120222023202420252026*

* 2026 so far: agreements starting by Oct 2026. Departments publish each quarter after it ends, so the latest months fill in later.

Show the numbers
YearAgreementsTotal
2021226$860M
202258$537M
202358$196M
202457$589M
202564$502M
2026*5$121M

The full record: Universal Broadband Fund.

More programs: all provinces.