CanExport SMEs projects for Latin American markets
INNOVA Consult, Ottawa, scopes and delivers the consultant activities of a CanExport SMEs project in Latin America: market study, regulatory analysis, distributor search and B2B meetings in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. The exporter applies in its own name.
CanExport SMEs
50%
of the project is funded by the program; the applicant funds the other half.
- Applicant requests
- $10,000 to $50,000 CAD per project
- Total project value
- $20,000 to $100,000 CAD
- Status on 4 November 2026
- Closed; all 2026–27 applications processed
- Next intake
- Posted by the program when available
What Canadian exporters can buy from INNOVA
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Export market study
Market prioritization across our Latin American markets, demand and competitor review, pricing and channel analysis, and a recommendation on where to start.
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Regulatory analysis and feasibility
A regulatory, commercial and stakeholder map for the target country: product and service requirements, import rules, licensing and the practical steps to become operational.
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Legal and tax coordination
We line up the corporate, legal, tax and compliance questions with the legal and accounting firms engaged in the target country, so you work from one plan.
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Lead generation and key-contact identification
Research to build qualified lists of buyers, partners and decision-makers in the target market.
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Distributor and partner search
Mapping, screening and shortlisting of distributors, agents and strategic partners.
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B2B matchmaking
We organize meeting programs with buyers and partners in the target market: scheduling, briefing notes and follow-up.
How the cost share works
CanExport SMEs is a Government of Canada program delivered by the Trade Commissioner Service. It shares the cost of international business development activities with eligible Canadian companies.
- Who is eligible
- An incorporated legal entity, LLP or cooperative in Canada with an active CRA business number, 3 to 500 full-time employees, and $300,000 to $100 million in annual revenue declared in Canada.
- Relevant expenses
- Consultant work such as export market studies, feasibility studies, identification of key contacts and facilitation of B2B meeting programs (category G), and fees paid to an accounting, legal or business consulting firm for advice on legal, tax or international business development matters (category F).
- Consultant rules
- Consultants must be independent and unaffiliated with the applicant, and all transactions must be at arm’s length and at reasonable value. INNOVA works on this basis.
The program makes the final call on which activities and costs are eligible for each project. We scope our proposals to the categories listed in the current Applicant’s guide and adjust them to the program officer’s feedback.
Who applies
The exporting company applies for CanExport SMEs in its own name. A company cannot apply on behalf of another entity with a different CRA business number. INNOVA helps you define the project, prepare a detailed quote and workplan for the eligible activities, and deliver the work once your project is approved.
Activities started before approval are at the applicant’s own risk, so we plan the start date around the funding decision.
The next intake has not been announced yet. A scoped project now means a ready application when it opens.
Questions about Latin American markets
Which Latin American markets do you cover?
Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Brazil first, with Guatemala and the Dominican Republic also in focus. For each country, local legal and accounting firms are engaged per project and named in the proposal, so you know who works on your market before the project starts.
Can a CanExport SMEs project target Mexico?
Yes, on the same terms as any market outside the U.S. The 2026–27 rules name no excluded country: a market is ruled out only by sanctions, export controls, financial-crime rules or a sister company already selling there. Mexico has to be new to your company, and the project cannot also target the U.S.
What does a market study for a Latin American market include?
Market prioritization across the countries we cover, a demand and competitor review, pricing and channel analysis, and a recommendation on where to start. In CanExport SMEs terms it is an export market study, one of the consultant activities in category G.
How are distributors found and met?
We map, screen and shortlist distributors, agents and partners in the target market, then organize a meeting program with the ones you choose: scheduling, briefing notes and follow-up. Key-contact identification and B2B meeting programs are both category G activities; consultants’ travel stays outside the project budget.
Which documents come in Spanish and Portuguese?
The Canada–LATAM capability statement comes in English and in Spanish, and a one-page summary for Brazil comes in Portuguese. All three are PDFs on the Canada–LATAM Desk page, for program officers, procurement teams and partners in the market.
What do we receive at the end of the project?
The work the scope names: the market study and its recommendation, the regulatory map, the shortlist of distributors and partners, and the notes and follow-up from the B2B meetings. The program may ask for the contracts, the scope of work and the results, so each one is kept ready for your claim or report.
Scope the project before the next intake opens.
Tell us what you export and which market comes first.
Maksym Stepanenko, founder, in business since 2012. Products in public use, one of them in the App Store.