Hello to Canada’s SaaS and AI Community,
Growth conversations often begin with capital, though investors are only part of the picture. Non-dilutive funding such as grants increasingly plays a role in how growing companies finance hiring, product development and expansion.
Speaking with SAAS NORTH, Chelsey Fawcett, CEO of Grant Solutions Canada, shared why grant readiness increasingly resembles investor readiness and why preparation has become a strategic advantage long before an application is ever written.
Her perspective was less about grants themselves and more about a broader shift in how companies think about growth. Increasingly, the businesses best positioned to access capital are the ones building operational clarity well before they need it.
Key takeaways:
- Funding readiness increasingly mirrors investor readiness
- AI is changing how applications are written and evaluated
- Strong companies build funding strategies rather than isolated applications
- Operational clarity creates advantages long before capital arrives
Reframing What Funding Actually Is
Many founders still think of grants as one-time opportunities or programs designed for very specific types of businesses. Others assume they become relevant only at certain stages or when outside capital becomes harder to access.
Chelsey approaches the conversation differently.
“Grants solve problems.”
For her, funding starts with understanding why programs exist in the first place.
Governments create incentives around outcomes they want accelerated, whether that involves research, commercialization, hiring, exports or productivity.
That creates a useful shift in perspective.
Instead of asking what funding is available, founders may benefit from asking where friction already exists inside the business.
“If there are pain points in your company, there’s likely government support to help you.”
The strongest companies rarely approach funding as a standalone activity. They tend to integrate it into broader growth priorities already shaping the business.
Readiness Is Becoming A Competitive Advantage
Chelsey estimates that much of her work begins long before an application reaches a submission portal.
“Eighty percent of my job isn’t grant writing.”
The larger focus often sits around strategic alignment, helping companies define milestones, clarify objectives and connect growth plans to measurable outcomes.
Companies that consistently secure funding tend to understand not only what they want funded but how additional capital changes the trajectory of the business.
A company seeking one million dollars isn’t simply asking for resources.
The stronger narrative explains what that investment enables, whether that means entering new markets, accelerating product development or building a larger team.
Increasingly, funders want to understand not only where a company plans to go, but how it intends to get there.
AI Is Changing The Process On Both Sides
As AI reshapes how software teams operate, it’s also changing how funding systems function behind the scenes.
Chelsey describes this less as a new rule and more as an evolving expectation. Teams are using AI to improve efficiency and funders are beginning to adopt AI within parts of their own review processes.
“We’ve already started seeing this dialogue with resumes,” she explained.
Applications that once moved directly into human review may increasingly pass through AI-assisted filtering or early screening stages. Some European programs have already introduced transparency requirements around AI use in applications.
The shift may be subtle but it changes what preparation looks like.
Companies with organized forecasts, supporting materials and clear documentation can often move faster and communicate more consistently.
Storytelling Still Matters
Technology continues to evolve quickly but the ability to communicate clearly remains surprisingly durable.
Chelsey’s background across startups, consulting and the arts has shaped how she thinks about growth and positioning.
“You need to know your audience,” she explained. “You want to be able to communicate a vision clearly.”
Founders often understand their products at a level few others can. The challenge is translating complexity into something that creates confidence.
Decision makers may understand financial models and risk frameworks without fully understanding a highly specialized category or technical market. The companies that stand out often combine measurable evidence with narratives that make impact easier to understand.
Three Signals Of Funding Readiness
When Chelsey advises companies planning the next 12 to 24 months, three areas repeatedly surface:
As Chelsey put it:
“Why should this bank give you money over everyone else?”
The question can feel uncomfortable, though it often reveals something useful because strong answers rarely begin with funding itself, instead they begin with clarity.
Why This Conversation Matters
What stood out in Chelsey’s perspective wasn’t simply advice on accessing grants. It was a broader view of how companies create readiness before they need it.
As AI accelerates workflows and growth cycles continue compressing, preparation increasingly becomes a form of leverage. Teams that understand their priorities, systems and goals are often better positioned to move when opportunities emerge.
SAAS NORTH is Canada’s hub for scaling AI-SaaS companies, bringing together founders, teams, investors and operators navigating the shifts shaping the industry in real time.
The most valuable conversations are often the ones that reveal not only where the market is moving, but what companies need to build before they get there.
For organizations navigating growth, hiring and an increasingly complex funding landscape, Grant Solutions Canada works with teams to help bring greater clarity and structure to the process.\