Editorial Policy & Standards
How we research, fact-check, and maintain our database of small business government funding and tax credit guidelines.
Our Editorial Mission
FSI Digital provides small business owners, startups, and innovation-focused companies with objective, transparent, and up-to-date intelligence regarding government funding, grants, loans, and tax credits across Canada and the United States.
Our platform simplifies complex regulatory and administrative guidelines, giving companies actionable insights into eligibility and compliance. We do not charge fees to access our database and are committed to presenting funding parameters without bias.
Core Editorial Principles
1. Primary-Source Reliance
Our analysts extract program guidelines directly from legislative texts, departmental notices, and administrative manuals (e.g., CRA, NRC, SBA, and NIH publications).
2. Editorial Independence
All research is compiled at arm's length. We do not accept paid placement fees from government agencies or third-party funding brokers to alter program ratings or summaries.
3. Active Lifecycle Tracking
Programs are updated through a structured review matrix matching government announcements, ensuring active intake states (Open, Upcoming, Paused, Closed) are accurately maintained.
4. Plain-Language Translation
We break down legalistic program guidelines into structured lists: qualifying company sizes, eligible industries, matching ratio requirements, and common compliance pitfalls.
Review & Verification Process
All guides, database pages, and comparisons undergo validation before publishing:
- Review by Ashwani Kumar: Our Founder & Managing Director, who serves as the Funding Research Lead, conducts primary review on all program summaries, taxonomy classifications, and guides.
- Fact-Checking: Parameters such as funding caps, employee thresholds, matching ratios, and geography rules are double-checked against official schedules.
- Change Logging: Core program guides incorporate clear change widgets outlining the date and nature of recent updates.
For detailed information about our scoring models, review our Research Methodology.
Government Non-Affiliation Disclosure
FSI Digital is an independent, private information publisher and business intelligence provider. FSI Digital is not affiliated with, authorized by, sponsored by, or in any way officially connected with the government of Canada, the United States government, or any provincial, state, or municipal agency.
Official applications for public funding must be submitted directly through the designated portals of the respective government bodies. For a list of official portals, please view our Official Data Sources.