The CanExport SMEs program is one of the most underutilised federal funding programs available to Canadian small and mid-size businesses. It provides non-repayable contributions of up to $50,000 per year — covering up to 50% of eligible export development costs — and yet the majority of Canadian SMBs with legitimate international ambitions either do not know it exists, have heard of it but find the application process opaque, or applied once, did not hear back quickly, and ga