Budget 2026
Budget 2026: Masters of our destiny, released by the Department of Finance Canada on November 5, 2026, is a plan for growth that aims to build a stronger, more independent, more competitive and more affordable economy. For the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), powered by Baycrest, its emphasis on accelerating investment and helping Canadians get ahead aligns closely with CABHI's mission to move Canadian aging and brain health innovations from discovery to adoption.
The measures most relevant to CABHI's innovators focus on scaling and commercialization. The budget invests $930 million to expand the SR&ED tax incentive to include certain commercialization expenses, helping Canadian businesses bring new technologies to market. The new Canada Growth Incentive adds a tax exemption on up to $15 million in capital gains from eligible investments to help high-potential businesses attract investment and scale, and the Productivity Mega Deduction lowers the marginal effective tax rate on new business investment from 13% to 6.4%. These priorities complement CABHI's work.
The budget also speaks to the needs of CABHI's end users. It makes the Canada Caregiver Credit fully refundable, with up to $1,260 annually for caregivers who help people remain in their homes and communities. It provides $1.2 billion in 2027-28 to extend federal funding for mental health, addictions, and home and community care. These measures reflect the same pressures that CABHI's solutions for older persons, people living with dementia and their care partners aim to ease, and they point to a growing need for innovations that can be adopted in home, community and care settings.
Together, these measures signal federal support for commercializing Canadian innovation and for helping older persons live well at home, areas where CABHI's funding, acceleration services, and partnerships can play a role. To see every measure and the full details, visit https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/11/budget-2026-key-measures.html.