For the Canada recovery hiring program, the types of businesses or employers that can apply are Canadian-controlled private corporations, non-profit organizations, charities and partnerships. This resembles the list of organizations that are eligible for the wage subsidy, for instance, but for a corporation to qualify, it needs to be a Canadian-controlled private corporation. In that sense, the eligibility is similar.
In terms of new businesses, they will not be able to qualify if they cannot demonstrate that there was a reduction in revenue compared with a pre-pandemic period. However, I understand there are other programs announced in the budget that new businesses may be eligible for. When I say “new” I mean those created after the start of the pandemic.