Funding Programs and Incentives

AgriMarketing Program

The Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Component provides targeted support to companies for international initiatives. Under this component, funding will be available to help implement international export plans, which include promotional and market development activities.

Note: There is currently a high demand for funding under this program. Please call the program administration at 1-877-246-4682 prior to submitting an application to the program. Applications are being accepted until September 30, 2022 or until funding has been fully committed or until otherwise announced by the program. Visit the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada website.

Bright Futures

Through the Government of Canada's Sector Youth Career Focus Program, the Electricity Sector Council is providing wage subsidies to energy-related companies that offer employment to recent graduates. Applications are received between November 1-30 each year.

For one year, employers may receive funding that amounts to one-half of new workers' base salaries, to a maximum of $12,500. Host companies must be a business related to the energy sector. Participants must be between the ages of 15 and 30 and be a graduate in an electrical occupation. Career Focus Program

CanExport

Launched in 2016, CanExport is a multi-year funding program that helps Canadian SMEs (Small and Medium-sized enterprises) diversify their exports into new markets, especially high-growth emerging markets and those that benefit from free trade agreements like CETA and CPTPP. It provides matching funds of $10,000 to $50,000 per project (up to $99,999 per fiscal year) to eligible SMEs for a wide range of export development activities. Learn more on the Government of Canada Canadian Trade Commissioner Services website.

Canadian Experiences Fund (CEF)

The Canadian Experience Fund (CEF) is a two-year, $58.5-million national program to help Canada's tourism sector create, improve or enhance tourism products, facilities and experiences. FedDev Ontario has been allocated more than $11-million to deliver this funding in Southern Ontario. The priority areas for funding are:

• Tourism in rural and remote communities
• Indigenous tourism
• Winter and shoulder-season tourism
• Inclusiveness, including LGBTQ2+ tourism events and festivals
• Farm-to-Table tourism and culinary tourism

 Open to:

• Municipalities
• Not-for-Profit organizations operating in the tourism sector
• Incorporated businesses: Businesses and/or corporations; Indigenous-owned businesses; Co-operatives

Learn more about the Canadian Experiences fund.

Canadian Agricultural Partnership

This is designed for producers, processors and ag-related businesses. Farmers and Businesses can again apply for support under the Partnership for projects to boost innovation, economic development, environmental stewardship and food safety. Learn more on the Canadian Agricultural Partnership webpage.

Celebrate Ontario

The annual Celebrate Ontario program helping festivals and events enhance their programs, activities and services is back with some new features.

Online information sessions are once again available in both English and French. The Celebrate Ontario 2020 page provides more information. 

Climate Action Incentive Program

The Climate Action Incentive Fund (CAIF) Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises Project stream provides funding for retrofit projects in sectors such as building, transportation, industry, waste, agriculture and more. It is available in Ontario and three other provinces.

• Small-sized incorporated enterprises of 1-99 employees
• Medium-sized incorporated enterprises of 100-499 employees

• Agricultural retrofits
• Building retrofits
• Electricity, energy and fuel production
• Industrial process improvements
• Transportation retrofits
• Waste - energy efficiency in waste management

• Up to 25% of the project's total eligible costs
• No less than $20,000 and no more than $250,000 per project and per recipient
• A $250,000 funding cap will apply to the group of applicant franchisees who operate under the same franchise trade name in each eligible province

Digital Main Street Grant Program

Province of Ontario partners with OBIAA to provide grants to help Ontario’s “main street” businesses go online.

Learn more about the grant program.   View press release.

Eastern Ontario Development Fund -relaunched

Attention eligible small- and medium-sized businesses facing challenges to growth, including access to capital, skills and talent. The Regional Development Program will invest more than $100-million over the next four years.  

• Supports businesses with a minimum of 5 employees and can provide 3 years of operation / financial statements
• Projects eligible for support: equipment, new technologies, talent and training to enhance business productivity and competitiveness leading to growth
• Project investment $200,000 minimum, commit to creating 5 new jobs or 30% increase for companies with fewer than 15 employees
• Loans:
• 15% funding to a maximum of $5-million, interest free during the project period (up to 4 years). If you achieve your investment and job targets, up to 30% of the loan (to a maximum of $500,000) may be forgiven
• Grants available for limited circumstances
• Company is less than 100 FTEs
• Up to a 15% maximum of $500,000

• Led by municipality, economic development organization or consortia
• Projects eligible for support: economic and business development, job creation, investment in infrastructure, strategy implementation to advance regional economic development priorities
• Project Investment of $100,000 minimum for activities that are new to the organization

FedDev Ontario - Investing in Business Innovation Guidelines

Investing in Business programs, which provides funding to boost private sector investment in start-up businesses to accelerate the development of new products, processes and practices and bring them to the market, is found on this page.

Learn more.  Read More.

Ontario Automotive Modernization Program

The Ontario Automotive Modernization Program (O-AMP) is a partnership with small- and medium-sized automotive parts suppliers in Ontario. The goal is to help modernize Ontario’s automotive supply chain and make it more competitive.

Your business could get up to $100,000 to help cover up to 50% of eligible project costs. As a successful applicant, you are required to contribute at least 50% of remaining project costs through:

• your own business resources
• private or bank financing

To be eligible, you must be a small- or medium-sized Ontario-based business in the automotive supply chain. Specifically, you must meet these requirements:

• be a for-profit business (with a business number)
• less than 500 employees in Ontario
• less than $1 billion in global revenues
• have at least two years of financial statements
• at least 50% of the company’s total sales revenue comes from the auto supply sector

Learn more about the Ontario Automotive Modernization Program.  See the Eligible Project Costs Guidelines and the Applicant Guide.

Prosperity Now SMART Program

SMART Prosperity Now funding is currently unavailable but funding requests are pending. The program is to provide financial support to Southern Ontario manufacturers who will invest in product and process improvements that develop and/or expand export opportunities and global competitiveness. Companies located in southern Ontario are eligible. Preference will be given to companies who have developed a business/export marketing plan that demonstrates the new or expanding export opportunities.

Learn more about the Prosperity Now SMART Program

Rural Economic Development (RED) Funding Program

The program provides cost-share funding to support activities that create strong rural communities in Ontario, and opens doors to rural economic development through:

• funding assistance to address barriers to economic development, better position rural communities to attract and retain jobs and investment, and enhance economic growth

• funding to build community capacity and support for economic development in Ontario’s rural communities

• investments in rural communities to help diversify and grow local economies – making economic growth more inclusive so Rural Ontario continues to share in the province’s economic prosperity

Learn more about eligibility, funding amounts and the two funding streams - Economic Diversification and Competitiveness Stream and Strategic Economic Infrastructure Stream - by visiting the Ontario government RED website

Rural Innovation Initiative Eastern Ontario (3 CFDCs catchment areas)

The Rural Innovation Initiative Eastern Ontario (RIIEO) supports the transition of rural businesses into the new rural economy by driving direct investments to improve productivity, sales and employment opportunities and to transform the rural economy.  Eligible projects will foster: Innovation, Technology Adoption and Digital Connectivity.

For details and to apply, visit the Community Futures Development Corporation website for your business area:

• 1000 Islands Community Futures Development Corporation  Catchment area: Brockville and South Leeds, Townships of Leeds and the Thousand Islands, Front of Yonge, Athens, a portion of Elizabethtown-Kitley and the Town of Gananoque.
• Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation Catchment area: South Grenville, including the Townships of Augusta, Edwardsburgh Cardinal, Municipality of North Grenville and the Town of Prescott.
• Valley Heartland Community Futures Development Corporation NOTE: All local stream funds have been fully allocated. Catchment area: Lanark County, North Leeds, including the Villages of Westport and Merrickville-Wolford, Township of Rideau Lakes and a portion of Elizabethtown-Kitley.

Starter Company Plus

Starter Company Plus is open to a Canadian/Ontario/Leeds Grenville resident aged 18 and over who is working in their business full time (30-40 hours per week) and is in the first 5 years of business, proposing a new business, expanding or purchasing a new business. To qualify for funding of up to $5,000, you need to be able to contribute at least 25% (in cash or in kind) of the grant amount.

In this area, these programs are offered through the Leeds Grenville Small Business Enterprise Centre in Brockville and the Small Business Enterprise Centre in Smiths Falls/Lanark County (serving North Leeds).  Applications for Starter Company Plus are accepted quarterly.

Tourism Development Fund

This fund provides non-capital, project-based funding to support investment attraction, product and experience development on a pan-provincial or multi-regional basis.

The fund supports projects that encourage three key streams: tourism investment, tourism product development and industry capacity building.

The deadline is four months prior to the start of the project.

Learn more about it and eligibility requirements on the Ontario Government Tourism Development Fund Webpage.

Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program

The Government of Canada is steadfast in its belief that electrification is key to decarbonizing our transportation sector and transitioning to a low-carbon future. That is why, the Government of Canada has set ambitious federal targets for  zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) reaching 10% of light-duty vehicles (LDV) sales per year by 2025, 30% by 2030 and 100% by 2040.

According to experts, access to localized and visible charging infrastructure is key to alleviate consumer concerns about where to charge their vehicle. To that end, the Government of Canada announced, through Budget 2019, $130 million over five years (2019-2024) to deploy a network of zero-emission vehicle charging (level 2 and higher) and refuelling stations in more localized areas where Canadians live, work and play. Support is also available for strategic projects for electric vehicle and/or hydrogen infrastructure for corporate fleets, last-mile delivery fleets, and mass transit.

This funding will be delivered through cost-sharing contribution agreements for eligible projects that will help meet the growing charging and refuelling demand.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) targets projects in multi-unit residential buildings, workplaces and for light-duty vehicle fleets only. The deadline for submissions was June 11, 2020.

Natural Resources Canada will target having funding decisions by August 2020. 

Visit the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program webpage for more information or to learn about the multiple targeted infrastructure streams.