Hamilton Start-up and Office Tenant Attraction (SOTA) Program

Program Description

Loans at 0% interest, up to $450,000, for leasehold improvements to office space by property owners or authorized tenants in Hamilton's designated Commercial District CIPAs. The loan ceiling is the lesser of 90% of eligible improvement costs, your square footage times a rate set by your lease term ($10 at 12 to 35 months rising to $25 at 60 months or longer), $450,000, and what is left of the $450,000 limit for that deeded property. Where the applicant is a start-up incubator tenant, or an educational establishment setting up in Downtown Hamilton, City Council may forgive 10% of the loan to a maximum of $25,000.

Eligibility Requirements

• Property owners and authorized office tenants undertaking leasehold improvements. 'Start-up' is a defined term in this program: a business that is a current tenant of a start-up or business incubator, or an incubator itself as determined by the General Manager. Company age and revenue do not make you a Start-up here. An Educational Establishment, meaning a non-profit Ontario university or college, hospital or institution, is separately recognised.
• The space must be in one of the named Hamilton CIPAs: the Ancaster, Barton Village, Binbrook, Concession Street, Downtown Hamilton, Dundas, Locke Street, Ottawa Street, Stoney Creek, Waterdown and Westdale Commercial Districts, the Mount Hope/Airport Gateway corridor, or the Barton Street East and Kenilworth Avenue North Strategic Commercial Corridors. Check the address on the City's CIPA map or ask staff.
• Improvements must attract, expand, or retain start-up or office uses (not retail or residential conversion)
• A complete application must be submitted to the Economic Development Division before the works start. Work already under way is not eligible.
• Applicant must not be in default on any City of Hamilton obligations
• City Council may forgive 10% of the loan actually drawn, to a maximum of $25,000, where the applicant is a Start-up or an Educational Establishment setting up in the Downtown Hamilton CIPA. Forgiveness is at Council's discretion, happens only at the end of the loan term, is never pro-rated if you leave early, requires occupying the space for the whole term, and does not allow subletting. No more than three forgivable loans are provided per deeded property.
• The $450,000 is a ceiling per deeded property across all SOTA loans at that address, not a ceiling per applicant. Any part of it already committed at your building reduces what is available to you.
• A minimum of 1,000 square feet of gross leasable office space, or 500 square feet for a Start-up. A tenant already located in Hamilton, other than a Start-up, must be adding at least 1,000 square feet, and only the improvement costs for the expansion area count toward the loan.
• Where the applicant is not the registered property owner, a Letter of Authorization from the owner must be included, and the online form emails the owner for signature. The application is not complete until every signature has been collected.