INVEST North — Launch Stream
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Winning means you must keep the equipment in place and working for a stated period. 12 ask that.
- Scored mainly on the jobs it creates for other people. 22 lead with that.
- The work here is mostly writing long answers. For 59%, the job is assembling documents instead.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Conditional contribution of up to 50% of eligible startup costs (max $200K) for businesses starting operations in Northern Ontario within the past six months. Covers capital equipment, leasehold improvements, ICT investments, and limited marketing for new ventures.
Eligibility Requirements
- Business must have been operating for 6 months or less at time of application (new startup)
- Must be located in Northern Ontario (postal code eligibility checker on NOHFC website)
- Applicant/owner must work at the business on a full-time basis
- Must contribute at least 15% of total eligible project costs from own resources
- Combined federal and provincial government funding may not exceed 50% of eligible project costs
- Private-sector businesses only
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $200,000 (50% of eligible costs)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Moderate — standard application process
Moderate competition — prepare a strong application
Easy — minimal documentation
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipBook a pre-application consultation with your regional NOHFC office before submitting — staff can flag eligibility issues early and strengthen your application before it goes to the Board.
Success Profile
How INVEST North — Launch Stream judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-07.
6 of the sources
- Invest North – Launch nohfc.ca
- Invest North — Launch guidelines within bilingual Invest North suite nohfc.ca
- Invest North Investment Brochure nohfc.ca
- NOHFC Portal — Investment - Launch Stream myportal.nohfc.ca
- NOHFC Portal — Our Programs myportal.nohfc.ca
- NOHFC Portal — post-Apply sign-in gate myportal.nohfc.ca
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What INVEST North — Launch Stream favours
Productivity, innovation, competitiveness, growth, exports, jobs◦
“The program will support productivity, innovation, business competitiveness, revenue growth, export capacity development, job creation and retention.”
The form
Eligibility screening
- 1Northern Ontario operationscheckbox
- 2New-business statuscheckbox
- 3Full-time operation and owner involvementcheckbox
Project financing
- 4Applicant contributiontable
- 5Balance of project financingtable
Evaluation factors
- 6Job creationwritten answer
- 7Other investmentwritten answer
Level of investment from other sources to be secured by the applicant
- 8Detailed business planwritten answer
- 9Impact on existing Northern Ontario businesseswritten answer
- 10Northern Ontario economic benefitwritten answer
INVEST North — Launch Stream states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Will this create lasting jobs in Northern Ontario?
Show them Give the number of jobs, their types, the Northern location and when each one starts, not just a total.◦
In the funder’s words · 1
- Job creation
- 2
Can the applicant secure the rest of the money?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 3
Is the business plan strong enough to execute?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 4
Does the North gain without displacing others?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
Where applicants fail
“Funding for each project is determined by the NOHFC Board of Directors, and limited funding is available. Not all projects meeting the criteria will necessarily receive funding.”
“No, commercial and industrial land or building development is not eligible under the Invest North program.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 4 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
2 more rules that can reject you · 4 more criteria · 7 more prompts
Do you pass?
Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.
Your business
Starting up in Northern Ontario
Businesses starting-up operations in Northern Ontario.
Operating 6 months or less
NOHFC will consider businesses as new businesses if they have been operating for 6 months or less before they submit their initial application to NOHFC for funding.
The money
Maximum contributionUp to 50%, max $200,000
Funding is in the form of a conditional contribution of up to 50% of total eligible project costs to a maximum of $200,000.
Your shareAt least 15% of total eligible project costs
Launch applicants are required to contribute (from their own resources) an amount equal to at least 15% of total eligible project costs towards the project.
StackingCombined government funding capped at 50%
Combined federal and provincial government funding may not exceed 50% of eligible project costs.
What it pays for · 7
- Capital construction
- Leasehold improvements
- New or used equipment including capital leases
- Land servicing costs
- Information & communications technology (ICT) investments
- Marketing for new products and business initiatives (limited to a maximum of 20% of all other eligible project costs, or $75,000, whichever is less)
- Training costs incurred with third parties (limited to a maximum of 20% of all other eligible project costs)
What it does not pay for · 9
- Ongoing operating costs including maintenance
- In-kind contributions
- Restructuring or refinancing of existing business operations
- Business plans / strategic plans / feasibility studies etc.
- Research and development
- Land purchase/lease
- Working capital
- Cost of inventory
- Acquisitions and buy-outs of existing businesses
From application to money
- Apply online2026-09-07Apply online by 2026-09-07
- Guidelines checkNOHFC checks against guidelines
- Board decisionBoard makes final funding decision
- Asset consent ruleConsent required, up to three years
In the funder’s words · 4
- Apply online
- Submit the authenticated online application through the NOHFC portal using an Ontario.ca Login.
- Guidelines check
- NOHFC checks the project against program guidelines and evaluation may seek additional project information.
- Board decision
- The NOHFC Board of Directors makes the final funding decision on each project.
- Asset consent rule
- If you want to sell or move assets funded by NOHFC outside of Northern Ontario, you’ll need to get NOHFC consent first.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win INVEST North — Launch Stream
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 6-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 2-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application steps not yet documented.
Required Documents 6
Deadline Notes
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Unknown RiskHow INVEST North — Launch Stream Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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