Grant
Provincial
Between Intakes
Ontario Shipbuilding Grant Program (OSGP)
Government of Ontario — Ministry of Transportation, Marine Partnerships and Development Office
Maximum Funding
Up to 50% of eligible project costs; total funding from all...
Between intakes — second intake expected to launch late summer 2026
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
New Program
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
50%
Ontario Shipbuilding Grant Program (OSGP) provides Up to 50% of eligible project costs; total funding from all provincial sources cannot exceed 50% of total project cost. Non-repayable grants covering up to 50% of eligible project costs for Ontario for-profit shipbuilders to fund workforce training, infrastructure improvements, and equipment purchases that enhance competitiveness or build long-term industry capacity. The program covers up to 50% of eligible costs. Between intakes — second intake expected to launch late summer 2026.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
Non-repayable grants covering up to 50% of eligible project costs for Ontario for-profit shipbuilders to fund workforce training, infrastructure improvements, and equipment purchases that enhance competitiveness or build long-term industry capacity. More than 50% of an applicant's business revenue must come from the construction, refit, retrofit, repair and/or maintenance of marine vessels; builders of personal or recreational watercraft are ineligible. Ontario has invested over $90 million through the OSGP to date and is expanding the program with up to $64 million in future funding.
Eligibility Requirements
- Legally authorized to operate a for-profit business in Ontario
- More than 50% of the applicant's business revenue must stem from the construction, refitting, retrofitting, repairing and/or maintenance of marine vessels for commercial, research, passenger transportation or other special purpose uses (e.g. search and rescue)
- Applicants whose principal business is building watercraft ordinarily used for personal or recreational purposes are ineligible
- Must operate a physical shipbuilding facility in Ontario and be actively carrying out shipbuilding activities in Ontario
- Must have the financial capacity to deliver the project for which funding is being sought
- Must not be in the process of, or currently preparing for, closure, dissolution, bankruptcy, or sale of the business
- Projects must occur within Ontario and be completed within two years
- Applicant must contribute a minimum of 25% of total project costs, and total funding from all provincial sources cannot exceed 50% of total project cost
- Only one application per applicant is accepted
- Projects must align with at least one program objective: enhance operational efficiency/productivity, unlock business growth or new opportunities, or build long-term manufacturing/organizational capacity for Ontario's shipbuilding industry
- Program is competitive — meeting eligibility does not guarantee funding
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
High
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to 50% of eligible project costs; total funding from all provincial sources cannot exceed 50% of total project cost
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Between intakes — second intake expected to launch late summer 2026
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
High
Deadline
Between Intakes
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win OSGP
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 10 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 6-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 7-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipThe second intake is expected in late summer 2026, so the window to prepare is now.
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Rejection Pitfalls 10
- 50% or less of business revenue comes from construction, refit, retrofit, repair, or maintenance of marine vessels
+9 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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10 reasons applications get rejected, what winners look like, and exactly what reviewers score on
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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7 steps
6 docs
Application Steps
1
Confirm eligibility Verify that more than 50% of your business revenue comes from the construction, refit, retrofit, repair, or maintenance of marine vessels (recreational and personal watercraft builders are ineligible), that you operate a physical shipbuilding facility in Ontario and are actively shipbuilding there, that your business is not preparing for closure, dissolution, bankruptcy or sale, and that your project will occur in Ontario within two years.
Required Documents 6
✓ Application submitted through Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) portal, accessed with a My Ontario Account
✓ Detailed project description and scope of work
Eligible Expenses 5
Ineligible Expenses 5
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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3 partners
Compatible Programs
Combined Funding Potential
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Clawback Risk
Medium Risk
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How OSGP Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Shipbuilding Grant Program (O... | Up to 50% of eligible project costs | Moderate | Reimbursement | Between intakes — second... |
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| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Minimum $10 million contribution | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Applications accepted... |
| Ontario Innovation Tax Credit | Up to 8% tax credit | Moderate | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about OSGP
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Who qualifies as a shipbuilder for this program?
For-profit Ontario businesses where more than 50% of business revenue comes from the construction, refit, retrofit, repair, or maintenance of marine vessels — commercial, research, passenger, or other special-purpose vessels such as search and rescue. Builders of watercraft ordinarily used for personal or recreational purposes are explicitly ineligible.
Is there a minimum or maximum grant amount?
No published per-project cap beyond the 50% cost-share limit. Ontario has invested over $90 million through the program to date and is adding up to $64 million more. The four disclosed first-intake awards ranged from $1.1 million to $11 million.
When does the next intake open?
The second intake is expected to launch in late summer 2026. No exact opening or closing date has been published — email [email protected] to confirm timing, and remember that only one application per applicant is accepted.
Does the project need to be connected to federal shipbuilding contracts?
No — alignment with the federal National Shipbuilding Strategy is a positive signal but not a hard requirement. Projects focused on building commercial or passenger vessel capacity qualify independently.
How long does the project have to be completed?
All projects must be completed within two years of the transfer payment agreement being signed. This is a hard constraint — plan your project timeline accordingly before applying.
Can training costs be funded alongside capital purchases?
Yes — workforce training, upskilling, and apprenticeship programs are eligible expenses alongside infrastructure improvements and equipment purchases. Multi-component projects combining training and capital investment are explicitly supported. Note that project management costs cannot exceed 15% of a project's total eligible expenditures.
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Full Playbook: OSGP
7 steps · 6 docs · reviewer insights