Ontario Together Trade Fund
Can you win this grant?
Get your instant eligibility verdict plus a head start on the application. Free, no account needed.
We use this program’s real eligibility rules. 4 short questions follow.
Want your full match picture across 850+ programs? Take the 2-minute quiz →
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Supports Ontario SMEs affected by U.S. tariffs to reshore supply chains, adopt new technologies, or enter alternative markets. Ontario may provide a grant or a loan at its discretion. For most eligible businesses support falls in the range of 10-20% of eligible costs (maximum $5 million); the 75% ceiling applies only to projects that demonstrate exceptional benefits to Ontario and alignment with government priorities. Loans are interest-free during the project period, up to 30% (max $1.5 million) may be forgiven if investment and job creation targets are met, and the remainder is repaid over four years. Eligible applicants must be for-profit Ontario businesses with 3+ years of operations, 5+ full-time employees, and at least $200,000 in eligible project costs.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a for-profit business incorporated and operating in Ontario
- Minimum 3 years of operating history
- Minimum 5 full-time equivalent employees
- Must demonstrate measurable impact from U.S. tariffs on your business
- Project must involve reshoring supply chains, technology adoption, or entering alternative markets
- Project must involve at least $200,000 in eligible project costs
- Project must be completed within two years and be located in a community in Ontario during the project period
- Must demonstrate that all project financing will be in place by the project start date
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $5 million
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 75% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Continuous intake (opened April 2025)
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Difficult — significant preparation needed
High competition — many applicants
Very complex — extensive preparation required
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipComplete the mandatory online self-screener first — it is a hard prerequisite before any advisor conversation or TPON registration can proceed.
Rejection Pitfalls 8
- Insufficient evidence of U.S. tariff impact — revenue exposure not documented or below 30%
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How the Government of Ontario judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 5 source documents on ontario.ca, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-07.
5 sources
Sign up free to save this programme and track your application in your workspace.
What the Government of Ontario favours
Priority: domestic market opportunities, Ontario supply chain gaps◦
“Priority will be given to projects that aim to capitalize on domestic market opportunities and address gaps in Ontario’s supply chain caused by potential trade barriers and supply disruptions.”
The form
Eligibility self-screener
- 1Eligibility self-screener question 1
- 2Eligibility self-screener question 2
- 3Eligibility self-screener question 3
- 4Eligibility self-screener question 4
- 5Eligibility self-screener question 5
- 6Eligibility self-screener question 6
- 7Eligibility self-screener question 7
the Government of Ontario states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Will this fill a gap in Ontario's supply chain?
Show them Show that tariffs caused revenue loss or a supplier gap, and that the project captures domestic market opportunity.◦
In the funder’s words · 1
- Priority will be given to projects that aim to capitalize on domestic market opportunities and address gaps in Ontario’s supply chain caused by potential trade barriers and supply disruptions.
- 2
Are you among the strongest applicants?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
Premium · the rest of this brief
See every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
1 more criteria · 7 more prompts
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Maximum supportup to 75%, max $5 million
Ontario may provide a grant or loan up to 75% of eligible costs, maximum $5 million; 75% is reserved for exceptional benefits and alignment.
Payment timingArrears; initial payment up to 30%
Generally in arrears after agreement and disbursement conditions; Ontario may make an initial payment up to 30% at its discretion.
Costs before approvalProject start cannot precede application submission
Project start date cannot be earlier than application submission.
What it pays for · 8
- Facilities and infrastructure
- Equipment and machinery
- One-time and incremental specialized labour directly related to the project
- Direct materials
- Specialized expertise
- Training and talent costs
- Permits and fees
- Specified new-market-access costs
What it does not pay for · 9
- Ongoing operations and capital replacement
- Refinancing
- Acquisitions and buyouts
- Hospitality projects
- Land or buildings
- Vehicles
- Travel and accommodation
- Advertising
- Proposal preparation
From application to money
- Contact an advisorAdvisor required before applying
- Apply in TPONApply through TPON; continuous intake
- Finish the projectComplete within two years
In the funder’s words · 3
- Contact an advisor
- An Ontario Advisor for the applicant’s sector or region is required before applying.
- Apply in TPON
- Part 1 Eligibility Checklist, Part 2 Application Form and supporting documents are submitted through TPON. (Continuous intake while the programme is open)
- Finish the project
- project must complete within two years
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win Ontario Together Trade Fund
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 8 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 8-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 8-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 5-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
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 9
Ineligible Expenses 8
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
How Ontario Together Trade Fund Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Together Trade Fund | Up to $5 million | Hard | Milestone-Based | Continuous intake... |
| NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program | $100,000–$500,000 | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Between intakes — the... |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Minimum $10 million contribution | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| Innovative Solutions Canada | up to $150,000 | Hard | Milestone-Based | Challenge-specific — new... |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Ontario Together Trade Fund