Ontario Together Trade Fund
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Supports Ontario SMEs affected by U.S. tariffs with interest-free forgivable loans covering up to 75% of eligible costs (max $5 million) to reshore supply chains, adopt new technologies, or enter alternative markets. Up to 30% of the loan (max $1.5 million) may be forgiven if investment and job creation targets are met; the remainder is repaid over four years. Eligible applicants must be for-profit Ontario businesses with 3+ years of operations and 5+ full-time employees.
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
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $5 million
- Type
- Forgivable Loan
- Level
- Provincial
- Financing share
- Up to 75% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Continuous intake (opened April 2025)
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to secure 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
- 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 lenders look for
How to qualify
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. Build your tariff impact narrative around documented revenue loss (30%+ is the stated threshold) or a specific reshoring project tied to a named customer switching from a U.S. supplier. Applications demonstrating clear job creation numbers and Ontario supply chain benefits score highest.
Rejection Pitfalls 8
- Insufficient evidence of U.S. tariff impact — revenue exposure not documented or below 30%
- Project investment below $200,000 minimum threshold
- Fewer than 5 full-time equivalent employees
Success Profile
Manufacturing or technology business with 5+ employees, 3+ years of operating history, and documented 30%+ revenue exposure to U.S. tariff impacts. Projects focused on reshoring production from the U.S. to Ontario or diversifying into non-U.S. markets with capital investment.
Evaluation Criteria
Ontario economic benefit (job creation and retention, Ontario supply chain value, export diversification); financial viability and repayment capacity; severity and documentation of U.S. tariff impact (30%+ revenue exposure is the meaningful threshold); strategic merit of the investment project
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 9
- Equipment and machinery (new or substantially upgraded)
- Facility construction, renovation, and leasehold improvements
- One-time labour directly attributable to the project
- Materials used in project implementation
- Specialized expertise and consulting fees
- Training and talent development tied to new operations or technologies
- Permits and fees required for project implementation
- New market access costs (trade shows, market entry studies, product localization)
- Supply chain resilience investments
Ineligible Expenses 8
- Ongoing operations, maintenance, and capital replacement
- Refinancing of existing debt or operations
- Acquisitions and buyouts
- Restructuring or relocation to another jurisdiction
- Electricity generation or distribution projects
- Waste management and primary recycling operations
- Hospitality investments (hotels, restaurants, event venues)
- R&D not directly linked to a tariff-response project
Deadline Notes
Continuous intake opened April 23, 2025. Rolling assessments on an ongoing basis. No published end date. Program will close when $50M total budget is exhausted.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Not-for-profits, charities, and associations
- Sole proprietors
- Retail businesses
- Consulting firms
- Construction service providers
- Personal service providers
- Hospitality businesses (hotels, restaurants)
- Businesses with fewer than 5 FTE employees
- Businesses with less than 3 years of operations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
How Ontario Together Trade Fund Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Together Trade Fund | Up to $5 million | Hard | Milestone-Based | Continuous intake... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Ontario Together Trade Fund