RTRI pivot project application guide for budgets and milestones
A Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) pivot application should connect the impact of tariffs to an investment, a costed work plan and a result the business can measure. Use this guide to build the file before you fill out your agency’s form. The worked example uses southern Ontario's business rules.
Decide what the project needs to change
Start with one constraint you can demonstrate. For example, more expensive imported inputs may make scrap reduction a priority, or fewer U.S. orders may make certification for a new market worth pursuing. Choose the response with a credible timetable and a clear owner. Compare equipment or service options and document why your preferred scope addresses the problem.
Make the project incremental. If a machine was already scheduled for routine replacement, explain what additional capability or change in scope responds to tariffs. Treat recurring rent, routine maintenance and ongoing payroll as operating costs. If tariff-related pressure also creates a cash shortfall, build a separate liquidity forecast and separate the cost schedules.
Prepare a budget an assessor can reconcile
Give each line a work package, supplier or staff role, quote or calculation, cost category and expected payment date.
Record the full project cost and separately flag the amount proposed as eligible. Ask your agency how it handles taxes, in-house labour, deposits and costs incurred before submission. Keep uncertain costs out of the base until confirmed.
List each financing source, amount, status and which expenses it covers. Include the company's own contribution and any available borrowing. Separate confirmed amounts from requests still under review.
Build a cash schedule as well as a funding table. Confirm when you expect to pay suppliers and when the contribution agreement would allow you to claim costs. Plan for the cash needed between those dates.
Worked example for a productivity project
A hypothetical parts producer in southern Ontario wants to use automated inspection to reduce scrap from inputs that have become more expensive. The project budget is in Canadian dollars. Eligibility for each line and its dates would still have to be confirmed.
Inspection equipment: $250,000, supported by a vendor quote.
Integration and testing: $70,000, supported by a separate scope of work.
Project-specific operator training: $40,000, subject to agency confirmation and supported by a training plan and quote.
Routine maintenance: $20,000. The company budgets for it separately and excludes it from the proposed eligible base.
The total cash budget is $380,000. The proposed eligible base is $360,000. At the southern Ontario non-repayable rate of up to 50%, the example ceiling is $180,000 before any further restrictions or agency review. Suppose a province has confirmed $60,000 for eligible project costs. A draft financing plan could show a $180,000 RTRI request, $60,000 provincial support and $140,000 company financing. Public support would be $240,000 ÷ $360,000 = 66.7% of the proposed eligible costs. The company would still have to check the stacking rules of both programs and allocate costs so there is no duplicate reimbursement. If the training is excluded, the eligible base falls to $320,000 and the 50% example ceiling falls to $160,000. Revise the financing plan before committing.
Turn the budget into an implementation plan
Procurement and design, months 1–2. Operations confirms requirements and Finance records the baseline scrap rate using production records for comparable parts.
Installation and testing, months 3–4. The vendor and maintenance lead test the equipment against acceptance criteria. Finance matches invoices and payments to work packages.
Training and ramp-up, month 5. The production supervisor documents operator training and verifies that the inspection process is used on the intended lines.
Measurement, month 6. Quality compares scrap on comparable production runs. A target could be a reduction from 6% to 4%, a two-percentage-point change. Label it as a target and explain how you will handle changes in product mix.
For a market-diversification project, use the same structure. Replace the scrap baseline with a measure such as dependence on one market. Identify milestones such as testing, certification or distributor validation, with evidence for each. Keep prospective orders separate from signed orders.
Before submitting
Gather tariff evidence, financial statements, incorporation documents, quotes, the project schedule and evidence that your financing is available or being sought.
Confirm the earliest eligible cost date and project end date with the agency. In the FedDev Ontario guide, some costs may be considered from up to 12 months before submission. The guide sets March 31, 2029 as the latest completion date. Check other agencies' rules before relying on these dates.
Remove regular overhead, recurring operating costs and any labour already included in your liquidity schedule. Confirm whether proposed costs are reasonable and directly tied to the project.
Save the submission and supporting assumptions. If approved, reconcile the plan against the signed agreement before you start claiming costs.
Apply using the FedDev Ontario submission instructions and business applicant guide for southern Ontario. Northern Ontario businesses use FedNor’s client portal instructions. Quebec businesses should contact CED about the form. Find other routes in the federal agency directory.
If you have a proposed project and want help testing its scope and evidence, explore helloDarwin’s tariff relief assessment.
Official application guidance consulted November 9, 2026.
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