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Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) — Business project grants

Support for regional economic growth in Eastern Ontario

Offered by
Government of Ontario
Official source: ontario.ca

Source change captured

Funding available
$ 1,500,000
Up to 15% of project cost
Deadline
January 11, 2028
Location
Ontario, Canada
Who can apply
For-profit businesses registered to carry out business in Ontario
See full eligibility

Overview

The Eastern Ontario Development Fund provides funding support and complementary services to existing businesses, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations for economic development in eastern Ontario. It helps projects and investments that aim to grow businesses, improve productivity, invest in innovation and skills development, pursue new markets, and create sustainable jobs.

At a glance

Funding available

Maximum funding
$1,500,000
Maximum share of project costs
15%
Financing goals
  • Increase performance through digital transformation
  • Increase production or service capacity
  • Develop a new product or service
  • Increase operational productivity
  • Develop workforce skills
  • Access new markets

Eligible candidates

Location
  • Ontario
Eligible Industries
All industries
Annual revenue
All revenue ranges
Organisation size
5-100 employees
Audience
  • Rural or Northern Residents
Legal structures
For-profit business

Receipt of requests is now closed

Get notified about updates to this grant.

Availability timeline

2026
Periods: 1

Latest changes

Eligible cost categories updated

The appendix now explicitly lists training costs supported by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development as ineligible, and the permits-and-fees heading was corrected.

See more

Appendix A on eligible and ineligible cost categories was updated to make training costs supported by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development explicitly ineligible. The permits-and-fees section heading was also corrected, and the updated page shows May 7, 2026.

Official source: ontario.ca
August 27, 2026

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

  • For-profit businesses registered to carry out business in Ontario
  • Existing businesses located in, or planning to locate in, eastern Ontario
  • Municipalities
  • Not-for-profit organizations
  • Economic development organizations or sector organizations leading community economic development projects

Who is not eligible

  • Start-ups
  • Companies related to a current recipient through a parent or ownership
  • Businesses in ineligible sectors such as primary production, retail, construction, personal services, consulting, electricity generation, waste management or recycling, information and communication services, and academic research
  • Stand-alone restaurants and hotels, unless transformative and considered a regional priority
  • Applications submitted by a third party on behalf of an applicant will not be considered

Eligible expenses

  • Municipal economic infrastructure that addresses a community priority, and business attraction costs such as presentations to investment prospects, consultation, and marketing materials
  • Construction and project facility modifications or upgrades, site servicing, power service upgrades, and equipment and machinery required for the project
  • One-time labour directly related to project costs, incremental specialized labour directly related to the project, and direct salaries, wages, and benefits for employees working on the project
  • Direct materials used for the project, including materials for configuring and testing production processes and systems, training employees, and prototypes
  • Specialized expertise, skills training, training infrastructure, recruitment costs within program limits, and permits, inspections, and other fees directly attributable to the project

Ineligible Costs and Activities

  • Ongoing operations, including maintenance and capital replacement, refinancing of existing business operations, acquisitions and buyouts, and restructurings or relocations to other jurisdictions within Ontario
  • Projects in primary production, retail, construction, personal services, consulting, electricity generation, waste management or recycling, information and communication services, academic research, and stand-alone restaurants and hotels unless transformative and considered a regional priority
  • Acquisition of paid media space, travel and hospitality, purchase of land or buildings, landscaping, staff parking lots, and replacement capital equipment or office technology used for regular administration
  • Ongoing operational and production labour costs, materials used for the regular production of saleable items, wages of staff while receiving training, and training costs supported by Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
  • Preparation of funding proposals, purchase, lease or operation of vehicles or off-site equipment, costs incurred outside of Ontario except purchases from suppliers located outside Ontario, mergers and acquisitions, rebates, debt service costs, taxes, sales or distribution or shipping costs, in-kind contributions, overhead, lease costs, and working capital costs for regular production or operations

Eligible geographic areas

  • Frontenac
  • Haliburton
  • Hastings
  • Kawartha Lakes
  • Lanark
  • Leeds and Grenville
  • Lennox and Addington
  • Muskoka
  • Northumberland
  • Ottawa
  • Peterborough
  • Prescott and Russell
  • Prince Edward
  • Renfrew
  • Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry

Activities funded

  • Investments in equipment, new technologies, talent and training to enhance productivity and competitiveness and support growth
  • Investment in new operations in Eastern Ontario
  • Investment in existing operations that lead to business expansion and introduction of new products or services, or new markets
  • Municipal investment in infrastructure to attract private investment
  • Consortium projects between communities and businesses, or among municipalities, to address competitiveness, technology adoption, supply chains, or economic development strategies

How to apply

  • Complete the online self assessment tool.
  • Contact a regional advisor for help with your application.
  • Register for Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON).
  • Work with your regional advisor to complete the application form and submit the application on TPON along with the required supplemental information.

Documents Needed

  • Completed application form
  • Cash flow forecast
  • Articles of incorporation and/or letters patent
  • Corporate family tree
  • Financial statements from the last three fiscal years audited in accordance with IAS/CAS, review engagement financial statements prepared in accordance with CSRE 2400, or compilation engagement financial statements prepared in accordance with CSRS 4200 if applying for a grant and revenues are under $5 million

Selection criteria

  • Alignment with program objectives, including investment attraction and job creation
  • Relation to other projects under consideration
  • Regional economic development benefits and return on investment to Ontario
  • Job creation outcomes, including good jobs and hiring of highly skilled labour
  • Increased innovation, increased productivity, revenue growth including new markets, and project risks

Processing and Agreement

  • To obtain funding, the company or organization must enter into a funding agreement with the Province of Ontario.
  • No payments will be made until the funding agreement has been signed and any conditions for disbursement have been fulfilled.
  • Sources of project financing and proof of insurance of at least $2 million must be in place before any disbursements can be made.
  • Disbursements will be made in arrears and paid in annual instalments that shall not exceed the annual cap set by Government of Ontario.
  • At Ontario’s sole discretion, an initial payment of up to 20% may be made, and a performance payment is usually 20% or more of the total funding after project completion and final reporting requirements have been received to Ontario’s satisfaction.

Additional information

  • Applicants must speak with a regional advisor before applying.
  • Applications are submitted through TPON only.
  • The program is discretionary and funding is not guaranteed.
  • Funding agreements may include reporting and clawback provisions.

Contacts

rdp@ontario.ca
1-800-361-3223

Official sources

Eastern Ontario Development Fund

Program guide

Appendix A: Eligible and ineligible cost categoriesAppendix A: Eligible and ineligible cost categoriesAppendix B: Key terms of funding agreements

Application form

Application formApplication form
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) — Business project grants Program

What is the Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) — Business project grants?

The Eastern Ontario Development Fund provides funding support and complementary services to existing businesses, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations for economic development in eastern Ontario. It helps projects and investments that aim to grow businesses, improve productivity, invest in innovation and skills development, pursue new markets, and create sustainable jobs.

How much funding can be received?

Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) — Business project grants Funds up to 15% of admissible expenses, capped at $1,500,000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The application deadline for this grant program was January 11, 2028.

Who is eligible for the Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) — Business project grants program?

To be eligible for the Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) — Business project grants program, you must: Business projects must have at least 3 years of operations and financial statements. Business projects must employ at least 10 people, or 5 if the project is in rural Ontario. Business projects must commit to creating at least 5 new jobs, or a 30% increase for companies with fewer than 15 employees.

What expenses are eligible under Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) — Business project grants?

Municipal economic infrastructure that addresses a community priority, and business attraction costs such as presentations to investment prospects, consultation, and marketing materials Construction and project facility modifications or upgrades, site servicing, power service upgrades, and equipment and machinery required for the project One-time labour directly related to project costs, incremental specialized labour directly related to the project, and direct salaries, wages, and benefits for employees working on the project Direct materials used for the project, including materials for configuring and testing production processes and systems, training employees, and prototypes Specialized expertise, skills training, training infrastructure, recruitment costs within program limits, and permits, inspections, and other fees directly attributable to the project

Who can I contact for more information about the Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) — Business project grants?

You can contact Government of Ontario by email at rdp@ontario.ca or by phone at 1-800-361-3223.

Where is the Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) — Business project grants available?

The Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) — Business project grants program is available the province of Ontario.