Eastern Ontario Development Fund — Business project loans

Business projects : To be eligible, businesses need to: - Have at least 3 years of operations/financial statements - Employ at least 10 people (or 5 if you are in rural Ontario) - Commit to creating at least 5 new jobs (or 30% increase for companies with fewer than 15 employees) - Invest at least $500,000 in their project (or $200,000 if you are in rural Ontario) - Be located in, or plan to locate in, a community in eastern Ontario Community economic development projects : To be eligible, projects need to: - Be led by municipalities, economic development organizations or sector organizations - Focus on economic and business development and job creation in the community or region by investing in infrastructure or implementing strategies to advance regional economic development priorities - Lead to measurable outcomes including private sector investment, growth and job creation - Invest more than $100,000 - Have private sector support - Be used for activities that are new to the organization

Successful projects need to: - Align with the fund’s goals of investment attraction and job creation -Provide economic benefits (create jobs, contribute to the region or develop the sector) - Be achievable (i.e. applicants need to have the necessary financing, project management structure and experience to implement the project)

Step 1: Complete the online self assessment tool. - Business Stream - Community Stream Step 2: Contact a regional advisor for help with your application. Step 3: Register for Transfer Payment Ontario. TPON is the Province of Ontario’s online application system for grant funding. Before applying for a funding opportunity, all applicants must first register with TPON following a three-step process. When registering an organization on TPON, ensure you have the necessary information (e.g., legal business name) and official business documents (e.g., Canadian Revenue Agency Business Number) readily available. Please enter the data accurately to avoid unnecessary delays. Applicants with technical questions about TPON can contact the TPON Customer Service Line toll-free at 1-855-216-3090 or toll free TTY at 1-800-268-7095, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, or by email at tponcc@ontario.ca. Step 4: Work with your regional advisor to complete the application form, and submit the application on TPON along with the required supplemental information. Learn more about submitting an application form on TPON. For business projects, review the key documents including, program guidelines, and a sample application form. For community economic development projects, review the key documents including, program guidelines, and a sample application form.

Complementary Services and Supports are available when you submit a complete application to the Eastern Ontario Development Fund or Southwestern Ontario Development Fund through the Regional Development Program. These services are available for the duration of your project regardless of the funding outcome. Services will be coordinated by working with partner ministries until they are delivered, closed-out or finalized.