Economic Development & Growth in Employment (EDGE) Incentive Program

• The applicant must be the property owner or have the written authorization of the property owner to submit the application.
• The project must involve new construction, expansion, or substantial renovation of a building in at least one of the eligible sectors/uses (e.g. biomedical operations, creative industries, manufacturing, incubators, film studio complexes, scientific R&D, tourism attractions, food and beverage wholesaling, transformative projects).
• The development must be located in the City of Toronto and comply with all applicable City by-laws, zoning, development approvals, and the Ontario Building Code.
• The applicant must apply before the first above-grade building permit is issued and, once approved, obtain required site plan and/or building permit approvals within the program’s specified timelines.
• The applicant must agree to meet the Community Workforce Development Requirement and the program’s annual reporting obligations.

Who is eligible?

• Companies operating biomedical facilities, including pharmaceutical, biotechnology product and medical device manufacturing, and related scientific research and development
• Organizations developing or occupying convergence centres, business incubators, or creative industries spaces (e.g., design, film, broadcasting, music, publishing, software and digital media)
• Businesses operating film studio complexes or related production facilities
• Enterprises involved in manufacturing, food and beverage wholesaling (non-retail), warehousing and associated industrial operations
• Organizations developing or operating scientific research and development facilities, tourism attractions, or large transformative employment projects

Who is not eligible

• Projects that include residential units, as the program explicitly excludes residential space from eligible developments.
• Retail businesses selling directly to the public, including standalone retail operations, warehouse clubs and non-ancillary retail uses (i.e., not subordinate to a primary eligible employment use).
• Hotels, which are specifically identified as ineligible uses for support under the program.
• Standalone warehouse operations where warehousing is the primary use and not ancillary to an eligible employment use.
• Developments used primarily for patient health care services such as doctor’s offices, clinics, diagnostic laboratories or hospitals, which are excluded from the definition of eligible biomedical operations.

Eligible expenses

• Environmental studies required for remediation, such as Phase II Environmental Site Assessments and Phase III Environmental Site Assessments/Remedial Workplans.
• Direct environmental remediation work, including cleanup activities and implementation of remedial workplans.
• Environmental insurance premiums related to contamination and remediation of the property.
• Environmental testing costs linked to site contamination assessment and verification.
• Demolition or removal of debris that is specifically related to remediation activities.
• Costs incurred to comply with a Certificate of Property Use.
• Building construction, retrofit, expansion and substantial rehabilitation costs for eligible employment uses, as shown on the main building permit.
• Professional and technical services directly tied to the development, including studies and surveys, plans and specifications, and architectural, engineering, legal, financial and planning services for project implementation and administration.

Eligible geographic areas

• City of Toronto (properties located anywhere within the municipal boundaries of the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

• Project's ability to demonstrate, in a business plan, its long-term financial viability without municipal operating subsidy (for certain types of projects such as tourist attractions or convergence centers).
• Clarity and robustness of the business plan showing the achievement of required investments, job creation, and occupancy of spaces within the expected timelines.
• Project's contribution to the City's economic development objectives, particularly in terms of net job creation and revitalization of its sector or district ("transformational" projects).
• Project's ability to meet workforce recruitment targets from the targeted communities (Community Workforce Development requirement and Community Benefits Hires, if applicable).
• Level of environmental performance demonstrated by meeting or exceeding (for the enhanced pathway) the requirements of the Toronto Green Standard related to the type of development.

• The program operates under a projected annual budget cap of $20,000,000, and support is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until projected grants reach this cap.
• The Community Improvement Plan, and therefore new approvals under this program, is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2034, although approved projects continue to receive support after that date.
• For projects with an estimated construction value over $100,000,000, approval of incentives is subject to City Council’s sole and absolute discretion and requires a third-party review at the owner’s expense.
• Approved developments must comply with the Community Workforce Development Requirement throughout the incentive period, and in exceptional cases an alternative points-based formula may be used subject to City approval.