Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program — Business projects

To be eligible for the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program (FSIIP) grant in Ontario, applicants must meet the following criteria: Business projects: - Projects must have at least $3 million in eligible costs. - Applicants must be for-profit manufacturers and processors of wood and forest biomass in Ontario, including sawmills, pulp and paper mills, secondary wood manufacturers, and bio-economy projects. - Harvesting and resource extraction projects are not eligible for funding. Collaboration projects: - Projects must have at least $3 million in eligible costs and involve a collaboration of forest sector for-profit businesses, not-for-profit research organizations, forest industry associations, and academia. - A minimum of three partners are required, including at least one Ontario-based for-profit forestry/wood products company. Please note that additional specific requirements and criteria apply for each project category. For detailed information on eligibility and application guidelines, refer to the FSIIP program guidelines available on the program website.

- Projects must demonstrate strong alignment with the program's objectives, including enhancing productivity and competitiveness, increasing innovation, creating greater market access for Ontario firms, improving the competitiveness of Ontario's broader forest sector, and strengthening regional economies. - Projects must demonstrate the need for government financial support to complete the project and have sufficient funding to complete the project when combined with proposed support from FSIIP. - Projects must pass a two-stage project evaluation process, including a project overview to determine eligibility criteria and alignment with program objectives, as well as a competitive, rounds-based project evaluation process involving financial and technical due diligence. - Funding is approved through a competitive rounds-based process, and there is no guarantee of approval even if all program objectives and criteria are met.

To apply for the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program grant, you need to follow these steps: 1. Check the current Stage I deadline for submissions. 2. Login to Transfer Payment Ontario and complete the Stage I Eligibility Checklist and Application Form. 3. If your Stage I application is successful, submit a fully completed Stage II Business Plan and all required supplemental documents by the Stage II deadline. 4. Ensure all required information is provided to avoid application declination. 5. For complete eligibility and application information, refer to the FSIIP program guidelines. 6. If you have further questions or need assistance, contact the Business Development Branch at 1-844-573-9017 or email FSIIP@ontario.ca.

- Projects must demonstrate a strong alignment with the program's objectives, which include enhancing productivity and competitiveness, increasing innovation, creating greater market access for Ontario firms, improving the competitiveness of the broader forest sector in Ontario, and strengthening regional economies. - Projects need to show a clear need for government financial support to complete the project and must have sufficient funding to complete the project in conjunction with proposed support from the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program (FSIIP). - The funding allocation process involves a two-stage project evaluation: Stage I for an overview of the project to determine eligibility and alignment with program objectives, and Stage II for a competitive evaluation process including financial and technical due diligence. - Funding approval is based on a competitive rounds-based process, and meeting program objectives and criteria does not guarantee approval as there may be other projects that more effectively align with the program. - Applicants must follow the open, competitive rounds-based application process outlined for Stage I and Stage II submissions. - The program has specific deadlines for each round of applications, and applicants need to ensure they submit by the respective deadlines to be considered in the evaluation rounds. - For further information or assistance, applicants can contact the Business Development Branch of the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program through the provided phone number or email.