Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF)

• Tax Compliance Verification number and Tax Compliance Certificate
• Projected cash flow
• Articles of incorporation or limited partnership agreement and declaration
• Corporate family tree
• Financial statements from the last three fiscal years

Who is eligible?

• For-profit businesses
• Legal entities or limited partnerships registered to carry out business in Ontario
• Businesses operating within Ontario
• Businesses that can demonstrate impacts due to U.S. tariffs, significant exposure to trade risk, or a tariff-related operational pivot

Who is not eligible

• Not-for-profit organizations, associations, and charities
• Sole proprietors
• Retail businesses
• Construction companies providing primary construction services
• Providers of personal services and consulting firms

Eligible expenses

• Facilities and infrastructure
• Equipment and machinery
• One-time labour and materials
• Specialized expertise, training and talent costs
• Permits and fees, and new market access

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Ongoing operations, including maintenance and capital replacement, are not eligible; exact replacements are not eligible, and ongoing operational and production labour costs are excluded.
• Refinancing of existing business operations, acquisitions and buyouts, restructuring, or relocating to other jurisdictions within Ontario are not eligible.
• Electricity projects, waste management/primary recycling, and hospitality projects such as hotels and restaurants are not eligible.
• Purchase of land or buildings, purchase, lease or operation of vehicles or off-site equipment, and materials used for the regular production of saleable items are not eligible.
• Travel and accommodation, meal per diems, hospitality, shipping, advertisement costs, preparation of funding proposal, brokers, agents, consultants, debt service costs, and federal or provincial taxes or surtaxes are not eligible.

• Alignment with Ontario priorities such as local supply chains, market diversification, manufacturing capacity, and jobs.
• Training and upskilling.
• Development of economic clusters and supply chains.
• Government support improves project outcomes, scope, or timelines.
• Innovation and project risk considerations.

• Complete the mandatory online self-assessment tool and, if the results suggest you might qualify for funding, contact an Ontario Advisor to review your project.
• Register for Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) and follow the prompts to find the program under the Submit for Funding section.
• Download the application form and complete each section as required, including Part 1: Eligibility Checklist and Part 2: Application Form.
• If you are eligible according to Part 1, upload the completed application form and all supporting documents on TPON.

• Only applications that are deemed eligible and complete will be evaluated; if an application is incomplete or there is a material change to the project after submission, review may be deferred until a revised application is submitted, subject to eligibility requirements.
• Following submission of a signed application, applicants are subject to compliance checks including Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development—Health and Safety and Employment Standards, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Accessibility Compliance, Ministry of Finance—Tax Compliance, and Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
• The Ministry will notify applicants of a funding decision upon completion of the assessment process.
• If approved, applicants must enter into a funding agreement, meet disbursement conditions including evidence of project financing and insurance, and comply with reporting requirements including providing financial statements.
• Funding agreements may require full or partial repayment if performance measures such as jobs and investment are not met, and a company may not resubmit an application for the same project if the application or project is not successful after assessment.

• Complementary supports and services may be available when a completed application is submitted, including advisory services, assistance with compliance approvals, and access to skills and talent.
• These services are available for the duration of the project regardless of the funding outcome.
• Working with an external firm to prepare an application has no bearing on the success rate of an applicant.
• OTTF is a discretionary, non-entitlement program, and meeting eligibility criteria does not guarantee funding or services.