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Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie Provinces — Pivot projects

Supports tariff-affected Prairie businesses with pivot projects that improve productivity, develop markets and strengthen supply chains, and organizations helping these businesses adapt.

Offered by

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)

Official source: canada.ca

Source change captured October 6, 2026

Funding available: $ 500,000 - $ 20,000,000; Up to 90% of project cost
Deadline: December 31, 2028
Location: Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Canada
Who can apply: Incorporated businesses; See full eligibility

Overview

This Prairie Provinces component of the Regional Tariff Response Initiative supports projects that help tariff-affected businesses improve productivity, develop markets and strengthen supply chains. It also supports organizations providing services that help these businesses adapt. This record covers pivot projects; liquidity assistance is described in a separate record.

At a glance

Funding available

Maximum funding: $20,000,000
Minimum funding: $500,000
Maximum share of project costs: 90%

Financing goals

Increase performance through digital transformation
Develop strategic partnerships
Automate business operations
Improve governance or administrative structure
Increase operational productivity
Strengthen organizational capacity
Access new markets
Ensure financial sustainability

Eligible candidates

Location: Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
Eligible Industries: All industries
Annual revenue: All revenue ranges
Organisation size: 1-499 employees
Audience: All groups
Legal structures: Non-profit, Public or Parapublic institution, For-profit business, Social economy enterprise

Non-profit candidates

Target groups: Business owners / entrepreneurs

Start applying for this program

Take a practical assessment to gain a clear understanding of how well this program aligns with your specific needs and long-term goals.

Availability timeline

2027

Periods: 1

Latest changes

October 6, 2026

RTRI funding and eligibility updated

RTRI now shows new funding terms for pivot projects and new ineligible applicant categories, including governments, Crown corporations, and nonprofits seeking liquidity for their own operating expenses.

RTRI now shows revised funding terms for pivot projects, including up to $1 million in non-repayable support for smaller projects and repayable support for larger transformative projects, with total RTRI funding up to $20 million when repayable support is included. The eligibility page now also lists new ineligible applicants and restrictions: governments and Crown corporations are excluded, nonprofits seeking liquidity support for their own operating expenses are excluded, and businesses must be able to demonstrate direct or indirect tariff exposure. The program page also adds new funding-share conditions for businesses, nonprofits, and Indigenous applicants, including up to 90% for business or commercial projects, up to 80% for Indigenous commercial projects, and up to 100% for Indigenous non-commercial projects.

Official source: canada.ca

October 6, 2026

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

Incorporated businesses
Not-for-profit organizations that support tariff-impacted businesses
Indigenous-owned businesses and organizations
Eligible not-for-profit organizations include post-secondary educational institutions, business accelerators and incubators, angel networks, social enterprises, and groups of eligible applicants such as industry associations or consortia

Who is not eligible

Governments, including federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous governments and their agencies, and Crown corporations are ineligible.
Businesses unable to demonstrate direct or indirect tariff exposure are ineligible.
Retail businesses and businesses providing local consumer services, including hotels, restaurants, utilities, healthcare and recreation, are generally not eligible.
Oil and gas extraction and construction services are generally not eligible.
Not-for-profit organizations are not eligible for liquidity assistance, including support for their own operating expenses.

Eligible expenses

For pivot and not-for-profit projects: new, additional labour costs, including wages and benefits, and material costs directly related to eligible activities.
For pivot and not-for-profit projects: capital costs, including machinery or equipment purchases.
For pivot and not-for-profit projects: consultancy fees and advisory expenses, including planning, counselling, coaching, mentoring, networking events, workshops, conference fees and business training fees; not-for-profit projects may also include management fees.
For pivot and not-for-profit projects: costs related to expanding or maintaining markets.
For business liquidity assistance: employee salaries and wages, and essential recurring operating expenses specifically comprising rent or commercial lease payments, utilities, business insurance and property taxes.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

For pivot projects: costs deemed unreasonable, non-incremental and/or not directly related to project activities.
For all project types: land and building acquisition, entertainment expenses, refinancing existing debt, salary bonuses and dividend payments.
Projects that move company operations outside Canada.
For liquidity assistance: contractor or contracted service provider payments, shareholder distributions, owner withdrawals, employee bonuses including retention bonuses, severance costs, payments to employees working outside Canada, and payroll costs covered by another government program, including EI Work-Sharing.
For liquidity assistance: tariffs, customs duties, export taxes, penalties or similar government charges; other types of operating costs or lease payments; raw materials, inventory and other direct production inputs; capital purchases; debt principal repayments; interest and other financial costs; and costs unrelated to ongoing operations.

Eligible geographic areas

Prairie provinces

Activities funded

Pivot projects: productivity improvements, process modernization, and equipment or technology adoption, including automation and digitization.
Pivot projects: market diversification, export development, supply chain resilience, and activities that increase competitiveness and reduce trade-related risks.
Liquidity assistance projects: short-term support, where necessary, to maintain operations and employment.
Not-for-profit projects: business advisory and technical services, market development and diversification, export readiness, and strengthening supply chains.

How to apply

Check eligibility, understand what can be funded, review the applicable program materials, assign a project lead, and gather the requested documentation.
For incorporated businesses, log in to the PrairiesCan portal and complete the detailed application form using the applicant guide.
For incorporated businesses, attach the required documents and submit the application form through the PrairiesCan portal.
For not-for-profit organizations, first submit an expression of interest through the PrairiesCan portal using the EOI help guide and attach the required documents.
If selected, not-for-profit organizations will be invited to submit a detailed full application through the online portal.
Before submitting, make sure your organization can enter into legally binding agreements and that the individual submitting is authorized to bind the organization.

Documents Needed

Incorporation documents and proof of signing authority, such as bylaws, articles of incorporation, board minutes or a record of decision.
A business plan or pitch deck describing the organization, management team, corporate governance and proposed project.
Financial statements for the past two years and interim statements covering at least the last six months; full applications also require forecasted income statements and cash flows with rationale and assumptions for 3 to 5 years.
Confirmation of non-PrairiesCan project funding, such as bank statements, unused lines of credit, official letters of intent, funding agreements or signed term sheets.
Supporting documents, including evidence of tariff impacts; liquidity assistance applications require payroll remittance reports and evidence of essential operating costs for the last 12 months and substantiation of liquidity needs. Not-for-profit full applications require the completed cost clarification form and financial disbursement disclosure form provided with the invitation.

Selection criteria

Not-for-profit EOIs are selected for full applications based on strongest merit, alignment with program objectives and priority areas, and significant economic benefits.
Applications are assessed on viability, economic impact, ability to achieve program objectives, demonstrated need and the proposed response to tariff impacts.
Business pivot projects and not-for-profit applications are also evaluated on relative strengths in market potential, management capability, financial capacity, economic benefits and alignment with governmental priorities.
PrairiesCan may prioritize projects demonstrating the strongest potential impacts in productivity, competitiveness and regional economic benefits.
Preference may be given to projects demonstrating greater leverage of funding from non-PrairiesCan sources.

Processing and Agreement

Within 30 days of submission, EOIs with the strongest merit and alignment with program objectives, priority areas, and significant economic benefits may be invited to complete a full application and undergo detailed assessment; if you are not contacted, your project will not be considered further.
Funding decisions are usually made within 90 business days of receiving a complete application, including satisfactory supporting documentation.
If approved, you will be invited to enter into a contribution agreement with PrairiesCan that must be signed within 30 days of notification and cannot be signed until all funding sources are confirmed.
Funding for successful projects is provided as periodic reimbursements based on submitted claims for the approved portion of eligible project costs that have been paid.
Successful applicants must provide periodic progress reports at least twice per year, annual financial statements from project start to the end of the repayment period if applicable, and track and report project activities and deliverables up to the final reporting date.

Additional information

RTRI is part of the national Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program.
Funding under this program is intended to complement financial support from other federal or provincial tariff initiatives, and applicants are encouraged to explore industry specific support where available.
Applicants are encouraged to consider Canadian materials and content where such materials and content are competitive and available.
Talk to your accountant and/or the Canada Revenue Agency to understand how RTRI funding could affect your taxes or other current or future funding agreements.

Contacts

1-888-338-9378

Guides for this program

RTRI pivot project application guide for budgets and milestonesBuild an RTRI pivot budget and schedule with a worked equipment example.

Official sources

canada.ca

Frequently Asked Questions about the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie Provinces — Pivot projects Program

What is the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie Provinces — Pivot projects?

How much funding can be received?

Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie Provinces — Pivot projects Funds up to 90% of admissible expenses, capped at $20,000,000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Who is eligible for the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie Provinces — Pivot projects program?

To be eligible for the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie Provinces — Pivot projects program, you must: Incorporated businesses operating in the Prairie provinces, with at least $1 million in annual revenue in one of the last two fiscal years, that were viable before tariffs and can demonstrate tariff impacts. Eligible not-for-profit and Indigenous organizations may also apply for projects supporting affected businesses.

What expenses are eligible under Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie Provinces — Pivot projects?

For pivot and not-for-profit projects: new, additional labour costs, including wages and benefits, and material costs directly related to eligible activities. For pivot and not-for-profit projects: capital costs, including machinery or equipment purchases. For pivot and not-for-profit projects: consultancy fees and advisory expenses, including planning, counselling, coaching, mentoring, networking events, workshops, conference fees and business training fees; not-for-profit projects may also include management fees. For pivot and not-for-profit projects: costs related to expanding or maintaining markets. For business liquidity assistance: employee salaries and wages, and essential recurring operating expenses specifically comprising rent or commercial lease payments, utilities, business insurance and property taxes.

Who can I contact for more information about the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie Provinces — Pivot projects?

You can contact Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) or by phone at 1-888-338-9378.

Where is the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie Provinces — Pivot projects available?

The Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie Provinces — Pivot projects program is available the province of Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan.

By Province

Grants and Funding in Alberta

Grants and Funding in Manitoba

Grants and Funding in Saskatchewan

By Industry

Education Grants in Canada