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Source verified September 10, 2026
Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Southern Ontario
Supports southern Ontario businesses impacted by international trade disruptions
Latest source updateLast Update: September 10, 2026Latest change: The RTRI now includes a detailed application guide and filing instructions covering eligibility, required documents, liquidity support, and pivot project rules.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: September 10, 2026
Latest change: The RTRI now includes a detailed application guide and filing instructions covering eligibility, required documents, liquidity support, and pivot project rules.
RTRI guide and application instructions updated
The Regional Tariff Response Initiative now has a detailed Application Guide and How to apply page that set out the form sections, required attachments, and electronic submission steps. The guide also explains the eligibility test and support rules, including the $1 million revenue threshold, liquidity assistance calculated at up to 50% of average eligible monthly payroll for up to 12 months, and the cap of $2 million. The updated sources also add pivot project rules, including eligible activities such as automation, digitization, export development, and supply-chain resilience, plus timing guidance that pivot projects may start up to 12 months before submission and must end by March 31, 2029. They clarify eligible and ineligible costs, required evidence, and that businesses may apply for liquidity support and a pivot project at the same time.
Funding available
$ 125,000 - $ 20,000,000
Deadline
Open continuously
Location
Ontario, Canada
Overview
The Regional Tariff Response Initiative for businesses offers repayable contributions from $125,000 to $10 million or non-repayable contributions from $125,000 to $1 million for eligible southern Ontario businesses responding to tariff-related trade disruptions. Supported projects can adopt technology, expand markets, optimize supply chains, and strengthen domestic resilience.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Increase operational productivity
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 20,000,000 $
- Minimum amount : 125,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Ontario
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- 5-500 employees
Audience
- All groups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Economic, Social and Community Development
Target groups
- Business owners / entrepreneurs
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- All dimensions
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 1
Activities funded
- Liquidity assistance to maintain operations and employment
- Productivity improvements and process modernization
- Equipment and technology adoption, including automation and digitization
- Market diversification and export development
- Supply chain resilience and activities that increase competitiveness and reduce trade-related risks
Documents Needed
- Financial statements for the last 2 fiscal years and the most recent interim financial statement
- Articles of incorporation/amendments, constating documents, by-laws, or similar documents
- For liquidity assistance requests, payroll records for the last month and evidence supporting the liquidity requirement, including a cash flow forecast
- For pivot project applications, biographies of key management and/or technical staff and a project schedule outlining major activities and key milestones
- The Supplementary Form for Businesses and any relevant supporting documentation for tariff impacts or ownership structure, such as import/export records or a capitalization table
Official resources
Program guide
Application form
Application portal
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- For-profit organizations
- Businesses facing tariff pressures with minimum annual revenue of $1 million
- Businesses in all tariff-impacted sectors
Who is not eligible
- Businesses without a physical address where they conduct business activities
- Businesses operating from a P.O. box, co-working space, or residence or home
- Businesses submitting multiple or concurrent applications to this initiative or other FedDev Ontario programs
Eligible expenses
- Employee salaries and wages
- Rent or commercial lease payments
- Utilities, business insurance, and property taxes
- New costs essential to the project and directly related to carrying out eligible activities
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Costs that are unreasonable, non-incremental, and/or not directly related to project activities
- Land and building acquisition, entertainment expenses, motor vehicle costs, and refinancing of existing debts
- Payments to contractors or contracted service providers, dividends or shareholder distributions, owner withdrawals, employee bonuses, and severance costs in eligible payroll calculations
- Tariffs, customs duties or export taxes, penalties, raw materials, inventory, direct production inputs, capital purchases, debt principal repayments, and interest expenses are not eligible operating costs for liquidity assistance
- Payroll costs covered by another government program, payments to employees working outside Canada, and ongoing operating costs in a pivot project budget
Eligible geographic areas
- Southern Ontario
Selection criteria
- Degree to which the company or sector is impacted by tariffs
- Degree to which the project supports new or expanded initiatives and helps boost productivity, catalyze growth, or diversify markets
- Expected results of the project
- Quality of the project plan and budget, including project readiness, ability to repay, and managerial, technical, operational, and financial capacity
- Degree of risk and mitigation measures, quality of Intellectual Property strategies for IP-intensive projects, and the breadth, representation, and diversity of projects considered for funding
How to apply
- Gather the mandatory and supporting documents required for your application.
- Download the Application for Funding - RTRI to your computer and save it.
- Open the application in Acrobat Reader 10 or later, not in a web browser.
- Review the Application guide and complete the Application for Funding.
- Use the Add Attachments button to attach all necessary attachments.
- Ensure the submitter is authorized to bind the company, then submit the application and keep the confirmation message for your records.
Processing and Agreement
- You will receive an email acknowledging the time and date of your application.
- Any activities and related costs incurred before a formal decision is made are at the applicant’s own risk.
- If approved, you must confirm all matching funding sources and sign a contribution agreement within 30 calendar days of being notified.
- Funding is reimbursed based on approved costs incurred and claimed throughout the project’s duration.
- If approved, FedDev Ontario may request additional documentation for the contribution agreement, including insurance coverage, conflict of interest, financial management, project expenditures, performance measurement and reporting, and recipients must submit project performance reports and statements.
Additional information
- FedDev Ontario may consult external experts during the assessment process and share applicant information with them.
- Any confidential or proprietary information should be clearly marked as such.
- Information submitted is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.
- FedDev Ontario may modify these guidelines at any time without notice and may waive certain requirements on an exceptional basis.
Contacts
Other components of this program
Explore related funding streams and grants that belong to the same program.
- FedNor — Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI)Helps Northern Ontario SMEs respond to tariff impacts
- Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) – Atlantic CanadaSupport for tariff-impacted Atlantic businesses
- Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — British ColumbiaSupports B.C. businesses facing tariff disruptions
- Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Northern CanadaSupports Canadian businesses facing trade disruptions
- Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Prairie ProvincesSupports Prairie organizations facing tariff disruptions
- Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — QuebecSupport for Quebec manufacturing SMEs impacted by international tariffs
Frequently Asked Questions about the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Southern Ontario Program
What is the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Southern Ontario?
The Regional Tariff Response Initiative for businesses offers repayable contributions from $125,000 to $10 million or non-repayable contributions from $125,000 to $1 million for eligible southern Ontario businesses responding to tariff-related trade disruptions. Supported projects can adopt technology, expand markets, optimize supply chains, and strengthen domestic resilience.
How much funding can be received?
Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Southern Ontario Funds up to 75% 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) — Southern Ontario program?
To be eligible for the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Southern Ontario program, you must:
The business must be located and operating in southern Ontario, and be incorporated and registered to do business in Canada or Ontario for at least the past 3 years.
The applicant must be a for-profit business with at least 5 full-time equivalent employees in southern Ontario and fewer than 500 full-time equivalent employees overall.
The business must have been viable prior to March 21, 2025 and must either have at least 25% of sales in markets targeted by the tariffs or show direct impacts from ongoing trade disruptions.
What expenses are eligible under Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Southern Ontario?
Liquidity assistance to maintain operations and employment
Productivity improvements and process modernization
Equipment and technology adoption, including automation and digitization
Market diversification and export development
Supply chain resilience and activities that increase competitiveness and reduce trade-related risks
Who can I contact for more information about the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Southern Ontario?
You can contact Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev) by email at indigenous-autochtones@feddevontario.gc.ca or by phone at 1-866-593-5505.
Where is the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Southern Ontario available?
The Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) — Southern Ontario program is available the province of Ontario.