Arts and culture
Business and economy
COVID-19
Driving and roads
Education and training
Environment and energy
Government
Health and wellness
Home and community
Jobs and employment
Law and safety
Rural and north
Taxes and benefits
Travel and recreation

Home
Business and economy

Ontario Together Trade Fund eligibility self-screener

Lead

Please submit your answers to the eligibility questions below. This will help you determine whether you qualify for the program.

If you are eligible, we will give you contact information for an Ontario Advisor to discuss your project. They will then provide you with a link to Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) where you can submit a full application. Please refer to the program guidelines for additional program criteria and information.

If your project is not eligible, we will give you information outlining the steps to access other services and supports.

Please note that this program is a discretionary competitive program and funding is only provided to the strongest applicants.

On this page Skip this page navigation

1) Is your organization an incorporated for-profit business (legal entity or limited partnership) registered to carry out business in Ontario?

Not-for-profit organizations/associations/charities, sole proprietorships, construction companies providing primary construction services, providers of personal services, and consulting firms are not eligible for the program.

Yes

2) Does your business operate in a sector extensively targeted by U.S. tariffs (for example, steel, auto, aluminum sectors); or can your organization demonstrate significant exposure to trade risk (revenue loss 30% or higher) or that you are pivoting operations to supply a customer that is looking to replace a current supplier due to tariffs?

Yes

3) Is your proposed project an eligible project that will be completed within 1-2 years?

Yes

Eligible projects activities

Projects must address the impacts of U.S. trade disruptions and align with Ontario’s key economic priorities, including:

business development, such as market diversification and sales expansion
procurement of advanced equipment and facility modifications to enhance domestic manufacturing and support Ontario’s supply chain
development of innovative technologies to boost the competitiveness of Ontario’s production and manufacturing capacity
localization for new markets (for example, certification, legal, labeling, testing costs)
creating and securing jobs in Ontario
modification of existing products to enter new sectors (for example, pivoting production from automotive fasteners to construction fasteners)
increasing the resiliency of Ontario’s economy in response to trade-related challenges, such as purchasing equipment and materials from local suppliers or shifting sales to non-U.S. markets

Ineligible project activities

Ineligible projects include:

ongoing operations including maintenance and capital replacement (exact replacements are not eligible, upgraded technology/equipment would be considered eligible)
refinancing of existing business operations
acquisitions and buyouts
restructuring, or relocating to other jurisdictions within Ontario
electricity projects
waste management/primary recycling
hospitality projects (for example, hotels and restaurants)

4) Does your organization (or parent company) have a minimum 3 years of substantive operations/revenue supported by 3 years of financial statements?

Submission of these statements is a requirement of the program. Note: Start-ups are not eligible.

Yes

5) Will your organization be able to provide either of the documents listed below?

Applicants will be required to prepare either Review Engagement Financial Statements (CSRE 2400) or an Audited Financial Statement.

Financial statements must be prepared in accordance with GAAP and cannot be internally prepared financial documents.

Compilation Engagement Report (CSRS 4200) will not be accepted unless from applicants with annual revenue of less than $5M that are applying for a grant.

Yes

6) Does your organization employ at least 5 full time equivalent active employees?

Applicants that do not meet minimum number of employees but are significantly impacted by U.S. trade exposure, may still be considered for funding if their project demonstrates considerable benefits to Ontario’s economy.

Yes

7) Will your organization be investing at least $200,000 in the proposed project?

Yes

You may be eligible for funding consideration for the Ontario Together Trade Fund.

Please reach out to an Ontario Advisor to discuss your project. The advisor can help provide advice on your application and guide you through the application steps.

Contact us

Food and beverage processing businesses (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness)

Contact an Economic and Business Advisor in your sector/area
Email: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca
Phone: 1-877-424-1300

Forestry products (Ministry of Natural Resources)

Contact a forest industry advisor: 1-844-573-9017

Northern Ontario businesses (Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth)

Contact a northern development advisor
Phone: 1-249-622-1475

Southern Ontario businesses (Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade)

centralregionbas@ontario.ca
Phone: 416-314-8880
Toll-free: 1-800-361-3223
TTY: 416-325-3408
Toll-free TTY: 1-800-268-7095

Thank you for your interest in the Ontario Together Trade Fund. Unfortunately, your project does not meet the eligibility requirements.

Ontario offers a variety of programs and services to help businesses grow.

If you are looking to export or expand your business internationally, we have a tool that quickly provides key information and resources tailored to your specific needs. At the end of this export-readiness assessment tool, you can also request a conversation with one of our Export Advisors and International Market Consultants.

Please complete our Custom Guide to Export Supports.

If you remain committed to investing or are interested in learning more about other available programs and services, please visit Business, workplace and economy.

Updated: April 23, 2025

Published: April 16, 2025

Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

Supporting a strong, innovative economy that can provide jobs and prosperity for all Ontarians, with an additional mandate for small business.

Questions or comments

There are many ways to contact the Government of Ontario.

About Ontario
Accessibility
News
Privacy
Terms of use