Overview

The Trade-Impacted Communities Program (TICP) will help communities and local industries in Ontario navigate significant economic challenges caused by U.S. trade disruption. It supports local projects that align with Ontario’s key economic priorities:

  • Economic resiliency: Projects that strengthen competitiveness and build local opportunities for economic growth.
  • Supply-chain diversification: Projects that support Ontario’s strategic priority sectors and their supply chains, including advanced manufacturing, automotive, life sciences, technology, critical minerals, forestry, and agri-food.
  • Trade partnerships: Projects that increase export and investment to reduce reliance on U.S. markets.

Disclaimer

The information on this page is the plain-language version of the Trade-Impacted Communities Program guidelines.

In the event of conflict between the information on this page, the guidelines, the application terms and conditions, and the agreement entered between the successful applicant and the Province of Ontario, the guidelines will prevail.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants

To be eligible for funding, applicants must meet all the following requirements:

  • be one of the following:
    • municipal government
    • economic development organization
    • sector or industry association
    • business accelerator or incubator (Stream 2 only)
  • lead applicants must have at least 2 years of substantive operational experience
  • be operating within Ontario
  • comply with all applicable laws
  • not owe any fees, levies, or taxes to His Majesty the King in right of Ontario or his agencies.
  • be compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, S.O. 2005, c.11.

Ineligible applicants

The following organizations are not eligible to apply for funding; however, they are eligible as a partner in joint applications:

  • not-for-profit organizations without an economic development mandate
  • private sector organizations
  • local business advocacy organizations, including chambers of commerce, boards of trade and business improvement associations
  • labour unions
  • charities

Collaboration

Joint project applications are encouraged from Stream 1 and required from Stream 2. Each project must have one lead from the list of eligible applicants, but other local partners can support. Other partners could include private sector organizations, post-secondary institutions, labour unions, business accelerators or incubators or other local organizations.

Lead and partner applicants must be identified on the application and the relationship must be formalized in a memorandum of understanding between parties. The maximum funding amount applies per project, not per applicant.

Program streams

The program is divided into 2 streams.

Stream 1: Community Economic Development

Stream 1 supports community projects that respond to U.S. trade disruption, including immediate resiliency measures, the development and implementation of local strategies, and efforts to diversify export markets. Examples could include:

  • local supplier forums
  • job fairs
  • site selection activities
  • asset mapping
  • supply-chain studies
  • sister-city partnerships
  • market intelligence or export development supports
  • trade shows
  • promotional materials

Stream 2: Transformational Projects

Stream 2 supports large-scale, collaborative projects designed to grow and transform local clusters and industrial supply chains to bolster Ontario’s competitiveness and economic resiliency. Examples could include:

  • building new areas of competitive advantage by strengthening local supply chains and reshoring critical value-added supplies (for example, leveraging forestry strengths to commercialize innovative housing products; talent attraction supports for impacted SMEs)
  • reshoring critical supply chains to support the growth of domestic manufacturing capacity (for example, tools and supports to help companies shift production in key industries)
  • driving industrial transformation and regional economic diversification (for example, industry-academic collaboration to build defense/security cluster; expanding supports for local entrepreneurs/SMEs in affected sectors)
  • expanding global partnerships to support market diversification (for example, fostering connections between local and global ecosystems or establishing new in-market supports for Ontario firms)

Preference will be given to projects that directly accelerate business growth and innovation, develop and deploy new made-in-Ontario technologies or processes, and align with provincial priorities, such as defense and housing.

Program intake

Applications for Stream 1 will be accepted on a continuous basis as long as funding is available. Stream 2 will open until September 11, 2025.

Funding

Funding supports depend on the stream:

  • Stream 1 projects will be eligible for up to 100% of eligible costs ranging from $250,000 to $2 million per project, depending on project and community size.
  • Stream 2 projects will be eligible for up to 100% of eligible costs from $2 million to $10 million per project, depending on project size and complexity.

The ministry has sole discretion in selecting successful applications and determining funding amounts.

Projects seeking the maximum 100% level must clearly demonstrate exceptional benefits to Ontario. Priority will be given to projects that leverage funding from other sources.

The program offers conditional grants to support eligible project activities. See the appendix in the program guidelines for eligible expenses.

Restrictions

You are not allowed to combine (or “stack”) Trade-Impacted Communities Program funding with other provincial programs. Funding may be stacked with federal programs up to 100% of project costs.

Application timelines

Please submit an application during the open application period.

Stream 1 is continuous intake and Stream 2 will open until September 11, 2025. The ministry will only assess applications that are deemed eligible and complete — see below steps 1 through 3 under How to apply.

How to apply

Step 1: Complete the self-assessment tool.

Step 2: Register for a webinar (Stream 1 or Stream 2) to learn more information about the program and the application process.

Step 3: Register for Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) and submit an application.

  • TPON is the Province of Ontario’s online application system for grant funding. Before applying for a funding opportunity, all applicants must first register with TPON following a three-step process.
  • When registering an organization on TPON, ensure you have the necessary information (for example, legal business name) and official business documents (for example, Canadian Revenue Agency Business Number) readily available. Please enter the data accurately to avoid unnecessary delays.
  • Applicants with technical questions about TPON can contact the TPON Customer Service Line Toll-free at 1-855-216-3090 or Toll-free TTY at 1-800-268-7095, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, or by email at tponcc@ontario.ca.

How to submit an application

  1. Register for TPON and follow the prompts to find the program under the “Submit for Funding” section. Learn more about detailed instructions for accessing TPON and steps to submit an application.
  2. Download the application form and complete each section, as required. The application form includes Part 1: Eligibility Checklist and Part 2: Application Form. Part 1 assesses an applicant’s eligibility for the program and an applicant should not complete Part 2 unless they are eligible. If an application that is not eligible is submitted, it will not be considered for assessment.
  3. If applicants are eligible according to Part 1, they can then complete the application and upload the completed form and all supporting documents on TPON. This includes:
    • A cash flow that provides sufficient detail on projected receipts and payments during the project period.
    • Two financial statements audited in accordance with International and Canadian Audit Standards (IAS/CAS) (preferred) or review engagement prepared in accordance with the Canadian Standard on Review Engagements (CSRE) 2400.
    • Proof of legal status, such as articles of incorporation, letters patent, certificate of status, Special Acts of Incorporation or other documentation that demonstrates that the organization has been a legal entity operating in Ontario for at least two years.
    • In the case of a consortium or a joint application between eligible organizations, a copy of any formal written agreements in place between the members of the consortium or organizations involved in the project.

The application form must be submitted by an individual with authority to bind the organization.

The ministry will notify applicants of a funding decision upon completion of the assessment process.

Review process

The determination of which applications are successful and how much funding a given project will receive will be entirely within the sole discretion of the ministry.

Assessment will be based on the information provided in the application, so ensure the application is as detailed as possible.

Contact us

For general inquiries and questions email our team at: ticp@ontario.ca.