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Government of Ontario, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
Southwestern Ontario Development Fund — Business project grants
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling
Odds
3 intakes per year
Effort
1–2 weeks before sub
Can you get this?
✓Business must have 3+ years of operations
✓Must employ at least 10 people (5 if rural)
✓Must commit to creating at least 5 new jobs
✓Minimum $500,000 project investment ($200K if rural)
✓Project must be located in southwestern Ontario
Your real odds
The fund runs three intake cycles per year, so you get multiple shots at funding that is capped at 15% of eligible costs, which means competition is real but the dollar amounts are bounded.
Unless you are a small rural company or a strategic foreign direct investment, you are looking at an interest-free loan with partial forgiveness tied to hitting your targets, not a grant. Stacking with other provincial programs is off the table, which cuts the eligible applicant pool before scoring even begins.
What it takes
Contact a regional advisor to assess your fit before applying1–2 weeks before submission window opens
Register on TPON (Transfer Payment Ontario) at least two weeks before the deadline1–2 hours, 2 weeks ahead
Prepare and submit a full application within the intake window2–6 weeks depending on project complexity
Await funding decisionApproximately 60 business days after the application deadline
Worth knowing
A regional advisor consultation is required before you apply, and advisors have real influence over how your application is shaped, so engaging them well ahead of the two-week minimum gives you time to sharpen your job-creation and investment commitments, which are the core scoring criteria.
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