Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT) offers several funding programs aimed at supporting businesses and economic growth.

The Regional Development Program takes a coordinated approach to supporting business growth in eastern and southwestern Ontario. The Eastern Ontario Development Fund and Southwestern Ontario Development Fund provide financial support to businesses, municipalities, and economic development organizations for economic development in eastern and southwestern Ontario, respectively. In addition, there is the Regional Development Program: Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) Stream, which is designed to support eligible companies investing in technology, equipment, or workforce skills to enhance their competitiveness.

The Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF) provides financial support to help eligible Ontario companies impacted by trade disruptions enhance resilience, strengthen capacity, build local supply chains in Ontario, and expand market reach. The fund supports near-term investments so businesses can serve more interprovincial customers, develop new markets, and re-shore critical supply chains in the face of U.S. tariffs. Projects must address the impacts of U.S. trade disruptions and align with Ontario’s key economic priorities. The types of support available include funding and complementary supports and services.

The Protect Ontario Financing Program is designed to provide critical support to Ontario-based businesses that have been impacted by higher (section 232) tariff rates, including the steel, aluminum and auto sectors.