RH Accelerator
Grand River Ag Society (GRAS) and RH Accelerator Inc. announce they will work together and co invest in support of local early stage innovative companies in the agriculture, food and cleantech industries. Learn more or apply to take part.
Jobs and Growth Fund
Provides funding to businesses and organizations to help create jobs and position local economies for long-term growth. In southern Ontario, FedDev Ontario is investing $224 million to support businesses to build resiliency and prepare for growth by transitioning to a green economy, fostering an inclusive recovery, enhancing competitiveness, and creating jobs. Learn more or apply.
University of Guelph Co-operative Education Program
Hire a University of Guelph Co-op Student and Get Up to 75% or More In Wage Subsidies. Students are available to be hired in over 40 co-op programs for 4 or 8-month work terms. Learn more.
FedDev Ontario
FedDev Ontario works to create opportunities for economic growth in southern Ontario by helping businesses become more competitive, innovative and productive. See funding opportunities here.
Provincial Supports
NEW Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant – Eligible businesses (with fewer than 100 employees) subject to closures as a result of the province’s move to the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen as of January 5, 2022 will receive a grant of $10,000. Applications to open within the coming weeks.
NEW Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program – Eligible businesses that are required to close or reduce capacity will receive rebate payments equivalent to 50 percent of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to the current capacity limits. Online application for this program opens January 18, 2022, with payments to eligible businesses provided retroactive to December 19, 2021.
NEW Six-month interest- and penalty-free period – The province is providing a six-month interest- and penalty-free period to make payments for most provincially administered taxes. The six-month period will begin January 1, 2022 and end July 1, 2022.
NEW Ontario Together Fund – Provides funding to firms and organizations for projects that support either Ontario’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and/or Ontario’s preparedness for future public health emergencies. Funding may include a conditional grant up to 75% of eligible project costs to a maximum of $2.5M and/or complementary supports and services. Application period open until March 31, 2022.
NEW Reconnect Ontario 2022 – Provides funding for festivals and events which occur between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023 that have a tourism economic impact and motivate visitors to rediscover Ontario. Application period open until February 2, 2022.
NEW Southwestern Ontario Development Fund – provides support for projects and investments to businesses, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations for economic development in southwestern Ontario. Application intake opening February 9 – March 23, 2022.
NEW Tourism Economic Development and Recovery Fund – A cost-sharing program designed to provide non-capital funding to projects that either encourage the development of innovative new tourism products, support tourism investment and/or build the capacity of Ontario’s tourism industry. The program also supports innovative tourism recovery projects aimed at increasing tourism within Ontario to address the reduction in global travel as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). Accepting applications on an ongoing basis.
NEW Regional Development Program: Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness Stream – Provides financial support (Up to 15% of eligible project costs) to advanced manufacturing companies with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises across Ontario, to support projects which invest in capital equipment, technology adoption and skills development. Applications will be open until February 10, 2022.
Site Readiness Programme – Provides financial support to property owners to complete site preparatory work for an eligible industrial property. Applicants can receive reimbursement of 50% of eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $25,000 per application, upon completion of the program. Application period open until March 1, 2022.
Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit Program – Employers can get reimbursed for up to three days pay (max $200/day) paid to employees on paid infectious disease emergency leave until July 31, 2022.
Online Covid-19 Safety Plan Builder – The workplace safety plan builder helps lead businesses through an easy three-step process to help develop a customized plan for your business.
Federal Supports
Tourism Relief Fund (TRF) – supports tourism businesses and organizations to adapt their operations to meet public health requirements while investing in products and services to facilitate their future growth. Contributions to businesses will be either non-repayable contributions up to $100,000 for up to 50% of eligible costs OR fully repayable contributions up to $500,000 for up to 75% of eligible costs.
NEW Canada Summer Jobs 2022 – provides wage subsidies to employers (not-for-profit organizations and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees) to create quality work experiences for young people aged 15 to 30 years during summer 2022. Employers can apply for funding now until January 25, 2022.
Canada Small Business Financing Program – For small businesses to get loans from financial institutions by sharing the risk with lenders. Up to a maximum of $1,000,000 for any one borrower.
Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Programme (HASCAP) – Available to businesses across the country, in all sectors, that have been hit hard by the pandemic. This includes restaurants, businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors, and those that rely on in-person service. Download the HASCAP one-pager reference sheet. Interested businesses should contact their primary lender to get more information and to apply.
NEW Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP) – Targeted wage and rent support for eligible businesses, charities, and non-profits in the tourism or hospitality sector or those affected by a qualifying public health restriction.
NEW Local Lockdown Program – A way businesses, charities, and non-profits subject to a qualifying public health restriction may be eligible for wage or rent support through the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP), even if they are not in tourism or hospitality.
NEW Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program (HHBRP) – Targeted wage and rent support for hard-hit eligible businesses, charities, and non-profits outside of tourism or hospitality that have been deeply affected since the start of the pandemic.
Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) – Canadian businesses, non-profit organizations, or charities who have seen a drop in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of their commercial rent or property expenses. Extended until October 23, 2021. Note: The government is proposing to continue COVID-19 business support programs until May 2022.
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) – As a Canadian employer who has seen a drop in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of your employee wages. This subsidy will enable you to re-hire workers, help prevent further job losses, and ease your business back into normal operations. Extended until October 23, 2021. Note: The government is proposing to continue COVID-19 business support programs until May 2022.
Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP) – provides a subsidy on eligible salary or wages to help hard-hit businesses hire new workers, increase workers’ hours, or increase wages at a pace that works for them. As with the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, eligible employers can apply for support after each four-week period of the program. Note: The government is proposing to continue COVID-19 business support programs until May 2022.
Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) – For Canada’s largest employers, whose needs during the pandemic are not being met through conventional financing, to keep their operations going. Loans of $60,000,000 and above are being made.
Work-Sharing Program – COVID-19 (WS) – A program that helps employers and employees avoid layoffs when there is a temporary decrease in business activity beyond the control of the employer. The program provides Employment Insurance (EI) benefits to eligible employees who agree to reduce their normal working hours and share the available work while their employer recovers.
EDC Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) Guarantee – Export Development Canada (EDC) is working with financial institutions to guarantee 80% of new operating credit and cash flow term loans of up to $6.25 million to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
BDC Co-Lending Program – Business Development Canada (BDC) is working with financial institutions to co-lend term loans of up to $6.25 million to SMEs for their operational cash flow requirements.
Other Funding and Financial Relief
- Municipal Property Tax Deferral: Contact your Local Township for more information.
- Government of Canada: Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, support for individuals, businesses, organizations
- Achievement Incentive and Group Sponsorship Grant – Employers who train apprentices may be eligible for grants to help mitigate the cost of training.
- Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund – provides loans up to $250,000 to Black business owners and entrepreneurs across the country. Apply.
- OMAFRA: Enhanced Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program – provides support to help agri-businesses guard against the spread of COVID-19. Note: Funding is now open to food and beverage processors, agri-food industry organizations/associations, and poultry catchers/vaccinators and professional barn cleaners. Current deadline extended to February 1, 2022.
- Growing Opportunities – A new wage subsidy program aimed at introducing post-secondary students to careers in agriculture and agrifood. Provides up to $7500 per hire to Agriculture employers across Canada and runs to March 2022.
- Young Farmer Loan Program – offers qualified producers, who are under 40, loans of up to $1.5 million to purchase or improve farmland and buildings. The loan includes features to support their long-term success, including lower lending rates.
- Canadian Agricultural Partnership: Cost-Share Funding – offers cost-share funding to support farmer, processor, other businesses, sector organizations and strategic partnerships.
- Indigenous Business Stabilization Program: Emergency Loan Program (ELP) – provides emergency loans to Indigenous business owners impacted by COVID-19.
- Futurpreneur Canada – Aspiring entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39 with a business operating for less than 12 months may be eligible for up to $60,000 in financing, as well as mentorship and resources.
- Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC): Financial relief for entrepreneurs
- BDC Business Loans – BDC offers a variety of financing solutions for different sectors, size or stage of business.
- Shopify Capital Funding
- CanExport Programme – Small and medium sized companies may access up to $50,000 in funding to assist with international market development activities. Program open for projects that will begin after April 1st, 2022.
- Ontario Together Funding – Helping companies retool, build capacity or adopt the technological changes needed to produce supplies and equipment for hospitals, long-term care homes and other critical public services.
- Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Programme (CASPP)
- Second Career Programme
Health Resources
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph – www.wdgpublichealth.ca/coronavirus
- WDG Public Health – Stop Before Entering Business Poster
Province of Ontario
- Reopening Ontario – Learn about the Roadmap to Reopen, the province’s three-step plan to safely and gradually lift public health measures based on ongoing progress of province-wide vaccination rates and improvements of key public health and health care indicators. Learn more.
- Ontario Ministry of Health – www.ontario.ca/coronavirus
- Ontario Workplace PPE Supplier Directory
- Stop the Spread Business Information Line: 1.888.444.3659
Government of Canada
- Public Health Agency of Canada – www.canada.ca/coronavirus
- Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
- Download the Canada Business App to find tailored supports to address your specific needs and questions about COVID-19
Agriculture Supports
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AAFC
- Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA)
- Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA)
- Farm Credit Canada (FCC)
- Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC)
Food Services
Government of Ontario:
- Guide to Starting a Home-based Food Business – Selling Low Risk Food Info Sheet (gov.on.ca)
- Guidance for food processing sector
- Guidance for restaurant and food services sector
- General guidance for curbside pickup and delivery services
- Food retail – including stock, produce, meat or grocery associates
- Restaurants – restaurant servers, cooks and dishwashers
Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health:
- Food Premises and Events
- Food Processing Skills Canada
- SUCCEEDING AT WORK (SAW) – LANGUAGE STREAM – 10 e-learning Food Processing skills training courses in 6 languages including Tagalog, Punjabi, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian/Ukrainian and French.