Grants/Contests/Awards

November 30 deadline - Community Empowerment for Economic Development (CEED) (Stirling, Tyendinega, Deseronto only)

December 3 deadline - Desjardins GoodSpark Grant

December 15 deadline - Stacy's Rise Project ($25,000 for women business owners)

January 10 deadline - Canada Summer Jobs wage subsidy

January 12 deadline - SNAPP Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity (SNAPP) Program

January 31 deadline - Electric Vehicle (EV) ChargeON Program

2024 – Total Mom Pitch (closed for 2023)
2024 – Starter Company Plus (closed for 2023)

2024 – Tourism Growth Program (next intake in summer 2024)

Open:

Funding for WMCO wood manufacturing members (expenses up to $100,000 at 45% funding)

Mitacs Entrepreneur International (up to $5,000 travel grant)

Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (various programs)

Honey Bee Health Initiative (cost-sharing up to $25,000)

Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI)
Canada-Ontario Jobs Grant (Up to $10,000 for training)

Black Opportunity Fund (contact for current funding availability)

BITS Bucks (Up to $5,000 grant/loan for youth 18-34)
First Nations Women’s Entrepreneurship program (FNWE) (Loans and grants up to $15,000)

Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program: Access to Capital

Digital Main Street (Up to $2,400)

R.A.I.S.E (Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs, up to $10,000)
Grow Your Business Online Grant ($2,400)
Canadian Digital Adoption Program (Up to $15,000)
PEFIP (Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program)
Applied Research and Development Grant
Alliance Grant (R&D partnerships with educational institutions and businesses)

ODSP Start Up Benefit (Up to $500 for training and business costs)
Bryan Baeumler Casting Call, (Building project makeover)
CIP Programs (Signage and façade) – Centre Hastings, Marmora and Lake, Tweed, Bancroft
Benefits and Grant Finder (search tool)

See Training and Workforce section for recruitment funding support

Loans
BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada) - Large projects
Community Futures - Start-ups and small enterprises

IAPO First Nations Farm & Business Financing
DELIA - Microloans for underserved women
FACE (Federation of African Canadian Economics)
Futurpreneur - Ages 18-39
PARO - Women
WEOC (Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada)

Black Opportunity Fund 
BITS Bucks (Business In The Streets) - Up to $5,000 grant/loan for youth 18-34

Workshops, Events, Education

November 6, 3pm - How a Living Wage Can Help Create A Sustainable Tourism Workforce (TIAO)

November 7, 10am - Introduction to OHTO's New Member Portal (tourism)

November 7, 11am - Partner with OHTO through Come Wander (tourism)

November 7, 12pm - Live Where You Work: Talking About The New Ontario Living Wages (TIAO)

November 8, 12pm - Making Your Business Accessible (TIAO)

November 8, 2:30pm - Building your Brand & Marketing your Business (Daniel Francavilla of danieldoes.co)

November 9, 1pm-2pm - Ready, Set, Go Global! Assessing Export Readiness (Startup Global)

November 9, 1pm-1:30pm - Investing In People For A Sustainable and Inclusive Future (TIAO/OTEC)

November 10, 1pm-1:30pm - Putting it all together: Helping YOU to Change The Narrative (TIAO)

November 14, 10am - Pathways Towards Action - Tourism Advocacy 101 (OHTO)

November 14, 11am - Ride The Highlands 101 (OHTO)

November 15, 10am - Business Contracts-Know Your Risks and Liabilities (Mike Brown, Lawyer)

November 15, 12pm - Unlocking Business Acquisition in Ontario (Futurpreneur)

November 15, 2:30pm - CPA Financial Literacy Session – Top 5 mistakes’ start-ups make (Manju Jakhu CPA, CGA)

November 21, 10am - Feast On® = Certified Local (OHTO)

November 21, 11am - Get More Bookings with Booker (OHTO)

November 22, 2:30pm - CPA Financial Literacy Session - Growth and Expansion (Edward Sawaya, B. Comm., CPA CA, CFA, CBV)

November 28, 10am - Understanding How and Why to be an Indigenous Ally (OHTO)

November 28, 11am - Creating a Sustainability Strategy for your Business w/ GreenStep Solutions (OHTO)

November 29, 12pm-1pm - Financial Fitness: Keeping Your Books in Shape (Startup Women)

November 29, 2:30pm - Financial survival for entrepreneurs (Michael McMurray, CPA, CA, LPA)

November 30, 9:30am-3:30pm - Recipe for Success: Growing Culinary Tourism in Hastings County (in-person, lunch included)

November 30, 11am-12pm - 5 Things your Sales Funnel Really Needs (Kasama Marketing)

December 6, 9am-4:45pm - Non-Profit Strategic Leadership and ONCA Compliance (Ontario’s Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, In-Person)

December 13, 9:30am-11am - Exporting to Europe Webinar (Ontario Government)

December 14, 10:30am-12pm - Pitch Preparation Webinar (Ontario Government)

See Workshops and Opportunities page for more details.

 
Open/On Demand:

BDC Learning Centre

OBCT (Ontario Building Trades and Construction) Newsletter

Ontario Chamber of Commerce Webinars

StrikeUp - Digital conference for women entrepreneurs

Teeny Tiny Summits

Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub  (WEKH)
Product Testing at Loyalist College - Contact Loyalist Industry Partnership Officer Laurie Caouette LCaouette@loyalistcollege.com

Reports

Our Economic and Tourism Development Staff collect and analyze statistics, conduct research and review reports regularly. This helps inform our plans and programming, and should also serve to help you with your business planning.