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Select Government Programs For Businesses
Government programs and incentives that may be of interest to international and domestic firms are listed here:
Note: Although we endeavor to ensure that the information is as current and accurate as possible, program details and contact information may change. Readers are advised to verify the information before acting on it. Any comments or inquiries regarding the listed programs should be directed to the applicable organization listed at the bottom of each page.
Programs:
- Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit - Canada Revenue Agency
Description: A 10 percent Federal tax credit to cover salaries and wages paid to training new apprentices in the first two years of the contract.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: $2,000 tax credit per year.
- Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit - Ontario
Description: A 35 percent provincial refundable tax credit on salaries and wages paid to new apprentices in certain skilled trades to help offset employers' costs. Small businesses receive a 45 percent tax credit.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Employers can claim up to $10,000 each year per eligible apprentice over the first four years.
- Brownfields Financial Tax Incentive Program - Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Description: Property tax assistance to encourage the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield properties.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Province may cancel all, or a proportion of the education property taxes of a property for up to three years.
- Business Development Bank of Canada
Description: A complementary government lender to fill out or complete services available from commercial financial institutions.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Multiple financing solutions.
- Canada Foundation for Innovation Funds
Description: Funds R & D infrastructure costs in partnership with universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Up to 40% of project costs.
- Canada Small Business Financing Program - Industry Canada
Description: Up to $500,000 financing for any one business, of which no more than $350,000 can be used for purchasing leasehold improvements or improving leased property and purchasing or improving new or used equipment.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Up to 90% of the cost of the asset at fixed or floating rate.
- Canada Summer Jobs 2010
Description: Contributions for employers to hire students during the summer.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Up to 50% of provincial minimum wage per hour.
- Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC)
Description: International contracting agency provides export-related assistance in military sales and Canadian commitments for international assistance.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Various business solutions offered facilitating foreign government buyers access to Canadian export capabilities.
- Canadian Youth Business Foundation - Canada's Entrepreneur Gateway
Description: Pre-launch coaching, business resources, start-up financing and mentoring, to help launch and sustain successful entrepreneurial businesses.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Loan up to $15,000, as well as another potential $15,000 through the Business Development Bank of Canada. Expansion financing up to $10,000 offered for existing CYBF entrepreneurs.
- Commercialization Investment Funds Program - Ontario (OCIF)
Description: Grants to leverage seed capital for spin-off technology companies created by faculty, staff or students of research institutes.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Grants up to $225,000. Application deadline was January 1, 2007.
- Communications Research Centre Canada - Industry Canada
Description: Helps SMEs develop their potential through on-site technology incubation and technology transfer.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Access to world-class facilities and support.
- Co-operative Education Tax Credit (CETC)
Description: A refundable tax credit for businesses hiring students enrolled in a recognized post-secondary co-operative education program.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Provides a maximum tax credit of $3,000 for each post-secondary co-operative education placement of an Ontario student.
- Eastern Ontario Development Fund - Ministry of Economic Development and Trade
Description: An $80-million provincial government grant program to provide up to 15 per cent of the total eligible expenses for private sector companies to a maximum of $1.5 million per project; and 50 per cent for qualified economic development projects of agencies, associations and NGOs valued at $100,000 or more.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Businesses must invest $500,000 or more in qualified projects that create at least 10 jobs over five years. Firms must be located in Eastern Ontario and currently employ at least 10 people. Sector focus includes manufacturing; processing; tourism; business services; cultural industries; technology and green technology development.
- ecoEnergy for Renewable Heat - Natural Resources Canada
Description: Financial assistance to increase the use of renewable thermal energy and develop capacity in the renewable thermal energy industry.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Eligible industrial, commercial and institutional entities will receive 25% of the purchase, installation and certain other costs of a qualifying system.
- ecoEnergy for Renewable Power
Description: $1.48 billion financial incentive to increase Canada's supply of clean electricity from renewable sources such as wind, biomass, low-impact hydro, geothermal, solar photovoltaic and ocean energy.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: One cent per kilowatt-hour for up to 10 years to eligible low-impact, renewable electricity projects constructed between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2011. Maximum contribution payable per qualifying project will be $80 million over 10 years.
- ecoEnergy Retrofit (industry)
Description: Incentive program to fund energy retrofits for SME industries.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Eligible SMEs can receive 25 percent of project costs to a maximum of $50,000 per application and $250,000 per corporate entity.
- Employer Signing Bonus
Description: A $2,000 bonus for an employer who hires and registers an apprenticeship scholarship candidate as an apprentice.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: The candidate has to be a youth under 25 years of age who has left school and requires upgrading to meet the registration standards for apprenticeship training.
- Export Development Canada
Description: A crown corporation that offers financing, credit insurance and bonding solutions to Canadian exporters.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Various financing and risk management programs.
- Export Market Access - A Global Expansion Program
Description: A cost-sharing grant to help Ontario SMEs cover costs incurred to develop export sales in foreign markets, predominately outside the US.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Covering up to 50% of eligible costs incurred to develop export sales. Funding decisions will be made in 30 business days.
- FEDNOR - Applied Research and Development Program
Description: Repayable assistance for commercialization of intellectual property, product development, and productivity improvement in key sectors in Northern Ontario.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Up to $500,000 (maximum 50% of eligible costs).
- FEDNOR - Youth Internships - Private Sector Program
Description: Supports full-time employment of recent graduates of post-secondary institutions up to 12 months in Northern Ontario.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Maximum $27,500.
- Feed-in Tariff Program - Ontario Power Authority
Description: Complementary to the 2009 Green Energy Act, this proposed new procurement program guarantees specific prices for various forms of renewable electricity production sources, including on-shore and off-shore wind, hydroelectric, solar, biogas, biomass and landfill gas.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: As North America's first guaranteed pricing structure, FIT offers a 20-year contract to developers of renewable energy projects that covers total project costs and provides a reasonable rate of return.
- Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit Program - Canada Revenue Agency
Description: Federal refundable tax credit for foreign producers for labour expenditures rendered in Canada by Canadian residents.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 16% of eligible labour expenditures.
- Going Global Innovation - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Description: Pays eligible expenses for Canadian researchers to meet with key R & D players in foreign countries pursuing collaborative opportunities.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Pays a minimum of $5,000 of eligible expenses for travel, accommodations, meals, incidentals and other non-research expenses.
- High Performance New Construction
Description: Financial assistance to promote the design and construction of high performance buildings.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Incentives that offset the cost of energy efficiency measures, Lower long-term operating costs, improved marketability and Occupant comfort. Green buildings may also improve indoor air quality that will lead to better health and productivity.
- Industrial Cooperation Program - Canadian International Development Agency
Description: Government agency provides support for business projects in developing countries.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Between $100,000 to $500,000 in financial support.
- Industrial R & D Fellowships - Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Description: Financial assistance for companies to hire recent doctoral graduates in science and engineering to conduct research and development in industries.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Contributes $30,000 per year for two years towards the PhD research fellow's salary.
- Industrial Research Assistance Program - National Research Council Canada
Description: Technical advisory services, networking and financial assistance to SMEs.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Invests on a cost-shared basis.
- Infrastructure Ontario's Loan Program
Description: Affordable, long-term, fixed-rate financing available to Ontario municipalities, universities, and other eligible broader public sector clients to build and renew public infrastructure.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Different loan types and terms are available. All borrowers within each client sector have access to the same low interest rates.
- Innovation Tax Credit (OITC) - Ontario
Description: Refundable provincial tax credit on Scientific Research & Experimental Developmental expenditure claims in Ontario.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 10 percent refundable tax credit up to $300,000 per year.
- Institutes of Health Research - Innovation and Industry Programs - Canada
Description: Major federal health research funding agency for universities, hospitals and research institutes has research programs matching industry partner's financial contributions.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Co-funding on a project basis.
- Internship Program with Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises - National Research Council Canada
Description: Financial assistance to innovative Canadian SMEs to hire post-secondary graduates.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Internships assistance between six to twelve months and up to $30,000.
- Job Connect - Ontario
Description: Training subsidies for employers who train youths out of school, out of work, not currently in a training program.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Training subsidies are available.
- Loan Guarantee Program - Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Description: Loan guarantees to forest industry's lenders to support and leverage new capital investment projects in Northern or rural Ontario.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Loan guarantee - minimum of $500,000.
- MaRS - Business Mentorship and Entrepreneurship Program (BMEP)
Description: A major Ontario Government commercialization initiative to meet the needs of high performance technology entrepreneurs. Services and resources are delivered through member organizations of the Ontario Commercialization Network (OCN).
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Skills training, management support, mentorship and networking.
- MaRS Discovery District (MaRS)
Description: World-class research and business incubation facilities in biomedical innovation and commercialization.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Catalytic programs, risk capital, management resources, and mentoring.
- MITACS ACCELERATE
Description: MITACS ACCELERATE is a unique cost-shared R&D internship program which connects companies with Canadian universities' research expertise, in all disciplines.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: During 4, 8, or 12-month research projects, interns (graduate students or post-doctoral fellows) bring a new perspective and the latest knowledge to a research challenge faced by the partner, in a wide range of areas including manufacturing, technical innovation, business processes, IT, social sciences, design and many more.
- New Exporters to Border States (NEBS)
Description: A hands-on introduction course to the basics of exporting to the USA which includes visits to US Customs and a freight forwarder.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Course fee is $150.
- NextGen Biofuels Fund - Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Description: A $500 million fund to support establishment of first-of-kind commercial scale demonstration facilities for the production of next-generation renewable fuels (i.e. cellulosic ethanol or next-generation biodiesel) and co-products.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Repayable support covering up to 40% of eligible project costs incurred over the course of the project period (capped at $200 million).
- NOHFC - Enterprise North Job Creation Program
Description: Repayable loans for projects that will bring new jobs and economic benefits to Northern Ontario.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Loans up to $1 million.
- NOHFC - Northern Energy Program
Description: Financial assistance for small and medium-sized business for energy retrofit planning, energy retrofit projects and for projects that conserve energy.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Funding in the form of conditional contributions and a supplement to any assistance received from the corresponding federal programs.
- NOHFC - Northern Ontario Youth Internship and Co-op Program
Description: A wage subsidy and an internship program for employers located in Northern Ontario to hire post-secondary students or graduates.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: $6/hr. for coop, and max. $27,500 for interns.
- NOHFC - Private Sector Emerging Technology Program
Description: Non-repayable or repayable contributions for research and technical projects in Northern Ontario.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Loans up to 1 $million or $50,000 non-repayable contributions on a cost-shared basis.
- Northern Pulp and Paper Electricity Transition Program - Ministry of Natural Resources
Description: A $140 million transitional rebate program for northern pulp and paper companies to achieve electricity efficiency and sustainability.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Effectively reduce the cost of electricity that the mills purchase by approximately 15 per cent over three years.
- Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit (OBPTC) - Ontario Media Development Corporation
Description: Tax credit for Ontario publishing companies to publish and promote works by a Canadian author.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 30% refundable tax credit for eligible pre-press, printing and marketing expenses, up to a maximum credit of $30,000 per title.
- Ontario Business Research Institute Tax Credit (OBRITC)
Description: A refundable tax credit for corporations incurring expenditures in respect of Scientific Research & Experimental Development under a contract with an Eligible Research Institute.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Provides a corporation or an associated group of corporations a 20 percent tax credit of up to $4 million per year.
- Ontario Centres of Excellence Inc.
Description: 6 sector-based centres and various programs to strengthen research linkages between academia and industry.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Knowledge transfer, commercialization, training.
- Ontario Community Futures Program - FedNor
Description: Repayable federal supported in locally administered funds for community economic development.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: $250,000 repayable financing.
- Ontario Computer Animation and Special Effects Tax Credit (OCASE) - Ontario Media Development Corporation
Description: Ontario refundable tax credit for computer animation and special effects activities in film or TV productions.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 20 percent of eligible labour expenditures.
- Ontario Current Cost Adjustment (OCCA): Pollution Control Equipment - Ontario Ministry of Revenue (Discontinued)
Description: An additional 30% tax deduction, over and above the regular depreciation allowance, for investments in pollution control equipment.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 30% of first $20 million of capital cost. This program is available only for taxation years ending prior to January 1, 2009.
- Ontario Emerging Technologies Fund - Ontario Capital Growth Corporation
Description: Up to $5 million initial investment to leverage private sector capital in clean technology, life sciences and advanced health technologies, digital media and information and communications technology sectors. Program will make a direct co-investment into a successful company alongside the qualified investor.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Investee companies interested in investment must work through qualified investors. Only qualified investors can propose investments to the fund for consideration.
- Ontario Employer Health Tax Exemption - Ontario Ministry of Revenue
Description: For the first $400,000 of the payroll, eligible employers are exempt from paying the Employer Health Tax.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Associated employers must share the $400,000 exemption.
- Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit (OFTTC) - Ontario Media Development Corporation
Description: Ontario refundable tax credit for film and video productions.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 35 percent to 40 percent of eligible labour expenditures.
- Ontario Innovation Demonstration Fund
Description: Non-interest bearing repayable or forgivable loans; royalty agreements and equity participation to help commercialize innovative technologies.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Contributions up to $4 million.
- Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit - Ontario Media Development Corporation
Description: Ontario refundable tax credit for labour, marketing and distribution expenditures for the creation of interactive digital media products.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 35 percent to 40 percent of eligible expenditures.
- Ontario Labour Market Partnerships
Description: Ontario Labour Market Partnerships support partnerships among employers, employer/employee associations, and community organizations to address identified labour market issues.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: The program helps employers, employer/employee associations, and community organizations to develop and implement strategies to improve their ability to plan for their human resources needs.
- Ontario Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC) - Ontario Media Development Corporation
Description: Ontario refundable tax credit for qualifying labour expenditures for those productions that do not meet the requirements for the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 25 percent of eligible labour expenditures.
- Ontario Research & Development Tax Credit (ORDTC)
Description: Tax credit for Scientific Research & Experimental Development expenditures.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 4.5 percent non-refundable tax credit for expenditures incurred in Ontario.
- Ontario Research Fund - Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation
Description: Designed to provide Ontario's research community with one window for research funding through Global Leadership Round in Genomics & Life Sciences Competition, Research Excellence program and Research Infrastructure program.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: $730 million over four years to support operational costs and capital costs of research institutions.
- Ontario Retail Sales Tax Exemption on R & D and Manufacturing Equipment - Ontario Ministry of Revenue (Discontinued)
Description: Exemption from the Ontario Retail Sales Tax Act for equipment used primarily in manufacturing exclusively for R & D, or in non-profit medical research facilities for medical research and investigation.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Exempt from RST (8%).
- Ontario Solar Thermal Heating Incentive (OSTHI) - Ontario Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure
Description: Financial assistance for Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) organizations to increase the use of renewable energy; and develop capacity in Ontario's solar thermal industry.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: The Ontario Solar Thermal Heating Incentive (OSTHI) matches rebates provided by the federal ecoENERGY for Renewable Heat program. Each program provides rebates of up to $80,000 for solar hot water or solar air heating systems.
- Ontario Sound Recording Tax Credit (OSRTC) - Ontario Media Development Corporation
Description: Ontario tax credit to support sound or music video recording activities.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 20 percent refundable tax credit for eligible production and marketing expenditures.
- Ontario Tax Exemption for Commercialization (OTEC)
Description: Tax exemption for new corporations that commercialize intellectual property in Ontario.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 10-year tax exemption from Ontario Corporate Income tax and Corporate Minimum Tax.
- Rural Economic Development (RED) Program
Description: The Rural Economic Development Program invests in projects that support sustainable rural economies and community partnerships, under the priorities of health-care services, community revitalization and economic development, and skills enhancement.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Projects are cost-shared, with the provincial government investing up to 50 per cent of the project's eligible cost in most cases.
- Scientific Research and Experimental Development Expenditures (SR & ED) - Ontario (Discontinued)
Description: A deduction in respect of Ontario Scientific Research & Experimental Development expenditures.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Incentive varies based on the amount of prior year's expenditures.
- Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program - Canada Revenue Agency
Description: The largest single source of federal support for industrial R & D. Investment tax credits for expenditures such as wages, materials, machinery, equipment, some overhead, and SR & ED contracts.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Up to 35% tax credit for first $3 million of eligible expenditures of Canadian-controlled private corporations.
- SD Tech Fund - Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Description: A $550 million fund to support late-stage development and pre-commercial demonstration of clean technology solutions contributing to clean air, clean water and clean land, and addressing issues of climate change.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Non-repayable funding by installments over the 4-6 milestone dates throughout the life of an eligible project.
- Small Business Internship Program - Industry Canada
Description: Assist SMEs to hire post-secondary student interns for 12-week on eligible ICT and e-commerce projects.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: The Government of Canada will reimburse 75% of eligible salary and benefits up to a total of $10,000.
- Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative - Industry Canada
Description: Firms, organizations or institutions may apply for investments assistance repayable over the long term in conducting R & D in eligible aerospace and defence technologies.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Repayable contributions to 30 percent of a project's total eligible costs.
- Summer Company
Description: The Summer Company program provides hands-on business training and mentoring - together with awards of up to $3,000 - to help enterprising youth start up and run their own summer business.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Business training, mentoring and awards of up to $3,000.
- Summer Jobs Service - Ontario
Description: Wage support for employers hiring students for seasonal jobs during the summer.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Wage support of $2/hr to 16 weeks.
- Targeted Wage Subsidies Program - Ontario
Description: Temporary wage subsidies to assist employers providing on-the-job experience and hiring individuals who face barriers in finding employment.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Subsidy less than 60% of wages paid.
- Technology Development Fund - Ontario Power Authority
Description: Financial assistance to support pre-commercial technologies or applications that have the potential to improve electricity supply, conservation or demand management.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Maximum contribution by the OPA for any one project is $250,000.
- The Workplace Skills Initiative - Human Resources and Social Development Canada
Description: Call for Proposals to fund demonstration projects which respond to challenges in Canadian workplaces relating to employee skills development and organizational changes.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: Funding up to a maximum of $3 million per year. Recipients and/or project partners must contribute at least 25% to eligible project costs.
- Work-Sharing Program - Human Resources and Social Development Canada
Description: Provides income support to workers eligible for Employment Insurance benefits and who are willing to work a temporary reduced work week when there is a reduction in the normal level of business activity that is beyond the control of the employer.
Terms/Assistance/Benefits: 6 to 26 weeks of income support to workers eligible for Employment Insurance benefits to help employers and workers avert temporary layoffs.
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