FOR CAMM MEMBERS · TARIFF RELIEF
Up to $3M in non-repayable support.
Tariffs reach a mold shop from both sides: the tooling you ship south and the steel and aluminum you buy. The Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) can help carry payroll through a tariff-driven shortfall and fund projects that make you more competitive. We help you understand the program, build the case and manage the application, so you can stay focused on the shop floor.
Book my free callFundspoke is a CAMM member. Independent advisory, not a government agency.
Program details reviewed September 20, 2026 • Official sources linked below
Find your regional agency Read our full tariff relief guideWHERE TARIFFS HIT A MOLD SHOP
You don't have to pay a duty yourself to show an impact. RTRI looks at how tariffs have changed your costs, your customers and your cash flow. These are the patterns we see most often in tooling and manufacturing.
Since April 6, 2026, U.S. tariffs reach products containing steel, aluminum or copper. That can bring molds, dies and tooling sold to U.S. customers into scope and make your quotes harder to win.
Quotes, lost bids, customer correspondence and U.S. sales by year.
Canada's counter-tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum, now as high as 50% on some products, can flow into what you pay for steel, aluminum plate and bought-in components.
Supplier price notices, invoices and margin comparisons.
When automotive and other customers face U.S. tariffs, new tooling programs get delayed, cut back or cancelled. A documented gap in orders can count, even if you never export.
Customer emails, postponed or cancelled POs and cash-flow forecasts.
Higher costs and fewer orders put the skilled team you have built at risk. Liquidity support is based mainly on payroll, to help you keep people while you adjust.
Payroll records, financial statements and a 12-month cash-flow forecast.
Steel, aluminum plate, mold bases, hot runners and components cost more, and fixed-price jobs can't absorb it.
Canada's counter-tariffs land on material and parts bought from the U.S. or through distributors.
Tariffs on products containing steel and aluminum make your landed price less competitive.
Bids lost to U.S. or offshore shops once tariffs are added to your number.
Customers holding off on new tools while they wait to see where tariffs land.
A vehicle or product launch pushed back, taking your tooling start date with it.
A program cut outright, leaving a hole in the order book you had planned around.
Customers squeezed by tariffs push for concessions on new and existing tools.
Customers shifting production, and their tooling spend, to U.S. plants.
Customers under pressure stretch terms, so receivables age and cash gets tight.
Brokerage, paperwork and hold-ups on molds and parts crossing the border.
Cutting shifts or letting skilled moldmakers and apprentices go to protect cash.
New machines, automation or expansion shelved until the outlook is clearer.
Tools sitting half-built because a customer paused the program.
Illustrative scenarios, not automatic eligibility. A general slowdown alone does not establish tariff impact.
WHO CAN APPLY
Current FedDev Ontario guidance welcomes businesses across all tariff-impacted sectors. What matters is the business, the impact and the evidence.
Read the official eligibility criteriaFor FedDev Ontario: an incorporated, for-profit business located and operating in Southern Ontario, with a business that was viable before tariff impacts.
In at least one of the last two fiscal years. This is a revenue threshold, not a minimum project budget or funding request.
Direct or indirect, supported by a clear connection between tariffs and changes in your costs, customers, supply chain or revenue.
Criteria shown are FedDev Ontario's, which covers Southern Ontario, including Windsor-Essex. Each regional development agency sets its own rules, and we work with shops in every region. Eligibility does not guarantee approval.
WHAT RTRI CAN FUND
RTRI offers liquidity assistance and funding for pivot projects. You can apply for either, or both. You do not need an expansion project to request liquidity assistance.
The terms below describe FedDev Ontario for Southern Ontario. Your regional agency confirms the terms that apply to your business.
Temporary support to maintain Canadian operations and employment when tariffs create a cash-flow shortfall.
Average eligible monthly payroll × support rate × months. This is a starting calculation, not an entitlement.
Tariffs, inventory, raw materials and debt payments are not reimbursable liquidity operating costs.
How FedDev calculates liquidity supportFunding for a defined project that improves productivity, opens new markets or makes your supply chain more resilient.
Projects need measurable results, and non-repayable projects must show local or regional economic benefits.
FedDev pivot funding termsUp to $3M in combined non-repayable support: $2M for liquidity plus $1M for a pivot. Total RTRI support, including repayable funding, is capped at $20M per applicant. The same costs cannot be funded twice.
RTRI works as reimbursement. You spend on eligible costs, then claim back the approved share through claims and quarterly financial reporting, which we prepare for you. For pivot projects, costs incurred up to 12 months before you submit your application may be eligible, so equipment or work you have already paid for can count.
ONE NATIONAL INITIATIVE. SEVEN REGIONAL AGENCIES.
RTRI is delivered across Canada by seven regional development agencies, each with its own intake and requirements. FedDev Ontario is only one of them. We work with businesses in every region and match your operations and project to the right agency.
Operating in more than one region? Separate regional liquidity requests may be needed for employees in each agency's area. We will help you sort out the allocation before you apply.
Explore the national RTRI initiativeHOW FUNDSPOKE HELPS
Every file is handled by senior experts who work as your partner. We connect the financial picture, the tariff impact and the project plan, manage the application, then stay through claims and quarterly financial reporting.
A senior expert reviews your operations, financial position and tariff exposure, and tells you where you stand.
Evidence, cash-flow forecasts, the project budget and the funding plan. You review and approve before anything is submitted.
We prepare your claims and quarterly financial reporting, answer funder questions and keep you in step with the contribution agreement. We also look at other funding that fits, such as SR&ED tax credits.
A project management fee of 10% to 20% of the funding approved. We are paid only after funding reaches your account, in proportion to each payment you receive. No retainer and nothing upfront. You confirm this when you book, so there are no surprises later.
Book my free callYOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Including how our fee works. Program details are for FedDev Ontario unless noted.
FedDev Ontario's official FAQsA project management fee of 10% to 20% of the funding approved. We are paid only after funding reaches your account, in proportion to each payment you receive. There is no retainer and nothing upfront. The first call is free, and you are under no obligation to work with us.
For pivot projects, FedDev Ontario may consider costs incurred up to 12 months before you submit your application. RTRI works as reimbursement, so you spend on eligible costs and claim back the approved share. We prepare those claims and the quarterly financial reporting for you.
Senior experts only. The person on your first call understands the program and your numbers, and we work as your partner from the application through the final claim.
A senior expert walks through your revenue, payroll, customers and how tariffs have affected the shop. You will come away knowing whether RTRI looks like a fit, which stream to pursue and what evidence to gather. If it is not a fit, we will tell you.
Potentially. FedDev Ontario recognizes indirect tariff effects, including disruption to supply chains, higher input costs and lost customers or revenue. A supplier to a Canadian exporter may be affected even if it has no direct U.S. sales. The application must show a credible, documented connection between tariffs and the business impact.
No. Eligible businesses can request liquidity assistance on its own, funding for a pivot project, or both. Liquidity addresses a demonstrated tariff-related cash-flow need; a pivot project supports a defined plan to adapt the business.
Under current FedDev Ontario terms, liquidity assistance of up to $2 million is non-repayable. Pivot contributions of up to $1 million can also be non-repayable; larger pivot contributions are repayable and interest-free. Non-repayable support is capped at $3 million across liquidity and pivot, with total RTRI support capped at $20 million. Funding amounts depend on assessment and the contribution agreement.
No. FedDev primarily bases liquidity assistance on eligible payroll and demonstrated need. Certain essential operating costs can be considered exceptionally. Tariff payments, customs duties, raw materials, inventory purchases and debt repayments are not eligible liquidity operating costs under the current guide.
No. Fundspoke is an independent advisory firm and a member of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers. We are not a government agency or an official RTRI channel. The regional development agency makes every funding decision.
FOR CAMM MEMBERS
Tell us what has changed for your shop. In a free, one-on-one call, we will help you understand your funding options and next steps, whether or not you work with us.
Book my free callFundspoke is an independent advisory firm and a member of the Canadian Association of Moldmakers (CAMM). We are not a government agency. Program terms and intake availability may change; the regional agency's current rules and contribution agreement govern funding.