ACOA · REGIONAL TARIFF RESPONSE INITIATIVE

ACOA tariff relief funding in Atlantic Canada

RTRI for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) delivers the Regional Tariff Response Initiative in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Applications go through the MyACOA Client Portal, and ACOA encourages you to talk to your nearest office first. We help you prepare for that conversation and build the application.

How to apply in Atlantic Canada

Free one-on-one consultation. Practical guidance for your business. No obligation to hire us.

Checked against ACOA's RTRI pages on October 29, 2026 • Official sources linked below

Read the Canada-wide tariff relief guide

FUNDING IN ATLANTIC CANADA

Liquidity assistance
and pivot projects.

Liquidity assistance covers tariff-related cash-flow shortfalls in your existing labour and overhead. Pivot projects fund net-new investment on top of the business you already run. You can apply for either, or both. ACOA applies the national terms below in Atlantic Canada.

You do not need a pivot project to request liquidity assistance. Not-for-profits that support businesses can apply for project funding but not for liquidity.

01 / EXISTING LABOUR AND OVERHEAD

Liquidity assistance

Non-repayable support for a tariff-related cash-flow shortfall in the business you already run. It is based on your average payroll over the last 12 months, with overhead such as rent, utilities, insurance and property taxes considered where needed.

Funding
Up to $2M, non-repayable
Basis
50% of average monthly payroll, capped at your demonstrated 12-month need
Period
Up to 12 months, ending by March 31, 2028

In Atlantic Canada

ACOA sizes liquidity at the lesser of your projected 12-month cash-flow need and 50% of payroll, up to $2M, with certain essential operating costs if necessary. Dividends are restricted while support is in place.

Tariffs, customs duties, raw materials, inventory and debt payments are not eligible liquidity costs. Dividends are restricted while liquidity support is in place.

02 / NET-NEW INVESTMENT

Pivot projects

Funding for net-new investment on top of your existing labour, overhead and operations: equipment, automation, expansion, new markets and reinvestment in the business.

Non-repayable
Up to $1M; up to 50% of eligible costs
Repayable
Over $1M; up to 75% of eligible costs, interest-free
Completion
By March 31, 2029

In Atlantic Canada

Pivot projects can start up to 12 months before you apply. Examples ACOA gives include a steel processor automating to raise productivity.

Land and building purchases, entertainment, vehicles and refinancing are not eligible. Projects need measurable, incremental results.

How the limits fit together

Up to $3M in combined non-repayable support: $2M for liquidity plus $1M for a non-repayable pivot. Total RTRI support, including repayable funding, is capped at $20M per business. The same costs cannot be funded twice.

WHO CAN APPLY

Who qualifies in
Atlantic Canada.

ACOA funds incorporated, for-profit businesses located and operating in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Retail, local consumer services (such as hotels, restaurants, utilities, healthcare and recreation), oil and gas extraction and construction services are generally not eligible.

$1M+ in annual revenue

In at least one of your last two fiscal years. This is a revenue threshold, not a minimum project size. Smaller firms can still ask the agency about other options.

Viable before tariffs

Assessed through your attestation, financial statements and operating history. Businesses founded after March 21, 2025 are considered case by case.

Manufacturers, suppliers and value-added firms

ACOA says applicants will normally be a manufacturer, supplier or value-added business in a tariff-impacted sector, including firms providing specialized services or critical expertise to a value chain.

Indigenous-led enterprises

ACOA's RTRI material lists Indigenous-led enterprises among the businesses that may qualify, alongside not-for-profits that support businesses.

THE CORE OF THE APPLICATION

Tariff impact is
what gets assessed.

Every RTRI application has to show how tariffs, Canadian counter-tariffs or the uncertainty around them affected your business. You need to meet at least one of these tests, and liquidity requests must also show a cash-flow need caused by tariffs.

ACOA asks for proof of tariff impact with the application, such as export sales information. Fishing, seafood, forestry and manufacturing supply chains often feel tariffs indirectly, through a customer or supplier, and that connection has to be documented.

  1. 01

    Operates in a sector hit by Section 232 or Section 338 tariffs, including indirect exposure as a supplier to an affected exporter, or in another tariff-impacted sector.

  2. 02

    Earns at least 25% of revenue from goods that are ultimately exported to the U.S.

  3. 03

    Can show harm from tariffs or the uncertainty they created: higher input costs, supply chain disruption, or lost revenue and customers.

A general slowdown on its own does not establish tariff impact. The connection has to be documented.

HOW TO APPLY WITH ACOA

The ACOA process,
step by step.

MyACOA Client Portal, after talking to your nearest ACOA office. Here is how the process runs in Atlantic Canada, based on ACOA's published guidance.

  1. 01

    Check ACOA's current criteria

    Review ACOA's RTRI page and its how-to-apply guidance for financial assistance.

  2. 02

    Talk to your nearest ACOA office

    ACOA encourages businesses to contact their program officer or call 1-888-576-4444 to discuss the project. You speak with ACOA; we help you prepare.

  3. 03

    Apply through MyACOA

    Submit the application online through the MyACOA Client Portal with the required documents, including proof of tariff impact.

  4. 04

    Assessment and agreement

    ACOA assesses program criteria, demonstrated need and your response to tariffs. Approved support may involve more than one contribution agreement.

Documents to prepare

  • Corporate information and a business profile
  • Financial statements for the past two years
  • Evidence of tariff impact, such as export sales information
  • Liquidity: payroll records and a quantified liquidity need, such as cash-flow forecasts
  • Employment retention targets and operational obligations
  • Information on other government funding received or requested

What is different in Atlantic Canada

Four provinces, one portal

Businesses in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador all apply through MyACOA.

Related federal supports

ACOA points tariff-affected businesses to the Large Enterprise Tariff Loan, BDC's Pivot to Grow program, the Canada Strong Diversification Fund and Rapid Response supports.

A route for smaller firms

Businesses whose needs are not addressed through RTRI can contact ACOA to explore other support.

Phone
1-888-576-4444
Needs outside RTRI
acn-rca@acoa-apeca.gc.ca
Existing recipients
Contact your ACOA project officer

HOW FUNDSPOKE HELPS

You run the business.
We build the funding case.

In Atlantic Canada the tariff effect is often one step removed, through a processor's customer or a fabricator's supplier. We help you document that link and turn it into a clear application for ACOA.

01

Find the fit

Review your operations, revenue history and tariff exposure against ACOA's criteria. Decide on liquidity, a pivot project, or both.

02

Prepare the application

Build the tariff impact evidence, payroll and cash-flow forecasts, project budget and narrative. You review and approve everything before you submit.

03

Stay through delivery

Support due diligence, the contribution agreement, claims and reporting after approval. You speak with the agency; we prepare you for each conversation.

A useful starting point

Your location, revenue for the last two fiscal years and a short description of how tariffs have affected you. We will work through the rest together.

ACOA RTRI QUESTIONS

Tariff relief in
Atlantic Canada, answered.

Answers drawn from ACOA's published RTRI guidance.

ACOA's official RTRI page
How do I apply for ACOA tariff relief funding?

ACOA encourages you to contact your nearest ACOA office or program officer, or call 1-888-576-4444, to discuss your project. Applications are submitted online through the MyACOA Client Portal with the required documents, including proof of tariff impact.

Is there tariff funding for businesses in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador?

Yes. ACOA delivers the Regional Tariff Response Initiative in all four Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Your business must be incorporated, for-profit, and located and operating in Atlantic Canada.

Can a service business in Atlantic Canada qualify?

ACOA normally expects a manufacturer, supplier or value-added business in a tariff-impacted sector. Transportation companies tied to forestry exporters, and professional, technical, warehousing and logistics firms that are critical to a manufacturing exporter's supply chain, may qualify. Retail and local consumer services generally do not.

What if my business has less than $1 million in revenue?

The $1 million revenue threshold applies to RTRI, but ACOA says it will continue to work with businesses to understand their circumstances and explore options. Businesses whose needs are not addressed through RTRI can email acn-rca@acoa-apeca.gc.ca.

Are there other federal tariff supports in Atlantic Canada?

Yes. ACOA's RTRI material also points to the Large Enterprise Tariff Loan, BDC's Pivot to Grow program, the Canada Strong Diversification Fund and Rapid Response Supports for Workers and Employers. The right mix depends on your size, need and project.

ONE NATIONAL INITIATIVE. SEVEN AGENCIES.

Operating in more
than one region?

Each regional development agency funds its own region. If you have employees in more than one agency's area, separate requests are needed for each. See how RTRI works elsewhere in Canada.

FedDev Ontario

Southern Ontario

Fillable PDF form, submitted from Adobe Acrobat Reader

FedNor

Northern Ontario

FedNor self-service portal, after a call with a FedNor officer

CED

Quebec

Contact CED first; CED assesses eligibility, then sends the form

PrairiesCan

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Detailed application in the PrairiesCan online portal

PacifiCan

British Columbia

PacifiCan online portal, stream “BC (PacifiCan) - RTRI-Business”

CanNor

Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut

PDF application form, submitted from the form or by email to CanNor

CANADA-WIDE

Tariff relief guide

How RTRI works, indirect impacts and common questions

LET'S FIND YOUR NEXT STEP

Tariffs changed the plan.
Let's work on the response.

Tell us what has changed for your business. In a free, one-on-one consultation, we will help you understand your ACOA funding options and next steps, whether or not you work with us.

Independent advisory by Fundspoke. We are not a government agency. Your business remains the applicant and speaks with ACOA directly. Program terms and intake availability may change; ACOA's current rules and your contribution agreement govern funding.