FedDev Ontario · REGIONAL TARIFF RESPONSE INITIATIVE

FedDev Ontario tariff relief funding

RTRI for businesses in southern Ontario.

FedDev Ontario delivers the Regional Tariff Response Initiative in southern Ontario. Its application is a fillable PDF with a firm document list, and the financial statements and cash-flow forecast carry much of the weight. We help you assemble a complete, well-evidenced application the first time.

How to apply in Southern Ontario

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

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

Read the Canada-wide tariff relief guide

FUNDING IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO

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. FedDev Ontario applies the national terms below in Southern Ontario.

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 Southern Ontario

FedDev asks for payroll records for the last month and a cash-flow forecast with every liquidity request. Rent, utilities, business insurance and property taxes can be added only on an exceptional basis.

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 Southern Ontario

Pivot costs can be counted from up to 12 months before you submit. Combined government support normally stays at or below 90% of eligible project costs, or up to 100% for Indigenous-led projects.

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
Southern Ontario.

FedDev Ontario funds incorporated, for-profit businesses located and operating in Southern Ontario.

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

FedDev says applicants will normally be a manufacturer, supplier or value-added business in a tariff-impacted sector. Value-added means specialized services or critical expertise that improve how a value chain competes.

Service businesses tied to exporters

Transportation companies tied to forestry exporters, and professional, technical, warehousing and logistics firms that play a critical role in a manufacturing exporter's supply chain, may qualify.

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.

FedDev's application asks what changed and when, which products, customers, suppliers or markets were affected, the financial effect, and the evidence you hold. You do not need to attach every business record, but each claim should be traceable to one.

  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 FEDDEV ONTARIO

The FedDev Ontario process,
step by step.

Fillable PDF form, submitted from Adobe Acrobat Reader. Here is how the process runs in Southern Ontario, based on FedDev Ontario's published guidance.

  1. 01

    Collect the financial package

    Annual statements for the last two fiscal years plus your most recent interim statement, externally prepared with a balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement and notes. Review engagement or audited statements are preferred.

  2. 02

    Build the liquidity or pivot case

    For liquidity: last month's payroll records and a cash-flow forecast. For a pivot: biographies of key staff and a project schedule with milestones. Both need tariff impact evidence.

  3. 03

    Complete the PDF in Acrobat Reader

    Download FedDev's RTRI application form and open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader 10 or later, not in a web browser. Tablets and phones cannot be used.

  4. 04

    Attach, certify and submit

    Add attachments inside the PDF, answer every disclosure question, and have someone authorized to bind the company certify and submit. Keep a copy of the confirmation.

Documents to prepare

  • Articles of incorporation, amendments or similar constating documents
  • Annual financial statements for the last two fiscal years and the latest interim statement
  • Evidence of tariff impact, such as export sales records, supplier price notices or cancelled orders
  • Liquidity: last month's payroll records and a cash-flow forecast
  • Pivot: key staff biographies and a project schedule with major milestones

What is different in Southern Ontario

A PDF, not a portal

There is no online portal for FedDev's RTRI. The form must be completed and submitted from Acrobat Reader on a computer.

External financial statements

Internally prepared statements are accepted only as the interim for the most recent fiscal year.

More paperwork after approval

Approved applicants are asked for insurance, conflict of interest, financial management, project expenditure and performance reporting details.

Email
info@feddevontario.gc.ca
Phone
1-866-593-5505
Existing recipients
Contact your FedDev project officer

HOW FUNDSPOKE HELPS

You run the business.
We build the funding case.

FedDev's form rewards a tight, consistent file: revenue that matches the statements, a forecast that explains the need, and impact evidence that lines up with both. That is the part we build with you.

01

Find the fit

Review your operations, revenue history and tariff exposure against FedDev Ontario'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.

FedDev Ontario RTRI QUESTIONS

Tariff relief in
Southern Ontario, answered.

Answers drawn from FedDev Ontario's published RTRI guidance.

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

Download FedDev Ontario's RTRI application form and open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader 10 or later on a computer, not in a web browser, tablet or phone. Complete it using FedDev's application guide, add your attachments inside the PDF, have a person authorized to bind the company certify it, and submit. Keep a copy of the confirmation message.

What financial statements does FedDev Ontario require for RTRI?

Annual statements for the last two fiscal years and your most recent interim statement. They should be externally prepared and include a balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement and notes. Review engagement or audited statements are preferred, and internally prepared statements are accepted only as the interim for the most recent fiscal year.

Is a cash-flow forecast required for FedDev liquidity assistance?

Yes. FedDev Ontario requires a cash-flow forecast to support a liquidity request, along with payroll records for the last month showing employees, salaries and benefits. Liquidity is based on 50% of average eligible monthly payroll for up to 12 months, capped at the lesser of your projected 12-month need and $2 million.

Can a service business in southern Ontario qualify for RTRI?

Possibly. FedDev 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 play a critical role in a manufacturing exporter's supply chain, may qualify. Retail and local consumer services generally do not.

What happens after FedDev Ontario approves an RTRI application?

FedDev asks for additional documentation, including insurance coverage, conflict of interest, financial management, project expenditures and performance measurement and reporting. Liquidity recipients also report on employment and payroll levels during and after the funding period, and dividends are restricted while liquidity support is in place.

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.

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

ACOA

Atlantic Canada

MyACOA Client Portal, after talking to your nearest ACOA office

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 FedDev Ontario 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 FedDev Ontario directly. Program terms and intake availability may change; FedDev Ontario's current rules and your contribution agreement govern funding.