The Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF) provides financial support to help businesses near-term investments so they can serve more interprovincial customers, develop new markets and re-shore critical supply chains in the face of U.S. tariffs. With a focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the program will help businesses, build local capacity, enhance trade resiliency, and make the necessary investments to successfully expand into new markets.

Projects must address the impacts of U.S. trade disruptions and align with Ontario’s key economic priorities, including:

Trade diversity:

• Diversifying sales portfolios: Expanding market reach to new markets, with a focus on interprovincial trade.

Trade security:

• Enhancing competitiveness: Increasing manufacturing capacity and capabilities and increasing profitability through investments in advanced technology and innovative processes.
• Contributing to regional and sectoral ecosystems: Strengthening Ontario’s supply chains through reshoring and efforts to procure more equipment and supplies from Ontario and Canada.
• Creating and or retaining jobs

The types of support available includes funding and complementary supports and services.

To be eligible, businesses need to:

• operate within Ontario
• have at least three years of operations/financial statements (refer to Operating Experience section in program guidelines to determine financial statement requirements)
• employ at least 5 full time equivalent (FTE’s) active employees
• demonstrate any of the following impacts due to the imposition of U.S. tariffs:
  • operates in a sector extensively targeted by U.S. tariffs (for example, steel sector, auto sector, aluminum)
  • significant exposure to trade risk (for example, revenue loss of 30% or higher), or pivoting operations to supply a customer that is looking to replace a current supplier due to tariffs

Funding may be available to businesses operating within Ontario that meet the following requirements:

• make an investment to:
  • enhance domestic competitiveness
  • build capacity and local supply chain in Ontario, or reshoring
  • pivot operations to manufacture less trade exposed goods
  • create and/or secure jobs in Ontario
  • other activities required to diversify revenue streams
• invest at least $200,000 in eligible project costs
• locate in a community in Ontario during the project period
• complete the project within 2 years
• demonstrate all financing will be in place by the project start date

Have questions? Contact your local Northern Development Advisor to discuss.