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Rural Ontario Development Program

October 1, 2026

Value

$20 million in funding over 2 years

Description

The Rural Ontario Development (ROD) Program replaces the Rural Economic Development (RED) Program. We modernized and expanded the program to offer $20 million in funding over 2 years. This program supports the objectives of Enabling Opportunity: Ontario’s Rural Economic Development Strategy.

Eligible Applicants

To qualify for the ROD Program, you must meet both of the following requirements:

  1. Your organization must be one of the following:
    • a municipality
    • a not-for-profit organization
    • an Indigenous community or organization
    • a local services board
    • a small business with 1 to 20 employees
  2. Your project must be within an eligible rural area of Ontario

Eligible Expenses

Municipalities, Indigenous communities, local services boards and not-for-profit organizations in rural Ontario can apply through the following streams:

  • Economic diversification, competitiveness and capacity building: projects that support communities to build economic development capacity and implement strategies that increase competitiveness to retain businesses, attract investment and enhance growth.
    • Strategies and plans: projects will develop strategies or plans that will enhance the ability of communities to be prepared for and engage in economic development activities. This stream offers up to 50% cost-share up, to $50,000.
    • Economic diversification and competitiveness: projects will support the implementation an existing economic development plan or strategy. This stream offers up to 50% cost-share, up to $150,000.
    • Capacity building events: projects that support organizations in building community capacity to deliver economic development activities. This stream offers up to 35% cost-share, up to $10,000.
  • Workforce development, attraction and retention: This stream funds projects that support communities to implement strategies and/or to undertake initiatives for attracting and retaining workers. This stream offers up to 50% cost-share, up to $150,000.
  • Community infrastructure enhancements: This stream funds projects that update or transform community assets that have been identified as important to the community’s economy. This stream offers up to 35% cost-share, with large projects eligible from $25,000 to $250,000 and for small projects eligible up to $25,000.

Deadline Date

October 1, 2026

Contact

Contact Name: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and Ministry of Rural Affairs

Phone Number: 1-877-424-1300

E-mail Address: RODprogram@ontario.ca

Website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/rural-ontario-development-program

Industry:

Indigenous, Municipalities, Non-Profit

Location:

Ontario

Tags:

Economic Development, Infrastructure

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