Government programs for tariff-affected Canadian businesses

When tariffs hit your export sales or raise your input costs, you have two problems at once: a revenue gap and a need to adapt. Governments have responded with a mix of financing and project funding aimed at exactly that. Our database currently lists 6 programs that name tariffs in their title or summary and are not closed. Each one below is shown with its current status and the amount terms published on its official page, read from our data at build time.

Programs named for tariff response

• FedDev Ontario - Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI)Open, Up to $20M

  Published terms: Liquidity assistance: non-repayable up to $2 million, up to 50% of eligible costs. Pivot projects: non-repayable up to $1 million (up to 50%) or repayable over $1 million (up to 75%). Maximum $3 million combined non-repayable; maximum $20 million total RTRI...

  FedDev Ontario

• FedNor - Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI)Open, Up to $20M

  Published terms: Liquidity: up to $2 million, up to 50% of eligible costs. Pivot: non-repayable up to $1 million (up to 50%); repayable over $1 million (up to 75%). Maximum $3 million combined non-repayable and $20 million total RTRI when repayable support is included.

  FedNor

• BDC Pivot to Grow (tariff support loans)Open, Loans up to $10M

  Published terms: Get up to $5 million to help you counter the effects of tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S. Each stream of the program is capped at $5 million, for a maximum total of $10 million per support program.

  Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

• Strategic Response Fund (formerly Strategic Innovation Fund)Ongoing

  Published terms: Minimum SRF contribution is $10 million for a project with at least $20 million in total eligible supported costs; contributions are repayable by default (non-repayable limited to certain projects).

  Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

• Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF)Ongoing, Up to $5M

  Published terms: Grants or loans of 10-20% of eligible costs to a maximum of $5 million (up to 75% only for exceptional-benefit projects); loans interest-free during project, up to 30% forgivable (cap $1.5 million)

  Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

• Protect Ontario Financing ProgramOngoing

  Published terms: Term loan, minimum $250,000, repayable up to 72 months; may be interest-bearing up to prime with up to 12 months principal-free

  Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

How to read these programs

They differ in purpose. Some provide liquidity: working capital or loans to keep you running while sales are disrupted. Others fund pivot projects: new equipment, new markets or new products so you depend less on one customer or country. Some are loans, some are non-repayable contributions covering part of eligible costs, and some mix both. Check the repayable and non-repayable split before you plan around a number, because published maximums are caps rather than expected awards.

Who qualifies

Eligibility is usually tied to a demonstrated tariff impact, such as a share of sales exported to the United States or a drop in revenue or a rise in costs because of tariffs, and some programs set revenue or time-in-business minimums. Regional development agencies serve different parts of the province, so which one applies depends on where your business operates. For example, the Regional Tariff Response Initiative is delivered by more than one agency for different regions, which is why it appears more than once above. Read each program's eligibility section on its page and then on the official site.

What you will need to show

• Evidence of the tariff impact: export share, sales or margin trends, or higher input costs.
• Recent financial statements and tax filings, since lenders and agencies assess viability.
• A plan for how the funding will help you adapt, with a budget. Some programs require a written resilience or pivot plan.
• Details of other support you already receive, in case stacking limits apply.

Beyond the tariff-specific programs

Broader programs can also help you adapt. Export-focused financing and market-diversification support are collected in our export programs for small businesses and for larger businesses. If you are adapting through technology or equipment, see technology programs for small businesses. Financing options, including loans from government lenders, are listed under financing for small businesses.

Keep timing in mind

Tariff measures and the programs built around them change quickly. Statuses here reflect our last check, and a program can close, pause or change its terms without notice. Confirm on the official page before you commit spending, and apply early where intake is first-come or budget-limited. This guide is general information and not financial or legal advice.

New to funding applications? Start with our documents checklist.