Regional development programs for municipalities and local governments

Ranked programs

25 open, ongoing or intake-based programs, best score first.

1. Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF)

   Ministry of Infrastructure

   Formula-based funding for small, rural and northern municipalities for core infrastructure; $400 million to 423 communities in 2026.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $10M
   50

   Top pick

2. Northern Ontario Resource Development Support (NORDS) Fund

   Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth

   Provides each of Northern Ontario's 144 municipalities an annual capital allocation to offset the impacts of resource development (forestry, mining, aggregates...

   OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $400K
   43

   Strong

3. Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF)

   Ministry of Sport

   $500 million cost-shared program to repair/upgrade existing sport and recreation facilities (Stream 1) and build new or signature facilities (Stream 2).

   OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $10M
   41

   Strong

4. FedNor - Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP)

   FedNor

   FedNor's NODP funds community economic development, SME business growth and a municipal/First Nation economic-development-officer initiative (CIINO) in Northern Ontario...

   OngoingFederalGrantsUp to $170K
   40

   Strong

5. NOHFC Enhance Your Community Program

   Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

   Funds community infrastructure projects in Northern Ontario.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $2M
   39

   Strong

6. NOHFC Rural Enhancement Program

   Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

   Funds quality-of-life projects in rural Northern Ontario communities.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $500K
   39

   Strong

7. Site Readiness Program

   Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

   Funding assistance to prepare eligible industrial properties for investment and business expansion opportunities.

   OpenOntarioOther incentivesUp to $25K
   34

   Worth a look

8. Investment Ready: Certified Site Designation

   Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

   A designation for industrial properties that complete program requirements proving they are primed for development, with partial reimbursement of eligible expenses.

   OpenOntarioOther incentivesUp to $50K
   32

   Worth a look

9. NOHFC Community Events Program

   Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

   Funds events that promote economic development in Northern Ontario.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $15K
   32

   Worth a look

10. Fire Protection Services Reimbursement: Unincorporated Ontario

    Ministry of the Solicitor General

    Reimburses municipalities for providing emergency response services (collisions, hazmat, structure fires, rescue and more) in unincorporated areas of Ontario between...

    OpenOntarioGrants
    30

    Worth a look

11. NOHFC Workforce Development Program (internships)

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Funds internship salaries for Northern Ontario employers.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $35K
    30

    Worth a look

12. Connecting Links Program

    Ministry of Transportation

    Dedicated provincial funding for capital road and bridge projects on designated connecting link highways that carry provincial traffic through municipalities.

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $7M
    28

    Worth a look

13. FedNor - Build Communities Strong Fund, Local Impact Stream (Northern Ontario)

    FedNor

    Non-repayable funding for shovel-ready community projects in Northern Ontario that deliver public benefits.

    Intake-basedFederalGrantsUp to $1M
    28

    Worth a look

14. Indigenous Transportation Initiatives Fund for Indigenous Communities and Organizations

    Ministry of Transportation

    The Indigenous Transportation Initiatives Fund (ITIF) is an application-based funding program for Indigenous communities and organizations pursuing...

    OpenOntarioGrants
    28

    Worth a look

15. Ontario Transit Investment Fund (OTIF)

    Ministry of Transportation

    Time-limited, application-based funding for up to 5 years to support the start-up and growth of transit services, especially in smaller and rural communities.

    OpenOntarioGrants
    28

    Worth a look

16. Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF)

    Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

    Provincial funding for business expansion and community economic development projects in southwestern Ontario.

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $5M
    28

    Worth a look

17. Rural Ontario Development (ROD) Program

    Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA)

    Cost-share for rural economic development: plans, diversification, workforce, events, community infrastructure and rural small business.

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $250K
    26

    Worth a look

18. NOHFC Indigenous Workforce Development Program

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Funds salaries for Indigenous interns hired by Northern Ontario organizations.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $53K
    25

    Worth a look

19. Northern REACHE (Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity)

    Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)

    Funds clean energy projects and related capacity building and planning in northern communities to reduce reliance on diesel for heating and electricity.

    OngoingFederalGrants
    23

    Long shot

20. Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream

    Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

    Funds capital technical planning and construction or upgrading of skills training centres through two pathways: SEED (planning project taking a design to 40% design...

    OngoingOntarioGrants
    22

    Long shot

21. Winter Roads Program: Bridges and Culverts Stream

    Ministry of Transportation

    Funding to remote Northern Ontario communities for new pre-engineered bridges and culverts and repairs to existing water crossings on the winter roads network.

    OpenOntarioGrants
    22

    Long shot

22. Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF)

    Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

    Provincial funding for business expansion and community economic development projects in eastern Ontario (the program asked about as 'Eastern Ontario Development...

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $5M
    21

    Long shot

23. Community Wildland Fire Protection Planning Grant (formerly Ontario FireSmart Communities Grant)

    Ministry of Natural Resources

    Invitational, limited grant supporting hazard forest mapping and Community Wildland Fire Protection Plans for organized municipalities in Ontario's legislated fire...

    OpenOntarioGrants
    20

    Long shot

24. FedNor - Economic Development Initiative (EDI), Northern Ontario

    FedNor

    Funds projects that encourage economic growth in Northern Ontario's Francophone communities and that capitalize on economic opportunities made possible through the use...

    OngoingFederalGrants
    20

    Long shot

25. Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP)

    Ministry of Infrastructure

    Ontario's Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program funds core municipal infrastructure (roads, bridges, water, wastewater, irrigation) through five streams. Four have...

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $8M
    20

    Long shot

Questions

How many regional development programs for municipalities and local governments are open right now?

Of the 54 regional development programs for municipalities and local governments in our database, 19 are open or ongoing and 6 take applications only in intake windows. The rest are closed, paused or of unknown status, so they are not ranked on this page. Counts reflect our last check on Oct 28, 2026; programs can change without notice.

What is the largest published amount among these programs?

Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) publishes the largest figure on this page, shown as "Up to $10M". Published figures are program maximums, caps or limits, not what an applicant should expect to receive; many programs pay a share of eligible costs and amounts depend on your project and eligibility.

Which regional development programs for municipalities and local governments rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (50, Top pick), Northern Ontario Resource Development Support Fund (43, Strong), Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (41, Strong). The score combines the size of the published amount, how much work an application takes, how likely an eligible applicant is to succeed and how many people qualify.

Do I have to pay this money back?

It depends on the program. Grants and incentives are generally not repaid, loans always are, and some contribution agreements are partly or fully repayable, so read the terms of each program. Among the 19 open or ongoing programs here, 15 are in our Grants category, 0 are loans and 4 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

3 of the 19 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 16 from the Ontario government. Both levels can usually be combined, but many programs have stacking rules that cap total government funding for the same costs, so check them before you apply.

Is this an official government website?

No. Grants & Loans Finder is an independent research tool. Each program page links to the official source, and applications are always made with the government agency or lender that runs the program.