There are a variety of funding opportunities and incentives available for foreign direct investments from the municipal, provincial and federal governments, as well as economic development organizations, when making investments in the Windsor-Essex region.
View our comprehensive list of employer support programs, further provincial government grants, loans and funds, or some of the more commonly accessed programs below.
Investment supports
Explore the following investment support opportunities:
- Community Futures Essex County - This community-based, not-for-profit organization encourages entrepreneurship and economic opportunities. They provide business services and access to capital, particularly in rural areas.
- Investment Ready: Certified Site Designation - Successful recipients of this industrial property designation can receive funding support, marketing and investment attraction support. These properties are also especially attractive to investors and site selectors for their investment readiness.
- Investment Support Program - This City of Windsor program guides strategic investment projects through municipal approvals and requirements. It includes stakeholders from various municipal departments and external organizations to ensure timely and customer focused service.
Community Improvement Plans
Many of the municipalities and towns in the Windsor-Essex region have Community Improvement Plan (CIP) incentives to help attract investment opportunities within their jurisdiction. View the available programs:
Research and innovation support
The following research and innovation supports are available to businesses located in Windsor-Essex.
National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program |
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The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) provides innovation assistance to small- and medium-sized businesses through financial help, advisory services and connections to the best business, and research and development expertise in Canada. |
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario |
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The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario provides funding to bridge private sector investment in start-up businesses, women entrepreneurship strategies, business scale-up and productivity, regional innovation ecosystems and diversification. |
Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program |
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The Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program provides a tax incentive for companies to achieve technological advancement to create new materials, devices, products or processes. |
Ontario Innovation Tax Credit |
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The Ontario Innovation Tax Credit provides qualifying corporations with a refundable tax credit for certain expenditures on scientific research and experimental development performed in Ontario. |
Apprenticeship, training and job creation
Check out the following apprentice, training and job creation incentives.
Southwestern Ontario Development Fund |
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The Southwestern Ontario Development Fund is available to business of all sizes and sectors based in Southwestern Ontario that are expanding operations, improving productivity and becoming more globally competitive. Funding supports help create jobs and build talent and may provide a 15 per cent grant for job creation and investment, with a minimum of $500,000 investment and a minimum of 10 jobs created. Loans of up to 15 per cent funding to a maximum of $5 million, interest free during the project period (up to 4 years). Grants are available only for specific circumstances, up to 15 per cent to a maximum of $1.5 million is available per project. |
Ontario Job Grant |
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Through, Ontario Job Grant you can receive 1/6th of eligible training costs (to a max of $10,000 per person) to train new or existing employees in Ontario. |
Ontario Works |
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Ontario Works has an employer partnership with Invest WindsorEssex that provides funding for:
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Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Service |
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The Government of Canada has launched the Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Service to help and support small and medium-sized employers (SMEs) to hire new first-year apprentices at level 1 in 39 Red Seal trades while helping, at the same time, first-year apprentices to acquire the hands-on work experience that they need to establish a career in the skilled trades. There are 39 Red Seal trades eligible for the support from the Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Program. There are four providers of the program in Ontario including Family Services of Peel. These organizations give financial support to small and medium-sized employers to hire first-year apprentices: $5,000 for each eligible new first-year apprentice hired and $10,000 if the apprentice hired is from an equity-deserving group. They also provide other supports to employers to help them take part in apprenticeship. |
Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit |
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With the Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit, qualifying businesses can claim 25 per cent of eligible expenditures (30 per cent for small businesses) made during the first 36 months of an apprenticeship program that commenced on or after April 24, 2015, and before November 15, 2017. |
Rent subsidies
You may qualify for a rent subsidy to help cover overhead business costs. The Business Incentive Program, offered by the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA), utilizes rent subsidy to fill previously unoccupied ground floor buildings with new businesses.
Agri-food industry support
If you work in the agri-food industry the Canadian Agricultural Partnership offers funding for:
- Innovation initiatives in the industry
- Meat processor capacity improvements
- COVID-19 health and safety issues
- E-business
- Labour supply and training challenges
- Food safety
- Market access initiatives