Ontario's Regional Development Program (RDP): Funding Now Open for Ontario Businesses

Navoriah
Nov 4
3 min read

Published on: November 04, 2025

Author: Team Navoriah

If you’ve been planning to expand your business, modernize equipment, or launch something new in Ontario — this is your moment. The Regional Development Program (RDP) is back with fresh intakes for 2025–2026, helping Ontario businesses grow, innovate, and create jobs in their local communities.

Whether you’re in manufacturing, agri-food, clean tech, or another growth-oriented sector, the RDP is one of those programs that quietly makes a big impact — it’s helped hundreds of companies scale up, digitize, and compete globally while keeping their roots right here in Ontario.

What to Expect in This Blog

What the program is about

Where it applies

What you can get

Upcoming deadlines

How Navoriah can help

What the Program Is About

The Regional Development Program was designed for businesses that want to grow but need that extra boost to make it happen. It’s all about supporting investments that lead to:

Job creation and retention in local communities
Adoption of new technologies and automation
Market expansion and export readiness
Modernization and productivity improvements

So, if your project involves buying new machinery, expanding your facility, or upgrading production systems — this program could be a perfect fit.

Where the Region Development Fund Applies

The RDP has two main regional streams:

Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF)
Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF)

Each stream targets businesses located in those regions — meaning your postal code actually determines which one you apply to.

There’s also a Community Economic Development Stream for municipalities or local economic development organizations that want to attract investment or build shared infrastructure.

And if you’re in a rural area, don’t miss the Rural Development Fund — a complementary initiative supporting small towns, rural businesses, and community organizations with their own tailored funding options.

What You Can Get

Here’s where it gets exciting. The RDP and its sub-programs offer a mix of grants and interest-free loans, depending on your project type and size.

For example:

Business Expansion Projects (RDP Business Stream)
- Grants: up to $500,000 (and in some cases up to $1.5 million)
- Loans: up to 15% of eligible project costs, interest-free during the project period
- Bonus: a portion of the loan (up to 30%) may be forgiven if job and investment targets are met
Community Economic Development Projects
- Grants: up to 50% of eligible costs, often capped around $1.5 million
Rural Ontario Development Program (ROD)
- Business Development Stream: up to 35% cost-share, max $10,000
- Community Infrastructure Stream: up to $250,000
- Funding pool: about $20 million over two years

These are significant opportunities — especially for businesses ready to make long-term investments but looking for cost-sharing to reduce risk.

Upcoming 2025–2026 Deadlines

The new intake for the Advanced Manufacturing & Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) Stream — the flagship business funding stream under the RDP — is now open:

Current intake: November 4 2025 – February 3 2026
Next intake: June 30 2026 – September 23 2026

The Rural Ontario Development Program also opened its first 2025 intake this summer (June 24 – September 24, 2025) and will have more windows through 2026.

That means right now is the best time to start preparing — eligibility reviews, quotes, budgets, and impact projections all take time to line up before submission.

How Navoriah Can Help

At Navoriah, we work with founders, manufacturers, and innovators across Ontario to position their projects for success in funding programs like RDP and ROD.

Our team helps you: