Deadline to apply: October 1, 2026 for Intake 3. February 27, 2027 for Intake 4.

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The Rural Economic Development (RED) program has been replaced with the modernized and expanded Rural Ontario Development (ROD) program. Launched June 2025, the ROD program aims to provide $20 million in cost-share funding over 2 years to create strong businesses, support economic growth, job creation, and infrastructure improvements in rural communities across Ontario. 

Four Funding Streams are Available

For Rural Communities:

1. Economic Diversification, Competitiveness and Capacity Building Stream: varying levels of cost-sharing support per project type, ranging from $10,000 to a maximum of $150,000.
   
2. Workforce Development, Attraction and Retention: up to 50% cost-share to a maximum of $150,000.
   
3. Community Infrastructure Enhancements Stream: up to 35% cost-share to a maximum of $250,000 for large projects, and to a maximum of $25,000 for small projects.

For Rural Businesses:

1. Business Development Stream: up to 35% cost-share to a maximum of $10,000 for small brick and mortar businesses in rural Ontario with 1 to 20 employees.