Ontario Strengthening Indigenous Economies

The Ontario government is investing $9.2 million in two programs to improve economic opportunities for Indigenous communities across the province. The Indigenous Economic Development Fund (IEDF) and the Indigenous Community Capital Grants Program (ICCGP) provide grants and financing for Indigenous peoples to increase access to support for business, employment and training opportunities.

The IEDF provides $3.2 million for access to skills training and other economic development initiatives, while the ICCGP provides $6 million for Indigenous infrastructure projects. Interested and eligible applicants can apply to a grant or a funding stream through the IEDF for projects that diversify Indigenous economies, support skills training, and other economic development initiatives. The ICCGP is open to community capital projects that support the planning, renovation, or construction of buildings in First Nations and Métis communities and Indigenous organizations on- and off- reserve.

Applications can be submitted through Transfer Payment Ontario until December 19, 2023 at 5 p.m. ET for the IEDF and December 21, 2023 at 5 p.m. ET for the ICCGP. Interested applicants must register with Transfer Payment Ontario to submit, track, and manage requests for funding opportunities.

The IEDF and ICCGP have previously funded various research projects, helped businesses hire more employees, and supported the development of new business ventures.