The Canada Summer Jobs program will support 70,000 quality jobs for youth across Canada during the 2025 summer season. Not-for-profit employers can receive a wage subsidy up to 100% of the current provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage. Public and private sector employers are eligible to receive a wage subsidy of up to 50% of the current Ontario minimum hourly wage. This year, jobs can take place from April 21 - August 30, 2025.

The application deadline for Canada Summer Jobs is December 19th at 11:59pm. Find out more and apply

Starter Company Plus offers supports to start a new company, to expand an existing company or buy a business in Ontario. The program provides one-on-one guidance from a Small Business Enterprise Centre advisor, business workshops, seminars and networking events with topics ranging from writing a business plan to budgeting to marketing campaigns. Grants are also available for up to $5,000. Find out more.

Administered by FedDev Ontario, the Tourism Growth Program (TGP) will provide $108 million over 3 years to support communities, small- and medium-sized businesses and not-for-profit organizations in developing local tourism products and experiences. Eligible applicants include:
•    incorporated small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the tourism industry
•    Indigenous-owned businesses (including Indigenous sole proprietors) or Indigenous tourism organizations
•    not-for-profit organizations (including tourism associations and economic development organizations)
•    governments (municipal/provincial/territorial and related entities)

Update: The next round of Naturally L&A Activation Fund opens in January 2025. If you have a BIG IDEA to  help make our community even better, we hope you will consider applying. Funding is available for new or enhanced events and tourism products. Eligible organizations include festival and event organizers, residents, businesses and community groups.

Note that, new for 2025, the application window is continuous intake. Successful projects will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis until all funding has been distributed. Applications should be submitted a minimum of 4-months before the event/project date. Projects must be completed by December 31, 2025. 

More details will be distributed once the application window opens. Check out our website for more information.

The Province of Ontario has launched the Experience Ontario 2025 program to support eligible in-person festivals and events happening between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. Festival and event organizers continue to develop and deliver exciting programming in communities across the province. Your many efforts attract visitors to explore all that Ontario has to offer, boosting local and regional economies while celebrating the diverse identities and cultures that make our province a special place to live, work and play.

Applications for Experience Ontario will be accepted until December 19th at 4pm. Learn more and complete the application.

The Community Foundation for Lennox & Addington is accepting applications for its 2025 Community Grants Program.  The Community Grants Program supports projects across Lennox & Addington County in the following fields of interest: Arts & Culture, Education & Lifelong Learning, Heritage Awareness for Preservation, Environmental Awareness & Engagement, Youth Support & Development, Health & Wellness, Sports & Recreation, Seniors Care & Service, and Social Services. Community Grants are available to organizations possessing a registered charity number issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), or to not-for-profit organizations that are sponsored by a local registered charity. 

The deadline for receiving applications is Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 4:30pm. Application details are available here.

The Seniors Community Grant Program funds local not-for-profit organizations and individuals representing local unincorporated community groups to deliver projects, supports and resources that help older adults (aged 55+) live independently, ensure their safety and security, connect them to their community, avoid isolation and help them achieve greater financial security and social connections. Grants are available between $1,000 and $25,000.

Applications and all supporting material must be submitted through Transfer Payment Ontario by Thursday, January 16, 2025. Find out more.

If you're a business owner looking to upgrade your digital footprint, The Digital Transformation Grant (DTG) program is accepting applications until October 31st. The program is focused on assisting small businesses with their adoption of technologies. Administered by the Ontario BIA Association, the program provides training, advisory support and grants to brick-and-mortar small businesses looking to increase their capacity through digital transformation.

A Digital Transformation Grant is open to businesses that meet the following requirements:

Has a permanent 'brick-and-mortar' establishment in Ontario,
Is employing 1-50 employees,
Is NOT a home-based business,
Is paying commercial property tax (commercially assessed), either directly or through commercial rent,
Is a registered business in Ontario and/or is incorporated,
Is open for business/operating at the time of application (not a start up),
Is open to the general public for walk-in and onsite purchases of goods and services.
Applicants must complete the Digital Transformation for Main Street program, which includes:

The Digital Main Street Assessment,
Passing the eligibility quiz,
Online training,
Developing a Digital Transformation Plan.

If you have any questions about this program, or require any business assistance, don't hesitate to contact the Lennox & Addington Economic Development Office. Whether you're looking to start a new venture, expand & grow your existing business, or need help with succession planning, their team is there to help.

The Lennox & Addington Community Investment Fund (L&A CIF) is a new initiative undertaken by the L&A Economic Development Team in partnership with community members from across Lennox & Addington. The initiative seeks to be L&A’s first community investment vehicle, allowing local residents to invest in local businesses. The initiative has four core ambitions:
 
1.    Invest in businesses that create demonstrable community benefit
2.    Serve as a bridge for local companies to scale from small operations to employers who can create 5-10 new jobs
3.    Attract creative businesses and innovative entrepreneurs
4.    Be responsive to municipal priorities and community needs
To date, we have been working with a small group of community stakeholders to define core objectives and develop potential models for the L&A CIF and we are now looking to reach a wide group of stakeholders from across L&A to assess interest in the initiative and gauge interest in the different potential models. 
 
County staff will be reaching out to many members of our community directly in the coming weeks but if this initiative sounds like something you may be interested in, we encourage you to reach out directly to the County of Lennox and Addington.

Intake #1 of RTO 9’s Partnership Fund initiative is now open. The purpose of the funding is designed to introduce new tourism products and build on existing tourism products that enhance the region’s diversity of tourism attractions. Current applications will be for projects happening between April 1st and September 6th. There are 3 funding categories available:

•    New Events
•    Development of Indigenous Tourism Product
•    Signage