NOHFC Invest North — Grow: grant funding and loans to expand an existing Northern Ontario business

Three funding structures — grant-only to $400,000, hybrid grant plus loan, or loan-only to $1 million — for established Northern Ontario businesses with an expansion project that creates or retains full-time jobs.

NOHFC Invest North — Grow is a program from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation designed to help established businesses in Northern Ontario fund expansion projects. It offers three structures: a conditional contribution (grant) covering up to 20 percent of eligible costs, to a maximum of $400,000; a hybrid combining that grant with a term loan covering up to an additional 30 percent of eligible costs, for a combined maximum of $1 million; or a loan-only option covering up to 50 percent of eligible costs, to a maximum of $1 million. Intake runs on quarterly deadlines — April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31. Retail, accommodation, food service, and wholesale businesses are not eligible. Projects must create or retain full-time jobs. Confirm your specific eligibility with NOHFC before building a business plan around this program.

Three funding structures: which one fits your expansion

• Grant only: NOHFC contributes up to 20 percent of eligible costs as a conditional contribution, to a maximum of $400,000. This is the non-repayable component — you are not required to pay it back provided you meet the program conditions.
• Grant plus loan (hybrid): The conditional contribution covers up to 20 percent of eligible costs (maximum $400,000), and NOHFC adds a term loan covering up to 30 percent of eligible costs (maximum $600,000). Combined maximum across both components is $1 million.
• Loan only: A term loan covering up to 50 percent of eligible costs, to a maximum of $1,000,000, with no grant component. Repayable on agreed terms.

Which structure fits your project depends on the size of the expansion, your cash position, and how much leverage you want to carry. A smaller capital project with strong owner equity might fit the grant-only track. A larger facility build or significant equipment purchase might warrant the hybrid or loan-only option to reach the funding threshold the project needs. NOHFC reviews applications competitively within each quarterly intake — qualifying for the eligibility criteria does not guarantee funding, and not every qualifying project is approved.

What Invest North Grow funds

The program covers capital costs tied to expanding existing Northern Ontario operations. Eligible cost categories listed by NOHFC include: building construction and facility upgrades; new or used equipment purchases; IT and communications investments; land development directly supporting the expansion; product marketing, capped at 20 percent of project costs or $75,000 (whichever is lower); and third-party training, limited to 20 percent of project costs.

What the program does not cover: working capital, ongoing operating expenses, land purchases, and land development intended for resale or lease. A project must also demonstrate that it will create or retain full-time jobs in Northern Ontario — that employment outcome is a core program requirement evaluated as part of the application, not a secondary consideration.

Who qualifies — and who does not

Invest North Grow targets established private-sector businesses with an expansion project in Northern Ontario. The owner or primary applicant must work full-time in the business. This is an expansion program, not a startup program — if your business has been operating less than six months, the Invest North Launch stream is the relevant one.

• Retail and consumer-service businesses are not eligible.
• Accommodation businesses, food service operations, and beverage-alcohol manufacturers (distilleries, breweries, cideries, wineries) are excluded.
• Land purchase costs are not eligible project costs.
• Projects that do not create or retain full-time jobs do not meet the core program requirement.
• Total government funding from all sources — federal, provincial, and municipal — cannot exceed 50 percent of eligible capital costs.

Some business types that fall outside the standard eligibility may be considered case-by-case: professional services filling a genuine gap in a small community where the service is not otherwise available full-time locally, and remote tourism operations such as outfitters and vacation resorts serving longer-stay visitors. Confirm your specific situation with NOHFC directly before assuming you fall inside or outside eligibility.

Quarterly intake: four deadlines per year

Invest North Grow runs on a competitive quarterly schedule rather than a truly open rolling intake. The four annual submission deadlines are April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31. Missing a deadline means waiting roughly 90 days for the next round. Applications submitted before each deadline compete against each other within that round; NOHFC selects projects based on the strength of the application and available budget. The next deadline following the date of this post is July 31, 2026. Verify the current intake status and any changes to submission requirements with NOHFC before preparing an application package.

Is the grant portion repayable?

The conditional contribution component is not a loan with a fixed repayment schedule, but it is not an unconditional cash transfer either. NOHFC describes it as a conditional contribution: the funds do not need to be repaid provided you fulfil the program conditions — typically maintaining operations in Northern Ontario, keeping funded assets in the region for the required period, retaining the jobs created or preserved, and complying with the terms in your individual funding agreement. The loan component of the hybrid or loan-only options is repayable on terms set in the agreement.

How to apply

Applications are submitted through NOHFC and reviewed in a multi-step process: an initial submission reviewed against program guidelines, a detailed evaluation phase where NOHFC may request additional information, and a final decision by the NOHFC Board of Directors. Contact NOHFC at 705-945-6700 or through the inquiry portal at myportal.nohfc.ca before the deadline to confirm your eligibility and get guidance on what the application package should include. Discussing your project with NOHFC staff in advance is the practical way to verify that your business type, project scope, and intended cost categories are eligible before investing time in a full submission.

Source: Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation — Invest North Grow program (nohfc.ca/private-programs/invest-north-grow/). NOHFC inquiry line: 705-945-6700; portal: myportal.nohfc.ca. Program details, funding structures, eligible costs, and intake schedule can change — confirm directly with NOHFC before applying. This is general information, not funding advice.