An independent registry of Northern Ontario funding Data updated Aug 17, 2026 · CC-BY-4.0
Northern Ontario Grants

Grants in Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie's municipal layer is unusually active: the Economic Growth Community Improvement Plan (renewed for 2024–2027) offers tax-increment grants and one-time project grants up to $100,000, alongside downtown façade and accessibility grants up to $25,000 and a separate Housing CIP with per-door grants. The Millworks Centre for Entrepreneurship is the city's Small Business Enterprise Centre, and the Community Development Corporation of Sault Ste. Marie & Area, the FedNor-funded Community Futures corporation, established 1986, provides small-business loans and counselling, including a joint downtown loan fund with the city. Above that sit NOHFC's Invest North streams, FedNor's NODP and REGI, and OTF for non-profits. Don't confuse local organizations with the Michigan Sault's identically named economic development corporation.

Local programs

Open, continuous intakePartly repayable, check terms

NOHFC Invest North, Investment: Launch

Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation

Up to $200,000

no fixed deadline; approvals on the funder's cycle

myportal.nohfc.ca · Last verified Aug 16, 2026 · Reported, verification pending

Open, continuous intakePartly repayable, check terms

NOHFC Invest North, Investment: Grow

Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation

Up to $1,000,000

no fixed deadline; approvals on the funder's cycle

myportal.nohfc.ca · Last verified Aug 16, 2026 · Uncertain: confirm with funder

Open, continuous intake

FedNor, NODP Youth Internships

Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

Up to $52,500

no fixed deadline; approvals on the funder's cycle

fednor.canada.ca · Last verified Aug 16, 2026 · Reported, verification pending

Closing soon

CanExport SMEs

Global Affairs Canada, Trade Commissioner Service

$10,000 – $50,000

closes Aug 31, 2026 (12:00 ET (noon)) (14 days left)

tradecommissioner.gc.ca · Last verified Aug 16, 2026 · Reported, verification pending

Status unconfirmed

Canada Summer Jobs

Employment and Social Development Canada

Varies; see program

confirm with funder

canada.ca · Last verified Aug 16, 2026 · Reported, verification pending

Open, continuous intakePartly repayable, check terms

NRC IRAP, Innovation Funding

National Research Council, Industrial Research Assistance Program

From $10,000

no fixed deadline; approvals on the funder's cycle

nrc.canada.ca · Last verified Aug 16, 2026 · Reported, verification pending

Regional programs

Local programs sit alongside the regional layer available across Northern Ontario: NOHFC · FedNor · OTF · the CFDC network. The eligibility finder covers both at once.

Common questions

What grants are available for a small business in Sault Ste. Marie?

The Millworks Centre for Entrepreneurship (the local Small Business Enterprise Centre) is the free starting point for advisory and start-up grant programs. The city's Economic Growth CIP offers one-time project grants up to $100,000 plus multi-year property-tax offsets, and downtown façade and accessibility grants run up to $25,000. The Community Development Corporation of Sault Ste. Marie & Area lends to small businesses, and NOHFC Invest North and FedNor NODP/REGI carry the larger regional dollars.

Are there grants for improving a building in downtown Sault Ste. Marie?

Yes. Façade and accessibility grants of up to $25,000 cover storefront and barrier-free improvements; the Economic Growth CIP can offset property-tax increases from improvements for up to three years or provide a one-time grant up to $100,000; and the separate Housing CIP pays per-door grants for small residential projects and tax-increment grants for larger ones.

Who helps me start a business in the Sault?

Millworks (the SBEC, under the city's economic development team) for free advisory and start-up programming; the Community Development Corporation of Sault Ste. Marie & Area, the FedNor-funded Community Futures corporation, for business planning help and repayable loans, including a joint downtown loan fund with the city; and NOHFC's Launch stream for businesses under six months old (conditional contribution up to $200,000).