An independent registry of Northern Ontario funding Data updated Oct 1, 2026 · CC-BY-4.0
Northern Ontario Grants
Open, continuous intake

Ontario Transit Investment Fund

by Grants Ontario / Transfer Payment Ontario

Also known as: OTIF

The Ontario Transit Investment Fund (OTIF) gives municipalities, nonprofits, and Indigenous communities time-limited funding for up to 5 years to start up or grow local transit services - highly relevant for Northern communities without conventional transit. Intake is continuous through Transfer Payment Ontario, and the Ministry of Transportation asks applicants to contact MTO-SIO@ontario.ca first for guidance on applying. Dollar amounts aren't published on the program listing; they're set through the application process.

Amount
Amount not published by funder
Instrument
Grant (non-repayable)
Status
Open, continuous intake no fixed deadline; approvals on the funder's cycle
Who qualifies
Municipalities and local boards Nonprofits and charities Indigenous organizations and communities
  • municipalities
  • non-profit organizations
  • Indigenous communities

forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source

Eligible applicants are municipalities, non-profit organizations and Indigenous communities.

Where
Algoma District · Cochrane District · Greater Sudbury (single-tier census division) · Kenora District · Manitoulin District · Nipissing District · Parry Sound District · Rainy River District · Sudbury District (excl. Greater Sudbury) · Thunder Bay District · Timiskaming District · District Municipality of Muskoka11 of 11 Northern Ontario districts are eligible for this program.Algoma District: eligibleCochrane District: eligibleGreater Sudbury (single-tier census division): eligibleKenora District: eligibleManitoulin District: eligibleNipissing District: eligibleParry Sound District: eligibleRainy River District: eligibleSudbury District (excl. Greater Sudbury): eligibleThunder Bay District: eligibleTimiskaming District: eligible

11 of 11 Northern Ontario districts are eligible for this program. A filled dot is eligible, an outline is not.

Built for
Municipalities & Local Services Boards Nonprofits & charities Indigenous entrepreneurs & businesses

How do you apply?

Call first. This funder expects contact with a program officer before you apply.

  1. Contact MTO-SIO@ontario.ca for program inquiries and how to apply
  2. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis

forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source

Common questions

How much funding can we get?

The official listing doesn't publish dollar figures - funding is time-limited, application-based, and lasts up to 5 years per project. Contact MTO-SIO@ontario.ca and consult the OTIF Program Guidelines for amounts applicable to your service proposal.

Can a nonprofit run the transit service?

Yes - eligible applicants are municipalities, non-profit organizations, and Indigenous communities. This suits Northern models where a community organization operates inter-community or local transit.

Is there a deadline?

No - applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Reach out to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO-SIO@ontario.ca) before applying; they direct all program inquiries including how to apply.

Where else could this money come from?

Chosen by what these programs have in common with this one, not by hand. The reason is shown for each, so you can judge whether it holds.

Notes on this record

Verified 2026-08-17 from the official ontario.ca available-funding-opportunities listing (updated 2026-08-11). OTIF succeeded Ontario's earlier Community Transportation Grant Program era of funding (reported - not stated on the listing). Amounts omitted because none are published.

Facts on this page were read from the funder's PDF documentation rather than a web page, so they can lag a mid-cycle change.

Apply

Apply on the funder’s site and confirm current terms there:

www.ontario.ca