What is Rural Economic Development (RED) Program — Ontario?
Rural Economic Development (RED) Program — Ontario is delivered by Government of Ontario (OMAFRA) as a grant. Funding is typically up to $150,000. This page covers eligibility, intake status, and what an application actually requires.
At a glance
| Funding amount | Up to $150,000 |
|---|---|
| Cost share | Variable |
| Level | Provincial |
| Program type | Grant |
| Delivered by | Government of Ontario (OMAFRA) |
| Available in | ON |
| Intake status | Open — rolling |
| Last verified | Apr 2026 |
Who qualifies
- Eligible industries: All sectors in rural Ontario
- Eligible activities: Rural economic diversification; tourism; broadband; community planning; agri-tourism
Watch out for
Urban GTA/Ottawa locations; non-rural communities
Deadlines & how to apply
Rural Ontario only (outside Toronto/GTA, Hamilton, Ottawa urban); check ontario.ca/red
How NorthGrants helps with Rural Economic Development (RED) Program — Ontario
Most business owners read about Rural Economic Development (RED) Program — Ontario, see the funding amount, and stop. The hard part isn't finding the grant. It's building an application that actually wins.
NorthGrants builds the full application framework for you: a tailored project narrative aligned to this program's evaluation criteria, a budget structure that maps to eligible costs, and the supporting documentation checklist. You review it, refine the parts only you can write, and submit.