What is Strategic Response Fund (SRF) — Tariff Relief?
Strategic Response Fund (SRF) — Tariff Relief is delivered by ISED as a contribution. Funding is typically contributions $10M+ (projects $20M+). This page covers eligibility, intake status, and what an application actually requires.
At a glance
| Funding amount | Contributions $10M+ (projects $20M+) |
|---|---|
| Cost share | 50% |
| Level | Federal |
| Program type | Contribution |
| Delivered by | ISED |
| Available in | All provinces |
| Intake status | Open — large-project scope |
| Last verified | May 2026 |
Who qualifies
- Eligible industries: Manufacturing, export-reliant sectors
- Employee count: min 50, max 500
- Eligible activities: Diversifying markets, reshoring, supply chain pivots due to US tariffs
Watch out for
Project size under $20M; contribution ask under $10M; SMBs under 50 employees or under $5M revenue (wrong program tier — use RTRI or BDC Pivot to Grow instead)
Deadlines & how to apply
$5B fund launched as successor to Strategic Innovation Fund. Minimum project size $20M with minimum contribution of $10M. NOT an SMB program despite tariff framing — focus is large-scale industrial transformation (steel, aluminum, forest products, cleantech, critical minerals, aerospace, AI infrastructure). Most NorthGrant users will NOT qualify — direct SMBs to Regional Tariff Response Initiative or BDC Pivot to Grow instead. Spring Economic Update 2026 (Apr 28) carved out $500M from SRF to help businesses address supply chain disruption costs from US tariffs — implementation details still pending.
How NorthGrants helps with Strategic Response Fund (SRF) — Tariff Relief
Most business owners read about Strategic Response Fund (SRF) — Tariff Relief, 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.