invest
Incentives
There are many benefits to investing your business in Kingston. Kingston offers a lower cost jurisdiction, talent, and strategic location. In 2019, Site Selection Magazine chose Kingston as one of the Top 20 Places in Canada to Invest, and the Financial Times UK also voted Kingston as the number one Small City for Foreign Direct Investment.
When you decide to invest in Kingston, you can take advantage of the many government benefits that support FDI such as supportive immigration programs, low corporate taxes, a scientific R&D tax credit, and eligible businesses can apply to over $10 million in incentives, in Provincial and Federal programs.
To encourage both domestic and international investment, the City provides a number of incentive programs. These include the Brownfield Program (CIP), development charges waived for industrial development, the Water Efficiency Retrofit Incentive Program (WERIP), Natural Gas Efficiency Upgrade Program, among other utility programs and business incentives. Get in contact with the Kingston Economic Development Corporation if you are interested in capitalizing on a Provincial and/or Federal incentive program.
Kingston Economic Development will assist you access funding to support your business needs. Find out more about funding and incentives programs available!
General Funding
CanExport offers up to $50,000 for international market development activities of small to medium-sized companies.
Eastern Ontario Development Fund offers two streams:
Loan Program: Up to 15% funding to a maximum of $5M, interest-free during the project period (up to 4 years). If you achieve your investment and job targets, up to 30% of the loan (to a maximum of $500,000) may be forgiven.
FDI Grant: Grants are available only for specific circumstances, up to 15% to a maximum of up to $1,500,000 for strategic projects that are foreign direct investments.
FedDev Business Scale-up and Productivity is an interest-free, repayable contribution from $500,000 up to $10 million per project.
Industrial Research Assistance Program accelerates the growth of small and medium-sized businesses by providing a comprehensive suite of innovation services and funding.
Invest Ontario is the Province’s dedicated investment attraction agency. Invest Ontario supports applications to the Invest Ontario Fund, which has grants and loans available to eligible businesses.
The Ontario Centre of Innovation accelerates the commercialization and adoption of emerging technologies in Ontario through various funding programs.
Corporations may be eligible to receive Corporate Income Tax support for investments in buildings, machinery and equipment used for manufacturing or processing through the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit .
SR&ED Investment Tax Credit ranges from 15% and can be as much as 35% of qualified SR&ED expenditures.
Training Funds
Training funds are available to support a business to train its workforce. Up to $10,000 in funding is available per trainee. Up to $15000 if the trainee is also a new hire.
Contact Dana Betournay or Gillian Watters at KEYS for more information.
Are you a small or medium-sized business in need of apprentices to help build your future workforce? The Canadian Apprenticeship Service is offering up to $20,000* in help right now. In addition to the financial incentives, you’ll also receive:
• free access to employer-apprentice matching services;
• free access to mentorship programs; and
• free access to diversity and inclusion training.
Life Science
BioTalent Canada offers various skill development programs for talent development in the Life Sciences industry varying in funding between $7,000-$24,000.
The Helix Funding Program, which offers eligible companies matching grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to support their growth and market readiness. These funds enable ventures to access specialized facilities, expertise, and collaborative opportunities that are essential to validating and scaling innovative products in the life sciences sector.
Up to $500,000 is available in early-stage risk capital is available through the Life Sciences Innovation Fund for companies to scale made-in-Ontario health solutions.
Ontario Genomics offers up to $150,000 for the commercialization of genomics and biology engineering companies.
Clean Tech
Businesses in Canada may be eligible for tax credits supporting investments that support a transition in equipment, infrastructure and other investments which support the transition to net zero emissions through the Clean Economy investment tax credits (ITCs)
Through Launch Labs I.D.E.A. Fund program, companies working on clean tech projects can unlock up to $20,000 for the development and scaling of their products or services.
Skilled Labour
Kingston offers a diverse workforce of talented and experienced labour and highly skilled expertise. Two-thirds of Kingston’s population has a post-secondary education. We are also home to three post-secondary schools: Queen’s University, St. Lawrence College, and Royal Military College of Canada, which funnels a skilled workforce and innovative private sector.
Funding for Hiring Recent Graduates & Youth
Advanced Digital and Professionals Training (ADaPT) program, a new initiative aimed at supporting black youth in developing skills they need and securing work opportunities. Learn more!
The Queen’s Career Apprenticeship: Kingston connects new graduates from the arts, humanities and social science disciplines within the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s University with a Kingston employer. Employers who find the right fit through the program and commit to a 12-month contract, are reimbursed for 4 months of the gross salary to a maximum of $4,000 per month.
Contact Rob Tamblyn at Kingston Economic Development Corporation for more information.
The Talent Opportunities Program (TOP) is an initiative of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce designed to help employers located anywhere in Canada hire college and university students on WIL placements. Employers hiring eligible students may receive a wage subsidy up to 50% of the wages (to a maximum of $5,000) for each ‘net new’ placement or 70% of the wages (to a maximum of $7,000) for each ‘net new’ placement for the following under-represented groups: Indigenous people, person with disabilities, newcomer to Canada, first year student, visible minority and/or women in STEM.
Learn more by visiting the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s website.
The Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP) will contribute approximately $13 million to projects that employ youth and youth facing barriers in the agricultural sector. Each project will be eligible to receive up to $14,000 in matching funds to employ one (1) employee.
Support for Hiring International Students & Graduates
Career bridging support for international students & graduates. Assistance to match employers with this global talent pool. Placement incentives of $2,000 – $4,000 can be offered for international graduates.
Contact Nisha Abuja Career Advisor at KEYS for more details.
The OINP recognizes and nominates people for permanent residence who have the skills and experience the Ontario economy needs, and the Government of Canada makes the final decision to approve applications for permanent residence.
Recruitment & Retention Support
Recruitment support, job postings, job fairs, matching. Placement incentives of $2,000 – $4,000 are available based on the skills of the candidate and the skill requirement of the job.
Contact Kyllie Jansen Employer Recruitment Lead for more information.
Intensive job search/job development support to the spouses of new or potential hires. By connecting relocating families to the services they need and by supporting spouses to find employment, the employer is more likely to recruit/retain the talent they require.
Contact Rafael Palacios at KEYS for more information.
