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Enhance Your Community Program

The Enhance Your Community Program supports priorities of northern communities and organizations that contribute to a healthy and strong community.

Effective February 23, 2026, social enterprises—such as cooperatives and Indigenous community‑owned for‑profit entities—may be eligible for funding under NOHFC’s Community Enhancement Program where they operate primarily for social, environmental, or cultural benefit and reinvest the majority of profits back into their mission. Eligibility requires that cooperatives are structured without the ability to flow dividends to individual members, and that Indigenous for‑profit entities are 100% community‑owned with all profits reinvested into the community rather than distributed. Social enterprises that meet these criteria may receive conditional contributions of up to 50% of eligible project costs to a maximum of $1,000,000. Applicants are encouraged to contact their Northern Development Advisor to discuss eligibility and program fit.

Funding

Funding is provided as a conditional contribution of up to 50% of eligible costs or $2,000,000, whichever is less.

 

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Eligibility

Municipalities, Indigenous communities, not-for-profit organizations, and Local Services Boards located in Northern Ontario.

Before you begin, check if you fall within the eligible region of Northern Ontario.

What is eligible?

  • Incremental improvements, repairs, and/or renovations
  • The implementation of priority economic development initiatives
  • Business retention and attraction strategies
  • Projects identifying and implementing investment opportunities
  • The construction and/or renovation of capital assets that support community economic development
  • Implementation of community economic development projects, including non- capital costs, technical expertise, incremental project-related human resources
  • Projects aligned with NOHFC’s strategic initiatives, as identified by the NOHFC Board of Directors, that address an economic priority in a region or sector

What is not eligible?

  • Core infrastructure
  • Administrative space or office buildings
  • Residential projects
  • Operating expenses
  • Routine and ongoing maintenance
  • Rolling stock
  • Stand-alone equipment and furniture purchases
  • Stand-alone studies

The NOHFC Board of Directors decides on funding for each project, but there is limited money available, so not all eligible projects will receive funding. NOHFC may deny funding if another government program could support the project, but NOHFC may choose to provide extra help after that program makes its decision, at their discretion.

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) has made a change to its Community Enhancement Program. Due to the sustained and overwhelming demand across NOHFC programs, funding eligibility is being better aligned with the economic development purpose of the program. This shift will ensure available resources are directed toward projects that create jobs and build and revitalize infrastructure that contributes to both local economic development and a stronger, more resilient Northern Ontario.

Effective February 3, 2026, fire halls and related fire service activities will not be eligible for NOHFC funding. This includes applications intended for construction, expansion, renovation, or upgrading of fire halls. Fire halls and related fire service activities are considered core community infrastructure. Communities with fire hall or fire station projects are encouraged to contact your local Northern Development Advisor to discuss alternative funding programs designed to support municipal infrastructure and public safety investments.

Process

Applications to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation take the following path:

Apply

Submit your application and we’ll review it and make sure your project meets our program guidelines.

Evaluation

We’ll get some additional information on your project and review it in greater detail.

Decision

We’ll share our review with our board of directors, who will make the final decision on your application.

Documents

Use the following documents to guide you through the application process:

Download Full Program Guidelines

Download Brochure

Program Success Story

The Tasty Venture

How Fromagerie Kapuskoise transformed a residential home into a cheese factory.

While visiting China in 2011, Francois Nadeau was surprised to learn that it was hard to find cheese — something he loved to eat — in the country.

Help & FAQ

What type of financial support can a social enterprise receive?2026-03-05T09:24:15-05:00

Funding for social enterprises is provided as a conditional contribution of up to 50% of eligible costs or $1,000,000 of total eligible costs, whichever is less.
A conditional contribution is a grant of funds. These funds could be partially or fully repayable if a recipient does not meet the terms and conditions imposed by NOHFC in a legally binding contract.

Are cooperatives and non-profit organizations operating as social enterprises potentially eligible under the Community Enhancement Program?2026-03-05T09:22:36-05:00

A social enterprise is a corporation that uses commercial strategies to achieve a primary social, environmental, or cultural mission, reinvesting most profits back into that mission rather than maximizing shareholder wealth, blending business with purpose to create sustainable change. They operate like regular businesses, selling goods or services, but their core goal is community well-being, addressing issues like poverty, unemployment, or environmental protection.

Social enterprises such as cooperatives and Indigenous community-owned for-profit entities are considered potentially eligible under the Community Enhancement Program where the following is demonstrated:

  • The cooperative is established without the ability to flow dividends to individual members of the cooperative limiting the benefit of NOHFC support to the benefit of the non-profit.
  • The Indigenous for-profit entity is 100% owned by the Indigenous community or by a number of Indigenous communities with 100% of the profits being reinvested back into the community(ies), excluding revenues reinvested back into the business.
Are airport-related projects eligible for funding under the Community Enhancement Program?2024-09-10T18:13:29-04:00

Yes, airport-related projects may be eligible under the Community Enhancement Program (CEP). To apply, the project should address the following:

  • Economic impact and benefits to the community or region, supporting local or regional economic development.
  • Why NOHFC funding is needed (e.g., no other airport-specific funding is available or has been denied).
  • Alignment with a planning process, such as a community or organizational plan.
  • How the project improves the capacity and efficiency of existing infrastructure.
  • The strength of the project plan, showing technical, managerial, and financial ability to complete and sustain the project.
My non-profit organization requires operational funding support (i.e. money to maintain normal operations and activities such as salary and benefits, rent or leasing expenses, office equipment, travel, marketing, etc.). Can I apply to NOHFC for financial support for these types of costs?2024-11-23T14:49:27-05:00

No, operating expenses are not eligible for funding.

Based on the latest census, my community population was under 30,000 residents. Am I eligible for the Enhance Your Community program?2024-11-23T13:57:14-05:00

Yes. The Enhance Your Community propgram is open to all eligible applicants regardless of municipal, community, or catchment area population.

Can my organization apply for more than one project at a time?2024-09-10T18:15:50-04:00

NOHFC will accept multiple project applications from an applicant.

Our project includes some administrative and/or residential space. Does this mean that the entire project is ineligible?2024-09-10T18:15:21-04:00

No. Depending on the project and the percentage of ineligible space, NOHFC may consider part of the project to be eligible while the administration and/or residential space would be ineligible.

How do I demonstrate that funding from NOHFC is necessary to make the project viable?2024-09-10T18:15:06-04:00

You must show that you have investigated and / or applied to other relevant federal or provincial funding sources.

My organization wants to pursue an important project, but it is not within any of our formal plans; can we still apply?2024-09-10T17:39:22-04:00

NOHFC recognizes that some projects develop quickly and will consider those projects on a case-by-case basis.

Not sure what you’re looking for? Get in touch with our agents for a 1-on-1 conversation about your project.

2026-03-06T11:38:32-05:00
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