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Rural Enhancement Program

The Rural Enhancement Funding program is designed to support priorities of rural communities with a population between 1,500 and 30,000, that contribute to healthy and strong communities.

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 and will not exceed:

  • Up to 90% of eligible costs, with a maximum of $200,000, for communities with fewer than 1,500 people and Indigenous communities.
  • Up to 75% of eligible costs, with a maximum of $500,000, for communities with more than 1,500 people.

The NOHFC Board of Directors decides the funding for each project, and since funds are limited, not all eligible projects will receive funding.

NOHFC may refuse funding if another government program is better suited to support the project. However, NOHFC might still offer additional help after that other program makes its decision, at their discretion.

BACK TO PROGRAMS

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Eligibility

Rural municipalities, Indigenous communities, not-for-profit organizations and Local Services Boards having or serving a population of less than 30,000.

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

What is eligible?

Incremental improvements, repairs, and/or renovations to improve and extend the useful life of capital assets, including social and recreational facilities, municipal assets and community halls, that contribute to a healthy and vibrant community.

The NOHFC Board of Directors may consider exceptions to these eligibility criteria for projects that address a priority need in Northern Ontario.

What is not eligible?

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

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

Download Full Program Guidelines

Download Brochure

Program Success Story

  • The Great Adventure
    Strategic Economic Infrastructure Program

    The Great Adventure

    The new Lake Superior Water Trail provides paddlers with the amenities and safety information needed for an epic adventure, following the opening of the universally accessible water trail access points and tourist information kiosks in July 2017.

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.
My organization wants to pursue an important project, but it is not within any of our formal plans; can we still apply?2024-09-10T18:14:23-04:00

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

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.

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

2026-03-06T11:39:06-05:00April 25th, 2024|
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