Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) applicant guide – For businesses

Table of contents

• Purpose of this guide
• Preparation
• Access to Information Act and Privacy Act Statement
• How to complete the application
  • Organization information
  • Project primary and secondary contacts
  • Project information
  • Project timelines
  • Funding
  • Benefits
  • Project timelines
  • Market
  • Management
  • Additional details
  • Documents
  • Signing authority
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Validation
  • Attestation
• After you apply
• Assessment process
• Funding disbursement
• Repayment terms for repayable funding
• Environmental assessment compliance
• Reporting requirements
• Glossary

 

Purpose of this guide

The guide helps you complete the online application form for the Regional Tariff Response Fund (RTRI) – for Businesses. Before starting the form, carefully review the RTRI website to ensure your business is eligible to apply for funding and that your proposed activities meet the program objective and criteria.

Preparation

• PrairiesCan will not assess saved applications that have not been submitted.
• Signing and submitting the application form does not constitute a commitment from PrairiesCan for financial assistance.
• Contact PrairiesCan should you have any questions or wish to discuss your proposed project or other relevant government programs that may be applicable to your project.

Access to Information Act and Privacy Act Statement

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) is a government institution subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Applicants should be aware that information provided during the application process and throughout program participation is under the care and control of PrairiesCan and may be subject to Access to Information Act or Privacy Act requests. Please review the application attestation form and contribution agreement for statements regarding how PrairiesCan manages collection, use and disclosurse of information.

How to complete the application

Tips

• Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory and you will be unable to submit your application if these fields are incomplete.
• Character count includes spaces.
• Remember to click save after each section.
• A glossary of terms used in the guide/application can be found at the end of this document.

Organization information

Legal name of applicant organization *

The legal name as shown on the certificate of incorporation or registration.

Operating name (if different than legal name)

Provide the name you are operating under if different from the full legal name.

Mailing address (Including suite, unit, apt #) *

The mailing address of your organization.

Mailing address line 2

Additional mailing address information.

City *

The city in which your organization resides.

Province/Territory *

The province in which your organization resides.

Country *

The country in which your organization resides.

Mailing postal code *

The mailing postal code of your organization.

Telephone country code *

The telephone country code of your organization.

Telephone *

The telephone number of your organization.

Facsimile country code

The facsimile country code of your organization.

Facsimile

The facsimile number of your organization.

Website

Your applicant organization’s website address (if available).

Email address *

Include the general email address of your organization.

Are you an Indigenous (First Nation, Métis or Inuit) majority owned or led organization or government? *

Select yes or no.

Definition: majority owned or led is defined as individuals with long-term control and management of the organization and an active role in both strategic and day-to-day decision making.

Corporate Status *

Indicate if your organization is a for-profit.

Organization Type (select best fit) *

Select the organization type that best describes your business.

I have a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Business Number:*

Select yes or no.

Provide your CRA Business number or GST number (first 9 digits only) *

The unique business number or GST number assigned to your organization by the CRA. A business number or GST number must be obtained through the CRA. For information on obtaining a business number, visit the website of the CRA.

Jurisdiction of Incorporation *

Select from the drop-down menu your organization’s jurisdiction of incorporation.

Incorporation number *

As shown on your certificate of incorporation.

In the province of

Indicate in which province your organization was incorporated.

Date of incorporation *

Indicate the date your organization was incorporated.

Alternative number and Alternative number type

Enter if you do not have a CRA Business Number or Incorporation Number, so your organization can be identified (such as band number, education number).

Number of employees working for your organization (full time equivalents) *

Indicate the number of full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) working for your organization (and any affiliated companies if applicable). Part-time employees should be calculated based on their equivalent to an FTE (in other words, 1 part-time employee working approximately 20 hours per week should be represented as 0.5 FTE).

Provide a brief description and summary of your organization. (Maximum of 500 characters) *

Describe your organization, including:

• your mandate and key priorities
• whether it is Canadian owned
• your primary products and services
• details on your company history and growth
• your competitive advantage, and
• your competition.

Additional information may be included in Project Plan.

Eligible incorporated businesses

To be eligible for this program, for-profit businesses must meet all of the following criteria: 

• be incorporated to conduct business in the Prairies
• have a minimum of $1 million in annual revenue in one or both of your company’s last two fiscal years
• must have been viable prior to tariffs
• are capable of entering into legally binding agreements
• For pivot projects, have confirmed, at the time of application submission, funding from all other sources, including government and non-government

Click Save.

Project primary and secondary contacts

If you have an existing portal account, the project contact may be selected and sub-sections will be pre-filled.

Project Primary Contact *

Provide the name and contact information for the primary contact for communicating with PrairiesCan on all matters involving the application. Ideally, this person is a signing officer with full authority to enter into funding agreements with the Government of Canada.

Project Secondary Contact

Provide the name and contact information for the secondary contact, who will be contacted if the primary contact is unavailable.

Project information

Project title (Maximum of 90 characters) *

Provide a project title beginning with “RTRI-” that accurately reflects the activities and results of the project. The project title:

• should be a maximum of 90 characters including spaces
• will be disclosed on the Open Government Portal website as part of its proactive disclosure guidelines if your project is approved

If you are a business operating in the steel, aluminum, copper, forestry, food and beverage, or automotive industries (see glossary for definitions), start your title with “RTRI [Industry] (e.g. “RTRI automotive –”).

Project address is the same as mailing address? *

Select “Yes” if the address at which the project will be undertaken is the same as the organization’s mailing address. If checked, the mailing address will be automatically entered.

Project address / location (Including suite, unit, apt #) *

If the project address is different from the mailing address, enter the location where the largest portion of the project will occur. This location must be within the Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, or Manitoba).

Project address line 2

If you would like to provide additional project address information, please fill out this section.

Project city, province/territory, and postal code *

The project location address.

Briefly describe your project activities in plain language. This is an important section as it will be used in summary documents to describe your project at various review stages. (Maximum of 1,000 characters including spaces) *

For Liquidity Assistance Projects, please describe your project plan, including:

• Why your business needs liquidity assistance
• How liquidity assistance will help your business meet payroll obligations

For Pivot Projects, please describe your project plan, including:

• the project objective
• how your project addresses market demand
• what the funds will be spent on
• how you will successfully achieve your expected outcomes
• how the project will reduce your businesses trade-related risks.

Eligible activities for pivot projects

1. Productivity improvement
   • investing in digitization, automation, or technology to enhance business productivity and competitiveness
   • reshoring production, research and development operations, recruiting highly qualified personnel and expertise
2. Market expansion and diversification
   • developing and diversifying markets to find new customers
3. Strengthening supply chains and trade resilience
   • optimizing global supply chain logistics and ensuring compliance with standards to gain market access and/or enhance sales
   • strengthening domestic supply chains and facilitating internal trade to increase the resilience of businesses and the reliability of domestic markets

RTRI funding does not support projects that move company operations outside of Canada.

Briefly describe the economic benefits directly associated with this project. (Maximum of 1,000 characters including spaces) *

Provide an explanation on what economic outcomes (such as job creation, revenue growth, etc.) your project will achieve. Identify and detail all assumptions to support the reasonableness of your economic outcomes. All projects will be screened for significance of outcomes and the likelihood of achieving them.

Describe the economic benefits associated with your project and provide numerical values measured year over year from the project start date typically to 1 year following the project completion date. Anticipated outcomes include:

• number of jobs maintained in Canada (required for liquidity assistance projects)
• number of jobs created, which includes the number of highly qualified personnel (HQP), including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs created in Canada and/or, the number of non-HQP jobs created in Canada
• revenue growth ($)
• export sales growth ($)
• number of technologies to market – where applicable
• value of Canadian content used
• value of Canadian materials used

If your project supports the Government of Canada’s commitment to inclusive growth (under-represented groups) you may include this in your explanation. Note: recipients will be encouraged to track inclusiveness indicators.

You will be provided another opportunity to explain in the Benefits section.

Which RDA priority does this project best support? *

The RTRI is open to all sectors of the economy impacted by the newly imposed tariffs.

If you are a business operating in the steel, aluminum, copper, forestry, food and beverage, or automotive industries (see glossary for definitions), choose “Other”.

Otherwise, select 1 of the following priorities that best aligns with your project’s objectives, activities, and outcomes.

To select 1 of the priorities, click on the magnifying glass icon, and the “Lookup records” window will appear where you can then select a priority from. Scroll down for “Other.” For example:

 

Project timelines

Proposed start date *

This is the proposed date the agreement between the Recipient and PrairiesCan could come into effect.

• For pivot projects, the start date may be up to 12 months prior to the date of application submission, but no earlier than March 21, 2025.

• For liquidity assistance projects, the start date may be up to 12 months prior to the date of application submission, but no earlier than August 22, 2026.

If the application is approved, eligible project costs incurred on or after the project start date may be reimbursed with proper documentation.

• Any costs incurred prior to the project start date are not eligible for reimbursement under the terms of the agreement and are outside of the scope of the project.

Proposed end date *

This is the anticipated date the project activity will cease. Any costs incurred after this date are not eligible for reimbursement under RTRI.

For pivot projects, the end date must be on or before the program end date of March 31, 2029 .

• This does not include a repayment period when applicable.

For liquidity assistance projects, the end date must fall within 12 months of the proposed start date.

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Funding

Project costs *

Eligible businesses may apply for up to $1 million of non-repayable contribution funding for pivot projects and/or up to $2 million of non-repayable contribution funding for liquidity assistance. In addition, repayable contributions are available for eligible pivot projects over $1 million.

Description of types of costs (not activities) *

List the various cost items you anticipate incurring in the implementation of the project. Each cost item should have its own line (see instructions below).

Recipients must ensure all project cost items are clearly verifiable.

Project costs incurred by the applicant in the absence of a signed contribution agreement with PrairiesCan are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant.

Eligible costs

Eligible costs depend on the type of support being requested.

For pivot projects, eligible costs are new, additional costs directly related to activities that improve productivity, competitiveness, supply chain resilience, market diversification, or long-term growth.

Costs may be eligible on a retroactive basis up to a 12-month period prior to the receipt of a signed funding request, but no earlier than March 21, 2025. Projects must be completed by no later than March 31, 2029.

Eligible costs include :

• labour costs (e.g., wages and benefits) and material costs
• capital costs (e.g., purchase of machinery or equipment)
• consultancy fees (e.g., professional, advisory and technical services)
• advisory expenses (e.g., planning, business information, counselling advisory services; coaching, mentoring or networking events; workshops or conference fees; fees associated with participation in business training through a business service organization)
• costs related to expanding or maintaining markets

For liquidity assistance projects, funding is intended to help maintain operations and employment in Canada during periods of tariff-related disruption.

Liquidity assistance is based on the business’ demonstrated and quantified liquidity needs. The amount is based mainly on 50% of your average monthly payroll for up to 12 months, although other essential operating costs are eligible and may be taken into consideration.

This type of assistance is provided for a limited period to help address short-term tariff-related pressures, up to a maximum of 12 months, starting no earlier than August 22, 2026 and ending no later than March 31, 2028, to a maximum of $2 million.

Eligible costs include:

• Employee salary and wages
• Essential recurring operating expenses, specifically rent or commercial lease payments, utilities, business insurance and property taxes.

Businesses may apply for both liquidity assistance and a pivot project at the same time if they require immediate financial support while undertaking activities to strengthen their long-term competitiveness and resilience. When applying for both, keep pivot and liquidity assistance costs separate. Under description of types of costs, clearly note which costs are for the liquidity.

Previous RTRI recipients may also be eligible for this liquidity assistance. Existing RTRI recipients should contact their project officer for more information.

Ineligible costs

For pivot projects, costs and activities that are deemed not reasonable, non-incremental, and/or not directly related to the project are ineligible for funding. These include:

• basic and applied R&D (technology readiness levels 1-6)
• land acquisition and goodwill
• salary bonuses and dividend payments
• entertainment and hospitality expenses
• refinancing of existing debts
• amortization or depreciation of assets
• purchase of any assets for more than their fair market value
• lobbying activities
• donations, dues, and membership fees

Generally, the following costs/activities will not be supported:

• business plan preparation
• hospitality and other related costs
• sole sourced consultant fees
• fees related to advocacy work

For liquidity assistance projects, costs and activities that are deemed not reasonable and/or not directly related to the project are ineligible for funding. These include:

• payments to contractors or contracted service providers
• dividends or shareholder distributions
• owner withdrawals
• employee bonuses, including retention bonuses
• employee severance costs
• payments to employees working outside Canada
• the portion of payroll costs covered by another government program, including support provided through EI Work-Sharing
• tariffs, customs duties or export taxes, penalties or similar government charges. While these costs may help demonstrate how tariffs have impacted your business, these are not eligible operating costs for liquidity assistance
• other types of operating costs or lease payments, raw materials, inventory and other direct production inputs, capital purchases, debt principal repayments, interest expenses and other financial costs, or costs unrelated to ongoing operations

Type *

Indicate if the cost is capital (such as purchase of equipment and associated costs such as installation) or non-capital (such as salaries, professional fees).

Amount *

The anticipated amount of the cost item.

Total project costs

Automatically sums the cost items listed above. Note: This total must equal the total expenditures from the Cash Flows section below.

To add a project cost item, click on the Add New Cost Item button and the following window will appear for you to provide the information. Click the Submit button once completed. You will still have the ability to edit the project cost item after hitting this Submit button.

Cash flows *

Financial assistance information

• PrairiesCan will take into consideration all other sources of funding available to the applicant and may give preference to projects that demonstrate greater leverage of funding from non-PrairiesCan sources
• Eligible business applicants can apply for up to $1 million in non-repayable contribution funding for pivot projects and/or up to $2 million in non-repayable contribution funding for liquidity assistance, otherwise funding is normally repayable. Funding can cover up to 50% of eligible project costs
  • For pivot projects, the remaining 50% of eligible costs must be supported from a non-PrairiesCan source and must be confirmed at time of application and again prior to project approval
  • For liquidity assistance projects, the remaining 50% of eligible costs must be demonstrated through forecasted revenue, available financing, working capital, and other government assistance
• Indigenous applicants may receive funding for up to 80% of eligible project costs for commercial (revenue-generating) project.
  • Government funding (federal, provincial, and municipal) can cover up to 90% of project costs for businesses.

Fiscal year (ending March 31)

Select appropriate fiscal year for cash flows.

Total fiscal expenditures *

Anticipated total project costs incurred from each fiscal year.

RDA funding *

The amount of PrairiesCan funding being requested to support each fiscal year’s expenses.

Non-RDA funding *

Automatically generated: the portion of project expenditures not covered by PrairiesCan funding.

1. To enter cash flow information, click the down arrow on the far right for the fiscal year you are interested in. Click the Edit option that appears. Note: the fiscal years shown below are for illustrative purposes only.

2. Enter the Expenditures and RDA Amount Requested information and then hit Submit. You will still have the ability to edit the project cost item after hitting the Submit button. Note: the fiscal years shown below are for illustrative purposes only.

Total expenditures, total RDA funding requested and total non-RDA funding

The system will automatically calculate total PrairiesCan funding requested, as well as Total Fiscal Expenditures. Note that this total must equal total projects costs from the project cost section.

Total expenditures

This is the sum of the Total Fiscal Expenditures column in the Cash Flows section. It is automatically calculated.

Note: This total must equal the Total project costs from the Project Costs section above.

RDA funding requested

This is the sum of the PrairiesCan Funding column in the Cash Flows section. It is automatically calculated.

Total non-RDA funding

This is the sum of the Non-PrairiesCan funding column in the Cash Flows section. It is automatically calculated.

Note: This total must equal the Amount provided by funding partners from the Funding Partners section below.

Funding Partners *

The first line in the list of funding partners is reserved for the applicant organization. Please add other funding partners or contributors, if any, in subsequent rows. Other funding partners and contributors can include other government funding (local, provincial, or federal, such as BDC, EDC, ISED, and ESDC), investors, grants, and private or banking loans.

Identify all potential contributors that will provide a monetary contribution to the project. In-kind contributions are not eligible and, therefore, should not be listed in this section.

In-kind contributions, such as goods and services, toward project costs that do not involve a cost incurred or paid for by the applicant. These types of contributions should be demonstrated in the application at fair market value.

Guidelines for in-kind costs/contributions

Only project costs incurred and directly paid by the applicant can be reimbursed by PrairiesCan.

An in-kind contribution is a project cost that does not involve an expense incurred and paid for by the project applicant. Typically, these expenses are borne by third parties for items or services that are in turn provided to the applicant at no cost or at a reduced cost (e.g., a deep discount not typically offered to others).

In-kind costs:

• are used to demonstrate a more accurate picture of the project scope, including:
  • project funding
  • project leveraging
  • demonstration of participant and/or private sector contributions to a project.
• must be for an item considered by PrairiesCan to be essential to a project ’s success, eligible under the programming, and would otherwise be purchased and paid for by the applicant.
• may only be included in the project when there is a clear plan and commitment from the applicant on how the costs can be verified.

Example: An industry partner will provide trucks to a college for use in a project to train truck drivers.

• The college did not incur or pay any incremental costs but the project could not reasonably go forward without the trucks, so this would be an in-kind contribution to project costs.
• The value of the trucks to the project can be quantified via sales records.

Identify all potential project partners including the applicant organization that will provide a monetary or in-kind contribution. Note: applicants must ensure all contributions are clearly verifiable.

Other government assistance, SR&ED and other tax credits

PrairiesCan considers tax credits received for activities undertaken between the project start and end date as a source of government assistance. Such credits are included when calculating the total amount of government funding that has been provided to a project.

Successful applicants who are in receipt of Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits and other similar federal or provincial tax credits for activities defined in the project are required to inform PrairiesCan. PrairiesCan may be required to reduce its overall level of project funding to ensure the total amount of government assistance does not exceed 90% of project costs.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) may consider funding received from RTRI to be government assistance, even though it will eventually be repaid.

Applicants are strongly advised to seek independent professional advice to determine the potential effect of RTRI funding on project activities for which SR&ED tax credits, or other federal and provincial tax credits or funding, are likely to be sought.

Funding Category

Select from the drop-down menu the description that best reflects the funding source.

Funding Confirmed

In the case where your organization (Applicant) is a source of funding, indicate yes if you have cash on hand. In the case of other funding sources, indicate yes if there is written documentation supporting the funding.

Amount *

The anticipated amount of funding this partner (Applicant or funding partner) will provide.

1. To add a funding partner, click on the button and the following window will appear for you to input the information. Click the Submit button once completed. You will still have the ability to edit the project cost item after hitting this Submit button.

2. To edit what your organization will be contributing towards this project, click the down arrow on the far right for the fiscal year you are interested in. Click the Edit option that appears and a similar pop-up window as shown above will appear.

Total amount provided by funding partners

Automatically sums the funding amounts listed above.

Note: This total must equal the Total non-PrairiesCan funding from the Cash Flows section above.

Briefly describe any project partnerships (non-financial and financial), including any costs covered. (Maximum of 1,200 characters, including spaces) *

Describe partnerships that would be important to the success of the proposed project. Include any costs covered by the partnerships.

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Benefits

Primary activity *

Choose 1 primary activity that best aligns with your project’s objectives, activities, and outcomes. Your project may be compared to similar projects of a chosen primary activity. Refer to Who can apply for more details.

Indicator *

Note that these should be measured from the proposed start date until typically 1 year following the project completion. The most common indicators are below, although additional indicators pertaining to your project can be added. If your project does not have a value to report for a listed indicator, input a value of “0” (zero) and enter a target date.

Mandatory and optional indicators

PrairiesCan supports RTRI projects that have a viable plan to produce strong economic outcomes. Applicants must quantify, substantiate, and later report on the following mandatory expected results:

For liquidity assistance projects, the mandatory indicator is:

• Number of jobs maintained

For pivot projects, mandatory indicators include:

• number of jobs created in Canada including highly qualified personnel (HQP) including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs created in Canada and/or number of non-HQP jobs created in Canada
• revenue growth ($)
• export sales growth ($)
• number of technologies to market – where applicable
• value of Canadian content used
• value of Canadian materials used

If any of the mandatory indicators are not selected, then please explain why the indicator in question cannot be selected for your project.

Additional performance indicators available to measure the success for your project include:

• number of Prairie businesses with new domestic sales
• incremental private sector investment attracted ($)
• number of new technologies or processes implemented to decrease the cost of production – where applicable

PrairiesCan is working to improve the economic participation (e.g., job creation) of Indigenous Peoples, women and youth.

Note: recipients will be encouraged to establish and track inclusiveness indicators.

Number of jobs maintained *

A job maintained refers to a full-time equivalent (FTE) job maintained because of project. A job maintained refers to a job that existed within the applicant organization prior to the project, but that would not continue or would likely be lost if the project is not funded.

Number of jobs created *

A job created refers to a job that did not exist with the organization prior to the project, but which was created as a result of the project, and includes:

• Number of highly qualified personnel including STEM jobs created in Canada:
  • The number of jobs created as a result of this project that are professional, science, and technology-related jobs – based on an OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) definition of ‘science and technology-related jobs’. See definition of this in the glossary. Number of jobs created includes the number of HQP (highly qualified personnel, including STEM) jobs expanded as a result of project supported through PrairiesCan funding. Expanded refers to transitioning a seasonal or part-time employee to a year-round or full-time position, or similar increase in hours.
    • One FTE job = 12 person months of employment. (In the case of seasonal or part time employment, person months of employment should be converted to FTE job).
    • Inclusiveness sub-types include women, Indigenous Peoples and youth.
  and/or,
• Number of non-highly qualified jobs created in Canada:
  • The number of jobs created as a result of this project that are not considered highly qualified personnel (HQP) as per the definition above. Number of jobs created includes the number of non-HQP jobs expanded as a result of projects supported through PrairiesCan funding. Expanded refers to transitioning a seasonal or part-time employee to a year-round or full-time position, or similar increase in hours.
    • One FTE job = 12 person months of employment. (In the case of seasonal or part time employment, person months of employment should be converted to FTE job).
    • Inclusiveness sub-types include women, Indigenous Peoples and youth.

Revenue Growth *

Growth in total sales (dollar value) of businesses supported through funding. Includes revenues from all products and services (not just those supported through project activities).

Provide a numerical value that totals the anticipated entire firm sales year over year from the project proposed start date up to 1 year following the proposed end date.

The example below illustrates how to calculate the revenue growth.

• For example, a firm has $1 million in revenue at the time of application. They plan to grow to $2 million next year, $3 million the year after and $4 million the year after (which is the last year of the project), and finally $5 million for the year after the project. To calculate the total, add up the incremental amount (that year’s forecasted revenue minus the original level they were at when they applied) from each year. In this example, the revenue growth would be $1 million + $2 million + $3 million + $4 million = $10 million.

Revenue at time of application	Year 1		Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Total
$1 million	Actual Revenue	$2M	$3M	$4M	$5M	$14M
	Revenue Growth	$1M	$2M	$3M	$4M	$10M

Export Sales Growth *

Growth in the total export sales (dollar value) of goods and services. Includes exports from all products and services (not just those supported through project activities).

Provide a numerical value that totals the anticipated sales growth related to the entire firm’s exports year over year from the project proposed start date up to 1 year following the proposed end date.

The example below illustrates how to calculate export sales growth.

• For example, a firm has $500,000 in export sales revenue at the time of application. They plan to grow to $1 million next year, $1.5 million the year after and $2 million the year after (which is the last year of the project), and finally $2.5 million for the year after the project. To calculate the total, add up the incremental amount (that year’s forecasted revenue minus the original level they were at when they applied) from each year. In this example, the export sales growth would be $500,000 + $1 million + $1.5 million + $2 million = $5 million.

Export sales at time of application	Year 1		Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Total
$500,000	Actual Export Sales	$1M	$1.5M	$2M	$2.5M	$7M
	Export Sales Growth	$500,000	$1M	$1.5M	$2M	$5M

Number of technologies to market (where applicable)*

The number of knowledge-based products, processes, services, or technologies which meet legal and regulatory requirements in order to be sold to consumer or industrial clients.

Provide a numerical value of the number of technologies anticipated to be developed which would meet legal and regulatory requirements in order to be sold to consumer or industrial clients. A technology could also include knowledge-based products, processes, and services.

Examples of technologies to market could include the sale or commercialization of: a new pharmaceutical or pharmaceutical ingredients; new industrial machinery/tools, new hardware or software products, new waste treatment processes.

The example below illustrates how to calculate number of technologies to market:

• For example, a firm is developing three new products which they plan to bring to the market in the second year of project. In addition, they also plan to deliver a new service to their clients in the third and final year of the project. In this example, the total number of technologies to market would be 3 + 1 = 4.

Value of Canadian content used *

Canadian content means the portion of a good or service that comes from Canada or is Canadian value added, where:

• A service counts as Canadian if it is provided entirely by people based in Canada. If only a portion of the work is done by people based in Canada, then only that Canadian portion of the service counts. In practice, this may include any project specific costs related to associated labour or professional services retained.
• A good counts as Canadian if it is made in Canada or value has been added in Canada, such as through assembly, customization, installation, integration, training, commissioning, or support carried out in Canada. If only a portion is made in Canada, then only the value added in Canada counts. In practice, this would include any costs of goods purchased in relation to the project.

Value of Canadian materials used

Canadian materials means materials (e.g., steel, wood products, and aluminum) that have undergone primary manufacturing and fabrication in Canada.

Provide details on how each of the above indicators will be achieved and tracked as well as any other economic benefits that may be achieved. (Maximum 3,000 characters including spaces) *

Provide a detailed explanation as to how the economic outcomes listed above will be tracked and achieved as well as any other economic outcomes that may be achieved. Identify and detail all assumptions to support the reasonableness of your economic outcomes. All projects will be screened for significance of outcomes and their likelihood of achievement.

For pivot projects, identify the numbers of jobs requiring highly qualified personnel, which is defined as individuals with university degrees at the bachelor’s level and above.

For liquidity assistance projects, identify the numbers in the region of the Prairies in which you are applying that you expect to maintain with the assistance. The number should be current as of the date of your application. The number should be reasonable and consistent with the payroll information in your application. Do not include:

• Contractors;
• Vacant positions;
• Future hires;
• Employees working elsewhere in Canada (i.e., if you have operations in more than one RDA catchment area, you will be required to submit separate funding requests for those employees and the total);
• Employees working outside of Canada; or
• Payroll costs covered by another government program or initiative, including any jobs maintained as a result of an RTRI pivot project.

If your project supports the Government of Canada’s commitment to inclusive growth (under-represented groups), you may include this in your explanation. Note: recipients will be encouraged to track inclusiveness indicators (in other words, women, Indigenous Peoples and youth) throughout the project from the project proposed start date to 1 year following the project completion date.

Does your project have activities that will benefit Francophones? If your project includes activities that will directly benefit the Francophone community in the Prairie Provinces or if you are willing to modify your project to extend its benefits to the Francophone community, choose yes.*

Select Yes or No.

Official languages

Under the Official Languages Act, the Government of Canada is committed to supporting the development of official language minority communities (English-speaking communities in Quebec and French-speaking communities in the rest of Canada). More than 2 million Canadians belong to an official language minority community. The intention is to enable these communities to thrive and to enjoy the same benefits as the rest of the population.

Applicants seeking funding may assist PrairiesCan in fulfilling its obligations under the Official Languages Act by identifying aspects of the proposed project that may benefit Francophone communities in Western Canada or by being willing to modify the proposed project to extend its benefits to the Francophone community. This may be as simple as purposely hiring Francophone employees, including a French-speaking service provider who is able to offer services in French as part of the project, or offering the final product resulting from the project in French.

Please follow up with your PrairiesCan project officer to explore how you might modify your proposed project to assist the department in extending benefits to the Francophone community.

If yes, describe how the project activities will benefit Francophones. (Maximum of 1,500 characters including spaces) *

Explain how this project will or could benefit the Francophone community in the Prairie Provinces and what specific activity(ies) will or could include. If Francophones will not benefit from the project, simply write ‘not applicable’.

For example:

• The project will hire bilingual staff.
• The project will ensure that any communication tools are produced in French (final report, exhibit, video, etc.)

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Project timelines

Full project description. (Maximum of 3,000 characters, including spaces) *

This description should provide clear understanding of the following:

• objectives of the project
• key activities of the project and how these activities will achieve the intended objectives of the project
• outline the plan to achieve the objectives and key activities
• describe the engagement and/or commitment from other partners (such as industry, other levels of government)
• clearly address any project risks and mitigation measures to address these risks (such as project delays, staff turnover, other challenges) to secure confirmed funding

Project timeline – milestone (project activities) *

A milestone is a project activity that can be clearly defined and measured. Provide a list of significant activities or project milestones that can be measured and tracked to ensure the project is proceeding as planned. These should be significant milestones that will be used to ensure your prosject’s performance over the course of the project, up to the stated completion date of the project.

For pivot projects, enter key significant activities or project milestones through the project duration.

For liquidity assistance projects, enter the end date of the project. The end date must fall within 12 months of the proposed start date.

Select ‘+Add New Project Timeline’ to enter information.

Date of expected completion *

This is the date that the milestone should be completed by.

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Market

Provide the rationale for the project (e.g., how the project addresses an opportunity, gap, or challenge) and, by extension, for the Regional Development Agency’s involvement in the project. (Maximum of 2,000 characters including spaces) *

For pivot projects, fully explain how the project will fill a market gap or an industry need.

• Describe the opportunity or challenge and how your project is a solution.
• Provide a rationale for government’s role in the project.
• Provide details on how this project is incremental to the organization’s current operations or activities.
• Clearly outline if the project aligns with other Government of Canada priorities; provincial government priorities; industry needs; and your organization’s long-term research, capital and/or strategic plans.

For liquidity assistance projects, explain what could happen without the assistance. Where possible, connect the amount requested to specific payroll periods and jobs, availability of working capital, cash flow forecasts, loan agreements or similar evidence of need.

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Management

Clearly demonstrate that your organization has effective governance measures in place to execute this project. Indicate how oversight will be provided to the project. (Maximum of 2,000 characters including spaces) *

Provide an explanation of how your organization is governed (such as board of directors, advisory board) and its structure along with a brief explanation of key executives’ credentials (such as indicate the level of experience of the board members, such as the number of years of experience each member has on the board of directors). Clearly demonstrate that your organization has effective governance measures in place to provide appropriate oversight of this project. Indicate how these individuals will specifically be involved in providing oversight on the project.

Describe the qualifications and related experience of the key individuals that will be responsible for managing and implementing the project. (Maximum of 2,000 characters including spaces) *

Provide a list of the members of your organization who will be directly managing and implementing the project.

For pivot projects, include their relevant prior experience, education, professional designation(s), and other achievements. Clearly demonstrate that your organization has the management skills and leadership to carry out the project.

Additional details

Complete the Additional Details.

Date your organization established business in Canada.*

Enter the month-day-year your organization established business in Canada.

Is your organization a subsidiary of another company? *

Select Yes or No.

If yes, what is the legal name of the parent company?

Enter name.

Is your business a manufacturer, supplier, or value-added businesses operating in a tariff-impacted sector? If no, your business may not be eligible. *

Select Yes or No.

Which of the following best describes your tariff impact? (Select all that apply) *

Select all that apply:

• At least 25% of revenues are derived from exports to the United States or China
• Directly impacted by Section 338 tariffs
• Directly impacted by Section 232 tariffs
• Directly impacted by tariff countermeasures
• Increase in input costs due to tariffs
• Supply chain disruption due to tariffs
• Revenue decline or loss of customers attributable to tariffs
• Other (describe)

Describe how tariffs, have negatively affected your business or how they are threatening it. (Maximum 2,000 characters) *

Describe what changed and when; which products, materials, customers, suppliers, or markets were affected; the financial or operational impact on your business; how the impact affects your ability to maintain operations or employment in Canada; and the evidence you can provide.

• Evidence may include export sales records showing reduced volumes; invoices, supplier notices, purchase orders or similar showing increased costs for the purchase of production materials; addition of an import or export tax on your products; customs documents; revenue decline from loss of customers or contracts; layoffs, hiring freezes or uptake of the EI Work-Sharing Program at your business; and other relevant business records.
• You do not need to attach every business record. Provide enough information for us to understand and verify the tariff-related impact.

What is your fiscal year end date? *

Enter the month-day-year of your organization’s fiscal year end.

Total revenues from your most recent fiscal year end *

Enter amount ($).

Total revenues from your previous fiscal year end *

Enter amount ($).

Type of support requested *

Select all that apply.

• Liquidity assistance (non-repayable up to $2 million)
• Pivot project (non-repayable up to $1 million)
• Pivot project (repayable up to $10 million)

Describe the most significant risk to your project and the steps you have in place to mitigate this risk. (Maximum 1,000 characters including spaces) *

Indicate key risks associated with the project (e.g., financial, trade, market, regulatory, implementation, or other risks that may impact a successful project outcome) and potential risk to the broader economy (e.g., cybersecurity, privacy). Also, please identify risk mitigation measures for the project.

Total liquidity assistance requested (up to $2 million) *

Enter amount ($).

Average monthly payroll for the most recent 12-month period *

Enter amount ($).

Other recurring operating costs for the most recent 12-month period *

Enter amount ($).

Briefly explain how the assistance would be used to maintain employment and operations in Canada and how your business will cover any gap between government assistance and total operational liquidity needs. * (maximum 2,000 characters)

For liquidity assistance projects, provide a brief explanation on how your business will use the assistance and the plan to address gaps in the need.

Liquidity attestation

The Applicant hereby attests that the liquidity assistance will be used to help maintain the Applicant’s current operations and employment in Canada.

During the funding period, the Applicant undertakes to:

• maintain its Canadian operations, payroll and employment levels, and promptly notify the Government of Canada of any reduction in those levels;
• provide any information required by the Government of Canada to monitor these commitments; and
• promptly notify the Government of Canada of any changes to its Government Funding Sources.

During the funding period, the Applicant acknowledges that it may not receive the full amount of funding approved if:

• its need for liquidity assistance changes, including, but not limited to, where tariffs are removed, a trade agreement is reached, or its operational or financial conditions change; or
• it no longer meets any term of its contribution agreement.

In such cases, the Applicant acknowledges that funding may be reduced or terminated, and that it may be required to repay all or part of the funding already received, as outlined in its contribution agreement.

☐ I agree

Documents

Upload the following documents.

• Current Financial Statements – interim financial statements for the past 6 months
• Confirmation of Funding
  • evidence of confirmation of all other (non-PrairiesCan) sources of project funding * 
    • for funding to be provided by the applicant organization – current bank statements detailing existing cash balances or unused portion of lines of credit
    • for third-party funding sources – official letters of intent (on letterhead, signed) and/or funding agreements, signed term sheet
  • PrairiesCan does not consider the following as proof of confirmed funding:
    • forecasted revenues from future activities
    • accounts receivables
    • commitments to raise equity
    • commitments to obtain future bank financing
    • Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) credit
• Recent Financial Statements (2 years)
• Forecasted Income Statements & Cashflows – with rationale and assumptions (3 to 5 years)
• Project Plan (a business plan or pitch deck) which must address each area outlined below and should include clear rationale/assumptions where necessary:
  • description of each major product/service your business currently provides, and the value proposition to your customer base
  • description of the management team and corporate governance structure. This should include both the ability to manage day-to-day operations as well as to manage the project. If the management team is not yet complete, please comment as to the reasoning, and if applicable, future intentions
  • for pivot projects:
    • detailed operating/execution plan for implementing the proposed project
    • description of how your project will affect the value proposition to your current key customer segments and/or how your customer base will grow or change; how it will strengthen revenue or reduce costs
    • description of your business’s competitive advantage and how your project will affect your competitive position (where applicable)
    • analysis of the marketplace (including industry factors, competition, and customers)
    • detailed sales, pricing, and marketing strategy
    • third party market assessment or evidence of unmet market demand (if available)
• Supporting documents including
  • evidence to support tariff impact claims
  • other attachments, such as letters of support, etc.
  • for liquidity assistance projects:
    • payroll remittance reports for the last 12 months
    • evidence of other essential operating costs for the last 12 months
    • evidence to substantiate liquidity needs
• Incorporation documents for your organization and proof of signing authority (e.g., bylaws, articles of incorporation, board minutes or record of decision)

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Signing authority

The application form must be submitted by a member of your organization with signing power/authority to enter into a legal agreement with PrairiesCan.

Note: the fields marked with an asterisk (*) need to be completed in order to submit this form.

First name *

Provide the first name of the member of the organization with signing power/the authority to enter into an agreement. This person should be either the primary or the secondary contact.

Last name *

Provide the family name of the contact.

Title *

Provide the contact person’s job title (such as president, executive director).

Email address *

Provide a valid e-mail address.

Telephone country code *

The telephone country code of where the contact person can be reached.

Telephone *

Provide a phone number where the contact person can be reached.

Cellular country code *

The cellular country code of your organization.

Cellular phone *

The cellular number of your organization.

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Diversity and inclusion

The Government of Canada is committed to diversity and inclusion so that all Canadians have the opportunity to participate in and contribute to the growth of the economy. Gender and diversity data collected may be used for research, statistics, program and policy evaluation, risk management, strategy development, reporting, and gender-based analysis (including GBA+). This information can help the Government of Canada monitor progress on inclusive access to federal support programs and services; to identify and remove barriers; and, to make changes to improve inclusive access. The Government of Canada understands that participation of underrepresented groups is an integral part of building strong and inclusive communities and economy.

No personal identifying information will be shared. Aggregate and anonymous data may be shared with other federal organizations and/or published for reporting and monitoring purposes.

Unless otherwise directed by the program, the following gender and diversity data will not be used to assess the application. It is being collected for statistical purposes and may feed into future programming.

Is your organization majority (in other words, over 50%) owned or led by individuals who self identify as

The purpose of this question is to gather information related to the ownership/leadership of the organization to see which diverse groups PrairiesCan funds. Answer related sub-questions below. Please refer to the glossary for definition on “majority-owned” and any of the diverse groups.

Will your project directly support any of the following diverse groups?

This question is regarding the people that will benefit from this project. Will your project directly support any of the groups listed? If so, please answer ‘yes’. If you do not know if your project will directly support a particular group, or prefer not to answer, just leave the field blank. This information may be considered in assessing your project. Refer to the glossary for definition on “majority-owned” and any of the diverse groups.

If yes is selected for any of the following diverse groups, then specify. (Maximum of 1,500 characters)

Provide an explanation on how your project will directly support the diverse group selected.

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Validation

For this step, any errors or omissions in the form will be brought to your attention, and you will be given the opportunity to review them and make any necessary corrections.

Attestation

Before you can complete and submit your application, it is necessary in this final step for you to affirm that you are aware of certain statutory obligations, that your organization meets the eligibility requirements for the program, and that the collected information may also be used for consideration under other government programs.

Please ensure the attestation is completed by the primary contact, who is also the member of your organization with signing power/authority to enter into a legal agreement with PrairiesCan.

Click off the check box to indicate you have read and agree with the acknowledgements.

Authorized official of the applicant organization acknowledgements

The application form must be submitted by a member of your organization with signing power/authority to enter into a legal agreement.

After you apply

Assessment process

Intake for RTRI is a competitive process.

All applications will be evaluated based on:

• ability to achieve RTRI objectives
• economic impact
• project viability
• for pivot projects, relative strengths in:
  • market potential
  • management capability
  • financial capacity
  • economic benefits
  • degree of alignment with governmental priorities

To fully assess your project, PrairiesCan may request (as applicable):

• detailed breakdown of project costs
• information to substantiate the negative impact of tariffs on your business
• information to substantiate the proportion of Canadian inputs in your project
• disclosure of pre-existing disbursements to third parties or senior executives
• other detailed information on the project or your organization
• a credit check (e.g., Equifax)

Although PrairiesCan may engage companies directly on outstanding questions or issues, applicants are advised to submit a complete and thorough application. Not all applications undergoing a detailed assessment will receive an offer of funding.

PrairiesCan anticipates funding decisions within approximately 90 business days from receiving a complete funding application.

If your application is approved

Funding disbursement

PrairiesCan provides contributions under RTRI, not grants.

RTRI funding for successful projects is normally provided as periodic reimbursements based on claims you submit. PrairiesCan will reimburse you for the approved portion (such as 50%) of eligible project costs that have been incurred and paid.

There will be a delay between the time costs are incurred and when claimed costs are partly reimbursed. Successful applicants will need to plan their project cash flow accordingly. PrairiesCan will provide an orientation to this process for successful applicants.

Claims for incurred costs can be submitted quarterly, between one and four times per year and are processed within 15 business days of PrairiesCan receiving a complete claim package.

Repayment terms for repayable funding

An RTRI contribution agreement for commercial project activities will normally require recipients to repay the entire principal within 6 years of project completion. Following a 1-year grace period after project completion, recipients will be required to make 60 equal monthly payments. Although funding is provided interest-free, interest equal to the average bank rate plus 3% will be charged for any late principal payments.

There is no penalty for early repayment.

Environmental assessment compliance

Projects involving physical works may be subject to the Impact Assessment Act (2019). Recipients of PrairiesCan funding will be responsible for obtaining all certificates, consents, permits and approvals required for compliance with applicable legislation and for complying with the requirements of such legislation. Should an environmental assessment be required, it will be necessary to plan several months before the project Proposed Start Date to allow sufficient time for the completion of the assessment.

Reporting requirements

All contribution agreements issued under the RTRI include performance indicators to measure the individual project performance and the program’s effectiveness relative to objectives.

If you are a successful applicant, you must:

• provide periodic progress reports at least twice per year (frequency requirements will be outlined in your funding agreement)
• progress reports should demonstrate project progress and achievement of results
• reports should accompany claims for project cost reimbursement
• provide annual financial statements from project start date to the end of the repayment period (if applicable)
• ensure project activities are completed by the project completion date
• track and report on key project activities and deliverables up to the final reporting date.

Glossary

Below is a short glossary of terms used in this guide: