Downtown Tomorrow CIP Facade Improvement Grant
Get reimbursed for up to 50% of eligible facade costs, capped at $5,000 per property (plus up to $2,000 for heritage buildings) in Orillia. This is a matching grant, so you pay first and get paid back after inspection. Applications are open.
“Any eligible property owner or tenant within the Downtown Tomorrow Community Improvement Planning project area may apply for the DTCIP Programs, except the Residential Grant Program which is eligible only to property owners.”
From the official program page
Before you spend any money
Get the city's approval BEFORE you start work or buy anything. Work started before approval may not be funded.
At a glance
Subject to program rules, available funding, and approval. Confirm current details with the official program administrator.
Is this for you?
- You operate a business in Orillia's designated downtown improvement zone
- You are planning exterior facade or storefront improvements: masonry, windows, painting, lighting or accessibility work
- You can secure approval before starting any work or purchasing materials
Probably not the right fit if
- You want funding for interior renovations or work unrelated to the building's exterior facade
- You have already started or completed the renovation work
- Your property is outside Orillia's Downtown Tomorrow area
How much you'd realistically get
For example, a storefront refresh (new facade, paint and exterior lighting):
Project cost
$10,000
Program pays
$5,000
You pay
$5,000
That's the program's maximum. A bigger project works, and the amount above the cap is yours to fund.
Illustration using this program's published rate and cap; amounts and eligibility are decided by the program.
50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $5,000 per property (plus up to an additional $2,000 per property for buildings designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act)
What may be supported
- Repair/replacement of storefront, office, institutional or residential facades (doors, windows)
- Masonry repair and repointing
- Barrier-free accessibility entrance modifications
- Facade painting, cleaning, treatments and refinishing
- Exterior and storefront display lighting
- Landscaping (max 15% of grant) and architectural/design fees (max 10% of grant)
How applying works
Effort: mediumA city application with quotes/photos; approval before you start, then claim after completion.
- 01Confirm your property is in the program area and funds are available
- 02Get the city's written pre-approval BEFORE starting
- 03Complete the approved work
- 04Submit your costs for reimbursement
Documents commonly required
- Quotes/estimates for the work
- Photos of the current storefront
- Proof of property ownership or owner's consent
What to know before you count on it
- Cost-share: you pay for the work first, then you're reimbursed (about half) after it's done and inspected.
- Apply and get approved BEFORE you start any work or buy anything. Starting early disqualifies most of these.
- Only properties in Orillia's Downtown Tomorrow area qualify. Owners and tenants can both apply. Confirm your address is inside the area before you spend.
- Heritage-designated buildings (Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act) can claim up to an extra $2,000 on top of the base $5,000. It's a bonus, not a requirement.
- Municipal funding is limited each year. Confirm money is still available.
What are your odds?
The 2026 application portal is open. Your property must be in the Downtown Tomorrow area, and the city must approve your project before work starts. City funding is limited each year.
More funding by what it pays for
Funding for Accessibility
Grants for ramps, doors and washrooms may help pay for accessibility improvements.
Funding for Storefronts and Facades
Grants and loans that may help pay for storefront and facade work.
Funding for Storefront Signage
Grants and loans that may help pay for new storefront signage.
Funding for Tourism
Grants and loans that may help pay for visitor marketing and online booking.
What you can combine it with
May combine with provincial/federal programs for the same project. We'll check what stacks.
Worth reading before you apply
Get alerted when this changes
Programs open and close, budgets run out, rules change. We send one short email when something changes that matters for this program.
Page last updated ; status and deadline checked . Source: official program page.