BBN Labs — Better Business Network

REGI — Business Scale-up and Productivity

Check local availabilityRepayable contributionChecked

Get up to $500,000 to modernize your manufacturing or tech operations in Northern Ontario. This is a repayable contribution covering 50% of eligible costs, so you will pay it back like a loan.

Know a business owner this could help?
The FedNor self-service portal is a secure online environment where you can submit and manage funding applications and projects on behalf of your organization.

From the official program page

At a glance

Maximum supportUp to 50 percent of eligible and supported project costs, to a maximum of $500,000 per project.
Issued bySee official source
Administered byFedNor (Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario)
RegionOntario

Subject to program rules, available funding, and approval. Confirm current details with the official program administrator.

Not sure if you qualify?

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Is this for you?

  • You are an incorporated SME or Indigenous organization based in Northern Ontario.
  • You have a clear project to adopt technology, re-engineer processes, or build manufacturing capacity.
  • You can cover the remaining 50% of eligible project costs yourself.

Probably not the right fit if

  • You are looking for a grant or free money, since this contribution must be repaid.
  • You run a retail or service-based business, which this stream does not support.
  • You need funds for maintenance, daily operations, debt refinancing, or buying land and buildings.

How much you'd realistically get

Up to 50% of eligible and supported project costs, to a maximum of $500,000 per project. You cover the remaining costs, so plan your own share before you apply.

What may be supported

  • Technology adoption
  • process re-engineering
  • manufacturing capacity development
  • market development and expansion
  • commercialization
  • business management improvements
  • professional services
  • intellectual property
  • and subcontracting costs.

What's excluded or restricted

  • Maintenance
  • Ongoing operations
  • Debt refinancing
  • Amortization
  • Land / building acquisition
  • Basic research
  • Costs the applicant committed to or incurred prior to the eligibility date

How applying works

Effort: involvedYou start by calling FedNor to discuss the proposal, then work through the application in the FedNor client portal. Expect to define a clear project, eligible costs, and how you will fund your share.

  1. 01Call FedNor at 1-877-333-6673 to discuss your proposal.
  2. 02Confirm your business and project are eligible, and that you have not yet committed to or spent the costs.
  3. 03Define your project, your eligible costs, and how you will fund your share.
  4. 04Begin the application through the FedNor client portal.
  5. 05Submit your application and supporting details.
  6. 06If approved, sign the contribution agreement, which sets your repayment terms.

Who to ask: 1-877-333-6673

Before you apply

Your lender will want to see what the money buys

A written quote for the project makes your application concrete and shows the lender exactly where the money goes. BBN Labs works with you on this: we prepare a quote for the work this program funds — scope, costs and timelines you can put straight into your application. Free, no obligation.

Get my quote for this program →

Documents commonly required

  • Details of your project and its eligible costs
  • Proof your business is incorporated and located in Northern Ontario
  • A breakdown of how you will fund your share of the costs
  • Information requested through the FedNor client portal

How BBN Labs helps

  • BBN builds your modern website and e-commerce store with the loan funds, giving you a direct sales channel to reach new customers across Ontario and beyond.
  • BBN optimizes your Local SEO and Google Business Profile so customers can find you when searching for your services.
  • BBN implements a Google review system and loyalty program to turn satisfied clients into repeat buyers, boosting your reputation and steady revenue growth.
  • BBN deploys a modern POS and automation workflows to streamline your daily operations, saving you hours of manual work and reducing costly errors.
  • BBN runs your digital marketing and paid ad campaigns to drive targeted traffic to your site, filling your calendar with qualified leads ready to buy.

What to know before you count on it

  • It is a repayable contribution, so you pay it back. It is not free money and it is not taxable income.
  • Repayment terms are set in the contribution agreement; the facts note repayment normally begins no later than one year after the project is finished, so confirm your exact terms in the agreement.
  • Retail and service-based businesses are excluded, and so are costs like maintenance, ongoing operations, and land or building purchases.
  • Anything you committed to or spent before the eligibility date will not be covered.

What are your odds?

This supports specific growth projects rather than general operating costs, so a focused, well-defined project helps. The opening call is your chance to find out whether your proposal fits before you invest time in a full application.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a grant?

No. It is a repayable contribution, which works like a loan. You pay it back. It is not a grant and it is not taxable income.

How much can I get?

Up to 50% of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $500,000 per project. You cover the rest.

When do I start repaying?

Repayment terms are set in the contribution agreement. They normally begin no later than one year after the project is completed, but confirm your exact terms in the agreement.

Can a retail shop apply?

No. Retail and service-based businesses are excluded from this stream.

Related BBN services

What you can combine it with

Whether this can be combined with other funding is not stated. Confirm with FedNor before assuming you can stack it with other programs.

Related programs

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.

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Record last updated ; last verified 6 days ago with the official source. Source: official program page.