Employment Grant and Incentive Programs

Niagara Region offers the following incentives to attract and retain new businesses and full-time jobs to Niagara.

Programs

  • Gateway Community Improvement Plan Tax Increment Grant

    A matching tax increment grant for projects in the Gateway Community Improvement Plan areas in Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, Thorold and Welland.

    Eligibility

    Projects must:

    • Be new businesses locating within the Gateway Community Improvement Plan area from outside Niagara region, or expansion of existing businesses generating an increase in new full-time equivalent positions and resulting in increased assessment value
    • Be approved for a Gateway Tax Increment Grant by one of the five local area municipalities under their Gateway Community Improvement Plan within three months of application to the Region
    • Be considered an employment use under the Local Official Plan
    • Conform with local and Regional official plans, zoning bylaws and other planning requirements and approvals
    • Confirm there is no need for remediation on the property and that it is suitable for the proposed use
    • Conform to general program requirements outlined in Section 6.2 of the Gateway Community Improvement Plan (Appendix 1) and the Gateway Community Improvement Plan Program Guide
    • Not be in arrears of any property taxes, local improvement charges or any other arrears or charges by the local municipality, Region or Province

    Application

    To apply, applicants must:

    • Have a pre-application meeting with both local and Regional Gateway staff
    • Submit a complete Gateway Community Improvement Plan Incentive application and all required supporting documentation?
    • Provide the status of all required planning approvals for the project
    • Not have received a building permit for the project or begun any works associated with the project
    • Be the owner or have written consent of owner to submit application
    • Provide a copy of project and grant approval by the local municipality
    • Provide a title search and corporate profile search

    For expansion projects, applicants must ALSO:

    • Be an existing business located in Niagara which has not had or is not currently receiving a Gateway Community Improvement Plan grant
    • Have a minimum increase of 25 percent in full-time equivalents over current levels

    To apply, visit Niagara Economic Development.

  • Gateway Community Improvement Plan Regional Development Charges-Based Grant

    A matching grant of Regional Development Charges payable for projects with exceptional scores (14+) on Gateway Community Improvement Plan criteria.

    Eligibility

    Projects must:

    • Achieve a score of 14 or more points on the Gateway TIG CIP scoring criteria (Appendix 2)
    • Be approved for a matching local development charge grant if the local municipality in which the project is located levies development charges for the project
    • Not be a tenanted building

    Gateway Community Improvement Plan projects must pay Regional Development Charges at the time of building permit issuance.

    Niagara Region will provide a matching grant for an amount equal to Regional Development Charges, up to $1.5 million per project, less any other applicable grants, following this post-completion calculation if:

    • A project receives a score of 14 or more as calculated following project completion
    • The local municipality provides written confirmation that it's providing a grant equal to the amount of local development charges for the project or will not be levying development charges for the project

    The confirmation letter from the local municipality stating it will not be charging or will be granting back local development charges will constitute an application for eligible projects.

    Other information

    • All Regional Development Charges owing for Gateway Community Improvement Plan projects must be paid at the time of building permit issuance
    • Qualifying grants will be provided a grant equivalent to Regional Development Charges paid following project completion and final calculation of project score
    • At no point will the grant exceed the amount of Regional Development Charges otherwise payable
    • This grant is transferable at the sole discretion of Niagara Region
    • Any other applicable grants will be deducted before calculation.

    To apply, visit Niagara Economic Development.

  • Regional Development Charges Grant for Industrial Use

    A grant equal to 100 per cent of Regional Development Charges for new or expanded industrial developments meeting the definition of industrial use.

    Eligibility

    To qualify, the applicant's development meet the following criteria:

    • The proposed development must meet Niagara Region's definition of Industrial Use as per By-Law 2022-71
    • Apply for funding before receiving a building permit or within 90 days of receiving a building permit
    • Demonstrate the positive economic impact that the development will have in Niagara

    Application

    Apply for Industrial Use Regional Development Charges Grant.

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