RAII grant writing for Northern Ontario
FedNor funds AI adoption, commercialization and ecosystem projects across Northern Ontario. Applications are assessed as they arrive and depend on available funding, so applying sooner is better.
What FedNor's RAII program offers
| Who can apply | Incorporated SMEs, incorporated not-for-profits, Indigenous (First Nation, Métis and Inuit) communities and organizations, and municipalities and municipal organizations |
|---|---|
| Businesses | Up to 50% of eligible costs, normally repayable |
| Not-for-profits | Up to 90% of eligible costs, normally non-repayable |
| Stacking limit | For businesses, total government help is capped at 50% of eligible capital costs and 75% of other eligible costs. For not-for-profits, 100%. |
| Intake | Applications are assessed as received, subject to available funding |
| Retroactive costs | Costs may be eligible up to 12 months before your application is received, but not before April 16, 2024 |
Watch out
Retail and service-based businesses are not eligible for RAII in Northern Ontario. We'll tell you quickly if this applies to you.
Three streams
1. AI adoption: implementation, automation, predictive analytics, data governance, supply chain optimization, workforce readiness, cybersecurity
2. AI commercialization: validation, pilots, product refinement, customer acquisition, IP protection, scale-up
3. AI ecosystem: cluster development, commercialization support, youth workforce development, sector testbeds
Leave these out of your budget
- Regular maintenance, ongoing operations and routine software subscriptions or renewals
- General-purpose computers, unless directly needed for the AI project
- Scheduled capital spending or asset replacement
- Refinancing debt, amortization and goodwill
- Buying land or buildings
- Basic research
- Purchases above fair market value
Your Northern Ontario RAII application
- Confirm eligibility, including the retail and service-business rule
- Choose the right stream for your project
- Build a clean budget with only eligible costs
- Capture retroactive costs you may be able to claim
- Write and submit early, while funding is available
Applying in Northern Ontario?
Because FedNor reviews applications as they arrive, timing matters. Book a free call and we'll help you move quickly.
Book a free eligibility callOther regions
Information summarized from FedNor's official RAII page as of October 14, 2026. Program details can change, so we confirm current requirements with you before starting. Official source: Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor).