Ontario Together Fund: $50M for Helping Businesses Fight COVID-19

With the novel coronavirus spreading at a rapid pace across the province, the Ontario provincial government is seeking help from businesses, researchers, and organizations who can supply emergency products and innovative solutions in response to COVID-19.

For those outside of Ontario, read more about applying for federal funding to supply PPE & sanitization equipment to front-line healthcare workers.

The Ford government has allocated $50M in funding towards the Ontario Together Fund, which seeks to fund local businesses that have the ability to provide medical grade equipment to front-line healthcare workers.

What the Ontario Government Needs Your Help With

Supplying Personal Protective Equipment and Medical Products to Ontario Hospitals

APRIL 27 UPDATE: The Ontario provincial government is now looking for the following items:

• 3D printed Nasopharyngeal swabs that are commercial ready

We need organizations that can 3D print Nasopharyngeal swabs immediately. The swabs must be commercial ready. That means your prototype has passed the development phase with a minimal technical readiness level of 7-9.

• Small businesses to digitize and leverage e-commerce opportunities

Small businesses are concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their bottom-line. We need reliable and trusted solutions to help businesses pivot their operations for e-commerce opportunities.

The Ontario government is looking for manufacturers who can supply the following medical products:

• Ventilators;
• Sanitizers;
• Swabs and testing equipment;
• Masks following these specifications;
• Gloves following these specifications;
• Gowns and covers;
• Eye protection;
• Hospital beds; and
• Reagent/consumables.

The Ontario government will check suppliers’ certifications, standards, and various background information to ensure the quality and reliability of the equipment provided.

View the submission form for supplying emergency products on Ontario.ca or reach out to a member of the Mentor Works team.

Innovative Ideas for Solving COVID-19-Related Problems

The provincial government is looking to suppliers and innovators for new ways to help communities during the pandemic. They are looking for timely solutions to the following challenges:

• Virtual mental health services for people who are vulnerable or living in remote communities;
• Supply chain resiliency monitoring;
• Financial planning and advising for small businesses that can be delivered online at low cost, including advice about relief programs and how to apply; and
• Remote learning for elementary and secondary students while schools are closed.

Proactive Ideas for Helping Ontarians

If your business, research institution, organization, or self has an idea, product, or service that you strongly feel could help Ontarians address the impact of the novel coronavirus on their communities, the Ontario provincial government is looking for your ideas. Ideas can be submitted online.

Ontario Together Fund Application Assistance and Writing

The complexity of the Ontario Together Fund application varies dramatically depending on the size and scale of your business and its supplies. Reach out to a member of the Mentor Works team if you’d like support navigating the process.

Stay up to date with the latest government funding programs related to the coronavirus by visiting our COVID-19 support page.

Updated: April 27, 2020