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ProvincialGrantOntarioQuick winLOW competitionLOW complexityNiche: Ontario brick-and-mortar retail SMBs

OCI Retail Modernization Project Grant (RMPG)

Administered by Ontario Centre of Innovation — Digital Competence Centre · Funded by Government of Ontario · OCI

Up to $5,000 non-repayable matching funding for Ontario brick-and-mortar retailers adopting modern POS, RFID, inventory, and CRM tools.

Per-organization
Up to $5K
Deadline
Rolling intake
Decision
~4 weeks
Match required
50%

About the program

RMPG is OCI's Digital Competence Centre stream targeting Ontario retail SMEs (1-50 FTE, $100K+ revenue, physical location, 1+ year incorporated). Funds modernization purchases: POS, RFID scanners, inventory management software, CRM/loyalty tools.

Digital adoptionCapital & equipment
◆ Funding structure

How much is on the table

The total program pool, per-organization max, and what your contribution has to be.

Total program pool
$1.8M

Aggregate annual funding across all recipients. Includes federal and provincial allocations where applicable.

Per organization
Up to $5K

Up to $5,000 non-repayable, matching basis. Retailer contributes the remaining project cost. Typical total project size: $5K–$15K.

Example project
Total project
$10,000
Grant
$5,000
You contribute
$5,000
◆ Peer benchmark
Companies like yours typically claim
$5K
Based on 351 approved applicants in 2025.
◆ Your fit

Does your organization qualify?

Run your business through the Grant Finder for a live eligibility check against every requirement in this program.

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Tell us a few things about your business and we'll run a live eligibility check against this program — and surface every other Canadian program you qualify for.

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◆ Practitioner take

Key insights, what works, red flags

What our team has learned from filing this program hundreds of times.

What works
  • Tying the technology purchase to a specific operational pain point
  • Real vendor quotes (not website prices)
  • Combining POS + inventory + CRM in one coherent modernization narrative
  • Retailers with clear operating history and stable staffing
Red flags
  • !Home-based, online-only, or pop-up businesses — hard-fail on eligibility
  • !Businesses under 12 months old (no grace period)
  • !Vague 'we want a new POS' framing without operational rationale
  • !Wholesale operators mistaking themselves for eligible retailers
◆ GovMoney analysis

Worth applying?

Cleanest small grant in the Ontario portfolio for brick-and-mortar retailers. If you meet the eligibility (Ontario, physical storefront, 1+ year, $100K+ revenue, 1-50 staff), the application is a few hours of work for up to $5K. Genuinely worth applying.

◆ Application

How to apply

The practical sequence, from a firm that files these claims every week.

  1. 1

    Confirm eligibility

    Same day

    Ontario retailer with physical commercial location, 1–50 FTE, ≥$100K revenue, ≥1 year incorporated. Home-based, online-only, or newer businesses are not eligible.

  2. 2

    Get vendor quote for technology purchase

    1–3 days

    Real vendor quote for the POS, RFID/inventory, or CRM/loyalty system you want to modernize with. Website prices are not sufficient.

  3. 3

    Apply via OCI DCC portal

    1 hour to complete application

    Submit through oc-innovation.ca/DCC — select RMPG stream. Describe the current operational pain and how the technology solves it. Attach vendor quote.

  4. 4

    Deploy technology + submit receipt

    Within 90 days of approval

    On approval, complete the purchase and deployment. Submit final invoice/receipt for reimbursement of up to $5K matching.

Required documents

What you need ready before you apply.

  • Vendor quote (not website prices)
  • Ontario business registration
  • Most recent T2 (or T1 for unincorporated) showing $100K+ revenue
  • Proof of physical commercial location (lease or ownership)
  • Description of operational problem being solved

Where applications go wrong

The failure patterns we see most often in the review-desk piles.

  • ×Business is home-based or online-only
  • ×Revenue under $100K threshold
  • ×Business less than 1 year old
  • ×Wholesale operator (not selling direct to consumers)
  • ×No vendor quote attached — just a website price
  • ×Vague technology purchase without operational rationale
◆ Historical data

Program performance over time

Applications, approvals, and dollars funded across recent cycles.

◆ At a glance

Program by the numbers

Sourced from CRA / agency data · latest 2025
Approval rate
86%
2025 · 351 approved
Avg award
$5K
2025 recipients
Lifetime funded
$3.7M
2023–2025
Applications growth
+64%/yr
Year-over-year
Decision timeline
4 wks
Application to decision
Program age
3 yr
Since 2023
2025 approvals
351
Approval rate
86%
2025 funding
$1.76M
Applications 2023→2025
+128%
Applications vs approved

Volume trend

2023145
2024250
2025351
Approved by industry
Café / restaurant31%
Independent retail27%
Salon / personal services18%
Specialty grocer12%
Boutique / fashion8%
Other4%
Approved by stage
Early-stage (1-5 yrs)48%
Established (5+ yrs)52%
Approved by province
ON100%
◆ Model the numbers

What could this program fund for you?

Live estimator using this program's rate and cap. Drag the slider to see the impact on your project.

◆ ROI calculator

Model your funding

Enter the total cost of the project you want to fund with OCI RMPG. We'll estimate the grant amount, your matching contribution, and your net cost.

$
$5K$500K
Program parameters
Funding rate50%
Per-org cap$5,000
Match requiredYes
Your take
Program funds you
Your contribution
Total project
Effective cost to you

Estimates are illustrative — actual funding depends on eligibility, cost classification, and review outcomes. For a firm quote, book a call with our team.

◆ Recipients

Real applications, real outcomes

Anonymized case studies from GovMoney's practice.

Retail
$5,000
Independent bookstore (Toronto, ~$450K revenue, 4 FTE)

Replaced legacy POS with modern cloud POS + inventory. Time-per-week spent on manual inventory reconciliation dropped from ~4 hours to ~30 minutes. Total project cost $9,200 — RMPG covered 54%.

Retail
$5,000
Salon chain (Ottawa, 3 locations)

CRM loyalty system integrated with existing POS. Repeat-visit rate improved 18% over 6 months post-deployment via targeted email/SMS.

◆ We can file this for you

Skip the paperwork — hand it off

GovMoney's team can prepare, submit, and defend your OCI RMPG application end-to-end.

◆ Done-for-you filing

Let GovMoney handle the paperwork

PhDs, CPAs, and ex-CRA auditors prepare, submit, and defend your application — audit-ready, on a success-fee basis. You stay focused on the business; we handle the forms, the narrative, and the back-and-forth with the agency.

Book a free consult →

Program FAQ

Questions we get from applicants every week.

Can I use RMPG for e-commerce software?+

No. RMPG is explicitly for brick-and-mortar retail modernization — the physical storefront is a hard eligibility gate. Pure e-commerce operators should look at the broader DCC Digital Transformation Grant instead.

What if my business is under 1 year old?+

You're not eligible — the 1-year threshold is a hard rule with no exceptions. Track the eligibility date and apply once you cross it.

Can I apply for RMPG multiple times?+

Currently one RMPG award per eligible business. If the program is renewed with expanded funding in future fiscal years, previous recipients may be eligible for a follow-up under new terms.

Recent updates

Changes to the program tracked by our team.

  • 2026-01-15

    OCI expanded RMPG capacity following DCC $7.5M investment announcement — approximately 351 projects targeted for the coming year.

◆ Stack it

Similar & stackable programs

Combinations our team files together for meaningful uplift, with live deadlines.

◆ Next steps

Your path forward

Three concrete moves. Do them yourself or hand off to GovMoney.

1

Determine your project

Scope the specific R&D activity, purchase, hire, or export initiative that maps to this program's eligibility. Ambiguous project scope is the #1 rejection driver.

2

Validate your eligibility

Run your business through the Grant Finder to confirm fit against this program's requirements — and see every other program you qualify for.

3

File the application

Two paths: prepare and file it yourself using the how-to-apply steps above, or hand it off to GovMoney's team and get it done audit-ready.

Book a 15-min call with GovMoney →
◆ Get moving

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