Energy Efficiency Funding for Ontario Businesses: Directory of Funding & Support Sources
This page is a directory of sources of funding that support energy efficiency improvements in Ontario businesses. The page will be regularly updated to ensure that funding sources are current.
Related Energy Efficiency Guides
Energy Efficiency Business Grants in Ontario: 43 Programs You Can Apply for Today
🇨🇦 Federal Organizations Funding Energy Efficiency in Businesses
| Type of Organization | Organization | What They Do |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry | Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) | Runs federal environmental funding streams (e.g., Low Carbon Economy Fund, Environmental Damages Fund) that support projects cutting emissions and improving environmental outcomes. |
| Ministry | Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) | Offers grants, incentives, and partnerships for energy efficiency, clean fuels, industrial decarbonization, and building retrofits. |
| Associations | Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) | National trade association for Canada’s recycling sector that provides advocacy, compliance resources, training, and member benefits to help recyclers operate efficiently. |
| Associations | Canadian Electricity Association | Industry association representing electric utilities; operates programs (e.g., Sustainable Electricity) that advance grid reliability, clean power, and sector best practices. |
| Associations | Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) | HVACR industry body offering training and policy advocacy; it also shares updates on federal/provincial efficiency funding relevant to contractors and building owners. |
| Foundations | Clean Foundation | Non-profit that designs and delivers energy-efficiency and climate programs (e.g., HomeWarming) in partnership with governments and utilities. |
| Research Organizations | Foresight Canada Adoption | Helps communities and organizations identify, de-risk, and adopt cleantech solutions through an adoption platform and municipal capacity-building. |
| Research Organizations | Foresight Canada Capital | Connects cleantech ventures with investors via showcases like “Foresight 50” and curated investor networks to accelerate scaling. |
| Research Organizations | GreenCentre Canada | Supports chemistry and materials SMEs with commercialization services and programs such as Advance-ON, backed by federal funding to help companies scale. |
| Impact Investment Companies | Akira Impact | Impact-focused investment firm that directs capital toward clean energy, infrastructure, and SDG-aligned opportunities |
| Impact Investment Companies | Active Impact Investments | Canada’s largest climate-tech seed fund, providing capital and talent to help early-stage companies grow while delivering environmental impact. |
| Impact Investment Companies | Gupta Capital | Vancouver-based private equity investor with activity across energy, real estate, and technology, pursuing sustainable, long-term growth. |
| Impact Investment Companies | Nadarra Ventures | Invests in nature-derived deep technologies transforming food, agriculture, and climate; recently raised an inaugural fund with institutional backing. |
| Impact Investment Companies | Idealist Capital | Montreal investment firm providing growth capital for the energy transition (power, electrified transport, industrial decarbonization), including support from the Canada Growth Fund. |
| Impact Investment Companies | Cycle Capital | Cleantech venture capital platform investing in early- and growth-stage companies and operating an associated accelerator (Cycle Momentum). |
🇨🇦 Ontario Organizations Funding Energy Efficiency in Businesses
| Type of Organization | Organization | What They Do |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry | Ministry of Energy | Provides pathways and links to business energy-efficiency incentives (e.g., through Save on Energy) to reduce costs and modernize equipment. |
| Ministry | Ministry of Natural Resources | Manages Crown lands and resources and enables activities (including renewable energy siting on Crown land) within Ontario’s natural resource portfolio. |
| Utility Company | Independent Electricity System Operator | Operates Ontario’s power grid in real time, plans future electricity needs, and administers the province’s wholesale electricity market; through its Save on Energy programs, it offers incentives and resources that help businesses and communities complete energy-efficiency upgrades. |
| Sector-Specific Organization | City of Toronto Green Sector, Economic Development & Culture Division | The Green Market Acceleration Program gives companies controlled access to municipal assets to pilot, validate, and accelerate green technologies. |
| Sector-Specific Organization | City of Toronto Environment Climate & Forestry Division | Offers local incentives and programs (e.g., Eco-Roof funding, home retrofit loans) and resources that help businesses and property owners implement energy-efficient upgrades. |
| Sector-Specific Organization | Ottawa Climate Action Fund (OCAF) | Funds local climate projects—spanning renewable energy, energy efficiency, equity, and resilience—to reduce emissions and strengthen communities. |
| Incubator | Cleantech Commons | A research and innovation park at Trent University that clusters clean, low/zero-carbon technology firms and supports commercialization and entrepreneurship. |
| Accelerator | Clean Energy Zone | An incubator focused on clean-energy solutions (EVs, renewables, storage, microgrids, net-zero buildings) that brings together students, researchers, and industry to commercialize innovations. |