Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
NOHFC is a provincial government agency of Ontario, Canada that invests in businesses, municipalities, and Indigenous communities across 11 Northern Ontario districts. It deploys an annual $110 million CAD budget across four funding programs supporting economic development, infrastructure, workforce, and cultural initiatives.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersSault Sainte Marie, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Northern Ontario Heritage Fund does
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is a provincial government agency of Ontario, Canada, established in 1988 under the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Act. It operates with an annual budget of $110 million CAD, funded by provincial appropriations including a recent $30 million three-year top-up. Since June 2018, NOHFC has invested more than $1 billion across over 8,600 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging $3.3 billion in total investment and creating or sustaining more than 13,400 jobs. The agency is chaired by the Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth and governed by a Board of at least twelve directors appointed by order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
NOHFC delivers its mandate through four primary funding programs: Invest North (business investment, innovation, launches, expansion, and the Regional Tile Drainage Program), People and Talent (workforce development, internships, and Indigenous Workforce Development), Community Enhancement (infrastructure, rural enhancement, and broadband/cellular expansion), and Cultural Supports (community events and film/TV production). Applications are submitted via the NOHFC Client Portal (myportal.nohfc.ca) using Ontario.ca Login authentication, supplemented by a regional network of Northern Development Offices and partner Small Business Enterprise Centres across 11 Northern Ontario districts. Recipients span manufacturing, agriculture, mining, forestry, healthcare research, tourism, and municipal infrastructure, with explicit programs targeting First Nations communities and rural northern economies.
As a government agency rather than a commercial enterprise, NOHFC's "revenue" is constituted entirely by annual provincial appropriations. Its "products" are grant programs with eligibility criteria, application review, and contribution amounts determined per project. Notable recent commitments include $1.1 million to Health Sciences North Research Institute for cancer diagnostics research, $1.08 million to expand NORCAT's underground mining training centre, $1 million each for an AI-powered forestry mill upgrade and a grain transloading rail facility, and $2 million for community centre upgrades ahead of the 2028 Ontario Winter Games.
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
- Legal name
- Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation
- Website
- https://nohfc.ca
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- NOHFC is a provincial government agency of Ontario, Canada that invests in businesses, municipalities, and Indigenous communities across 11 Northern Ontario districts. It deploys an annual $110 million CAD budget across four funding programs supporting economic development, infrastructure, workforce, and cultural initiatives.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Economic Development Funding
- NAICS
- Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- SIC
- Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (BPADACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)
Keywords
Where Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sault Sainte Marie
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Provincial Government Funding: NOHFC receives annual provincial government appropriations to fund economic development projects across Northern Ontario. The provincial government invests an additional $30 million over three years, bringing NOHFC's annual budget to $110 million total.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Program-based funding with varying contribution amounts |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is a provincial government funding agency that provides financial assistance (grants and contributions) to businesses, municipalities, First Nations communities, and non-profit organizations across Northern Ontario. It administers four core funding programs — Invest North, People and Talent, Community Enhancement, and Cultural Supports — each with multiple funding streams targeting business investment, workforce development, community infrastructure, and cultural projects in the 11 northern districts of Ontario.
Product overview
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is a provincial government funding agency, not a technology product company. It offers four main funding programs: Invest North (supporting business investment, innovation, and launches), People and Talent (workforce development and internships), Community Enhancement (infrastructure, rural development, and broadband), and Cultural Supports (community events and film/TV production). These programs are delivered through multiple funding streams and administered via the NOHFC Client Portal at myportal.nohfc.ca. NOHFC does not offer a software product in the traditional sense; rather, it provides financial assistance programs to support economic development in Northern Ontario.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Invest North Program A funding program designed to boost economic growth in Northern Ontario by encouraging businesses to invest in transformative, strategic and complementary business development opportunities. Includes the Innovation Stream, Investment Streams (Launch, Grow, Locate), and Regional Tile Drainage Program. Targeted at Northern Ontario businesses seeking capital for expansion, innovation, and investment attraction.
- People and Talent Program A workforce development program that strengthens and develops Northern Ontario's workforce through strategic partnerships by offering internships. Includes the Indigenous Workforce Development Stream and Workforce Development Stream. Targeted at businesses, organizations, and Indigenous communities seeking to develop skilled talent in Northern Ontario.
- Community Enhancement Program A program designed to help build strong and resilient Northern communities through infrastructure investments. Includes the Rural Enhancement Funding Stream, Enhance Your Community Stream, and Broadband and Cellular Expansion Projects. Targeted at municipalities, First Nations communities, and non-profit organizations seeking infrastructure funding in Northern Ontario.
- Cultural Supports Program A program designed to showcase Northern Ontario culture, geography and talent through event partnerships and film/television production. Includes the Community Events Stream and Film and Television Stream. Targeted at event organizers, cultural organizations, and film/TV producers in Northern Ontario.
Quantifiable outcome
- Created or sustained over 13,400 jobs since June 2018
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ontario Northland Railway / Ontario Northland Transportation CommissioncorePartnership for grain transloading facility development at Koch Grain Elevator in Earlton, Ontario. Ontario Northland Railway installed and owns the track and switches for the facility, which includes conveyors, loading pits, bucket elevators and automated scale loading hopper bins.
- Health Sciences North Research InstitutecoreResearch partnership supporting cancer research at the Sudbury facility. NOHFC provided $1.1 million to accelerate cancer research and support RNA Diagnostics' Veridapt DX technology development and clinical trials.
- RNA DiagnosticscoreHealthcare technology company developing Veridapt DX technology that can identify with 93.3% accuracy which patients will benefit from chemotherapy. Currently evaluated through BREVITY Phase 2 clinical trials involving 650 patients across 55 cancer centres in seven countries.
- NORCATcoreNOHFC provided $1,080,000 funding to expand NORCAT underground mining centre in Onaping, Ontario. The expansion added a new service shop, training rooms, and new equipment.
- Attawapiskat EnterprisesminorIndigenous-owned business receiving approximately $781,000 for renovations, equipment, telecommunications, and security upgrades at Gord's Rentals in Timmins area.
- Mattagami Region Conservation AuthorityminorReceived approximately $130,000 from NOHFC to resurface and improve a five-kilometre section of the Rotary Trail in Timmins area.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED-Q): CED-Q is a regional development agency of the federal government serving Quebec regions with similar economic development funding programs. Operates an analogous mandate of fostering regional economic diversification through grants and contributions.
- Invest Alberta Corporation: Invest Alberta is a provincial Crown corporation promoting economic diversification and investment attraction in Alberta. Similar mandate of stimulating regional economic development with provincial funding support.
- Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan): PrairiesCan is the federal regional development agency for the Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba). Operates analogous programs supporting business growth, innovation, and community economic development in its region.
- Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA): ACOA is a federal regional development agency supporting economic development in Atlantic Canada. Provides similar program-based funding to businesses, non-profits, and municipalities for job creation and economic diversification.
- Community Futures Program of Canada: Community Futures is a federal program providing business development services and repayable funding to rural communities across Canada, including Northern Ontario. Operates similar grassroots economic development funding at the community level.
- Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor): FedNor is the federal counterpart to NOHFC, providing economic development funding to Northern Ontario businesses and communities. Both agencies share the same geographic mandate and target similar beneficiaries (businesses, municipalities, Indigenous communities), making them the most direct comparable.
Regional players
- Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI): OCI is a provincial organization that accelerates innovation and commercialization across Ontario. While broader in geographic mandate, it overlaps with NOHFC's innovation funding streams and business growth support programs.
- Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT): NDIT is a regional development trust in north-central British Columbia providing funding programs to stimulate economic development. While serving a different region, it operates an analogous model of provincial/regional grant funding for businesses and communities.
Broad incumbents
- Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC): BDC is Canada's federal development bank providing financing, advisory services, and capital to Canadian businesses. While much larger and national in scope, it overlaps with NOHFC's mandate of supporting business growth, particularly in Northern Ontario.
- Indigenous Services Canada - Economic Development Programs: Indigenous Services Canada administers federal economic development programs targeting Indigenous communities, overlapping significantly with NOHFC's Indigenous Workforce Development Stream and First Nations community funding.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund social profiles
Digital presenceNorthern Ontario Heritage Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments10 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
What does Northern Ontario Heritage Fund do?
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is a provincial government funding agency that provides financial assistance (grants and contributions) to businesses, municipalities, First Nations communities, and non-profit organizations across Northern Ontario. It administers four core funding programs — Invest North, People and Talent, Community Enhancement, and Cultural Supports — each with multiple funding streams targeting business investment, workforce development, community infrastructure, and cultural projects in the 11 northern districts of Ontario.
Is Northern Ontario Heritage Fund a public or private company?
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Northern Ontario Heritage Fund founded?
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund was founded in 1988. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Northern Ontario Heritage Fund based?
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is headquartered in Sault Sainte Marie, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Northern Ontario Heritage Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: provincial Government Funding.
Who are Northern Ontario Heritage Fund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED-Q), Invest Alberta Corporation, Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Community Futures Program of Canada and Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor). Regional players are Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) and Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT). Broad incumbents are Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Indigenous Services Canada - Economic Development Programs.
Does Northern Ontario Heritage Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.
What industry is Northern Ontario Heritage Fund in?
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund's product category is Government Economic Development Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADACAC, National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), with a secondary code of BPAGAKAC, Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking. Its NAICS code is 8139 and its SIC code is 6111.