Ontario East

What Ontario East does

Ontario East Economic Development Corporation is a regional non-profit economic development organization founded in 1988 and headquartered at 623 Fortune Crescent, Suite 100, Kingston, Ontario. It serves municipalities, economic development organizations, and businesses across Eastern Ontario — covering 13 single-tier and 11 upper-tier municipalities — through a membership-based service model. Core services include site selection support (available properties database, demographic, consumer expenditure, occupation, labour force, and GIS/mapping data via a Business Explorer tool), regional marketing, and workforce development, including designation as a referral partner for the Government of Canada's Global Talent Stream and Global Skills Strategy.

Name

Ontario East

Legal name

Ontario East Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://ontarioeast.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ontario East Economic Development Corporation is a Kingston, Ontario-based non-profit serving Eastern Ontario municipalities, manufacturers, and economic development organizations through site selection data, workforce programs, and the OEMC annual conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Economic Programs (9261), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB), Local Entity Setup & Expansion Advisory (Market Entry, Subsidiary Formation) (BPACAHAM)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Site selection services
• Investment attraction
• Workforce development programs
• Municipal conference services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Ontario East operates a membership program for municipalities, economic development commissions, and businesses across Eastern Ontario. Members receive access to regional marketing support, site selection data, workforce development programs, and networking opportunities through OEMC and other events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ontario East Economic Development Corporation is a regional economic development organization that supports business investment and expansion across Eastern Ontario. It provides site selection resources, demographic and labour market data, available industrial properties listings, workforce development programs, funding program information, and hosts the annual Ontario East Municipal Conference (OEMC). The organization also facilitates connections between municipalities, businesses, and government partners to drive regional economic growth.

Product overview

Ontario East Economic Development is an economic development organization that operates as a resource hub and connector for businesses looking to invest in Eastern Ontario. Rather than a unified software platform, it provides a portfolio of services including site selection resources (available properties, demographic data, mapping/GIS tools), market intelligence (regional profiles, sector information), workforce development support (Global Skills referral partner, BuildUP On-Demand training), and convenes the annual Ontario East Municipal Conference (OEMC). The organization also administers funding programs like the AMIC Stream for advanced manufacturing companies. All services are oriented toward supporting business relocation, expansion, and economic growth in the Eastern Ontario region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ontario East Municipal Conference (OEMC): The longest running annual regional municipal conference held in Eastern Ontario, bringing together economic development professionals, municipal leaders, and industry stakeholders.

Products and services

• Site Selection & Property Search Resources
• Regional Profile & Market Intelligence
• Ontario East Municipal Conference (OEMC)
• Business Explorer
• Global Skills Referral Partner Services
• Community Search & Analysis Tools
• Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) Stream

Quantifiable outcome

• Cost of serviced industrially zoned land ranges from $10,000 to $100,000 per acre, averaging $30,000 per acre — significantly lower than larger urban centres
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Ottawa Business JournalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 October 2025Ottawa Business Journal published coverage of Ontario East's supply chain resilience and diversification study presented at OEMC 2025, amplifying the organization's economic development research to a broader business audience.
• Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2025IESO sponsored the lunch session at OEMC 2025 and presented on electricity planning for Eastern Ontario communities, including transmission integration and infrastructure needs to support economic development and decarbonization.
• Ottawa Conference and Event CentrecoreOthers · 17 September 2025The Ottawa Conference and Event Centre serves as the venue for the annual Ontario East Municipal Conference (OEMC). The venue is less than 10 minutes from Parliament and national museums, minutes from highway, train station, and airport access, providing convenient access for delegates driving to the conference.
• Courtyard Ottawa EastcoreOthers · 17 September 2025Courtyard Ottawa East is the recommended and attached hotel for OEMC conference attendees. A special group rate of $209-$239 per night was secured for delegates. The hotel is directly connected to the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre.
• Ottawa TourismminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 September 2025Ottawa Tourism partners with OEMC to provide the 'Flash your Badge' program, offering conference delegates access to special offers at Ottawa attractions and businesses.
• Coventry ConnectionsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 September 2025OEMC partnered with Coventry Connections to provide delegates complimentary shuttle service and discounted taxi options during the free night of the conference, facilitating exploration of Ottawa.
• Devcore GroupmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 September 2025Devcore Group is the sponsor of the Opening Keynote at OEMC 2025. The Devcore Group (DEV Centre in Cornwall) is also positioned as a strategic partner for business development in the Ontario East region, with Yves Ducharme serving as Director of Business Development covering the Ottawa-to-Kingston corridor.
• Cambium Inc.majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 September 2025Cambium Inc. is the sponsor of the Thursday Banquet & Entertainment at OEMC 2025. Cambium also presented sessions on Environmental Assessment processes and Indigenous engagement through Cambium Indigenous Professional Services (CIPS).
• Invest OttawamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Invest Ottawa serves as a co-sponsor of the lunch at OEMC 2025 and presented on government investment strategies. Sonya Shorey, President & CEO of Invest Ottawa, delivered a government address. Invest Ottawa is a key partner in regional investment attraction.
• Invest OntariomajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Invest Ontario co-sponsored the lunch at OEMC 2025 and is a key provincial partner for investment attraction in Eastern Ontario.
• Alto (High Speed Rail)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 September 2025Alto, the Crown corporation developing Canada's high-speed rail project connecting Toronto to Quebec City, is a sponsor of the President's Reception at OEMC 2025. Ontario East featured Alto's high-speed rail project in dedicated sessions, highlighting its potential impact on Eastern Ontario's economy.
• Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025NGen's CEO Jayson Myers served as an Opening Plenary Panel speaker at OEMC 2025, addressing manufacturing and trade challenges in Eastern Ontario. NGen is the Canada's Advanced Manufacturing supercluster organization.
• DeloittemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Deloitte's Americas Economics Leader and Partner Trevin Stratton served as an Opening Plenary Panel speaker at OEMC 2025, providing economic analysis on trade and manufacturing challenges. Deloitte is a Bronze Sponsor of the conference.
• Research FDImajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 September 2025Research FDI is the Gold Sponsor of the EDO of the Year Award at OEMC 2025 and provides business intelligence and lead generation services supporting Ontario East's investment attraction mission.
• Intact Public EntitiesmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 September 2025Intact Public Entities sponsored lanyards at OEMC 2025 and presented sessions on municipal risk management and climate resilience, supporting Ontario East's work with municipalities across the region.
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025CMHC participated in OEMC 2025 sessions on workforce housing, presenting national housing supply trends and programs available to rural and small urban municipalities. Aled ab Iorwerth, Deputy Chief Economist, and Jeremy Tessier, Knowledge Transfer Specialist, were featured speakers.
• Green and SpiegelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Green and Spiegel, a leading Canadian immigration law firm, presented at OEMC 2025 on the Canadian Immigration Toolbox and its role in economic development and workforce solutions for municipalities.
• Loyalist CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Loyalist College is a key workforce development partner for Ontario East, collaborating on programs such as HealthPULSE shuttle for healthcare student placements. Dr. Erin Clow, Director of Work Integrated Learning, presented at OEMC 2025.
• VIA Rail CanadaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 September 2025VIA Rail Canada is an official transportation provider for the OEMC conference. Attendees receive a 10% discount on select fares for travel between September 12–24, 2025, to and from Ottawa, using convention discount code 15754.
• Government of Canada / Employment OntariomajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Ontario East is designated as a referral partner for the Global Talent Stream and Global Skills Strategy, facilitating international talent recruitment for businesses in Eastern Ontario. The organization also works with provincial programs for workforce development.
• Innovation ClustermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024The Innovation Cluster, based in Kingston, is a key innovation and entrepreneurship partner for Ontario East. It developed BuildUP On-Demand, a flexible online training program for trades professionals, offered with a 15% discount to Ontario East connections.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Invest Ottawa: Regional investment-attraction and economic-development agency for the Ottawa area. Directly comparable mandate (municipal-government economic development, investment attraction, workforce and innovation programming) and an active Ontario East OEMC partner with overlapping regional scope.
• Quinte Economic Development Commission: Local economic-development commission for the Quinte region of Eastern Ontario, whose CEO Chris King also chairs Ontario East's Regional Marketing Committee. A directly comparable sub-regional EDO operating inside the same territory.

Broad incumbents

• Invest Ontario: Provincial investment-attraction agency. Operates at a wider geography but with the same core activities (investment attraction, site-selection support, government-program facilitation) and is a documented Ontario East partner — therefore a structurally comparable broader incumbent.
• Trade Commissioner Service of Canada: Federal government agency supporting Canadian companies abroad and attracting foreign investment. Same broad thematic mandate of facilitating investment and trade, but operating across geographies and at a national scale.

Direct peers

• Calgary Economic Development: Municipal/regional economic development corporation. Closely comparable operating model (membership-supported non-profit delivering investment attraction, site-selection data, workforce development and flagship events) at the city-region level.
• Toronto Global: Regional investment-attraction non-profit serving the Toronto Region. Same economic-development mandate — investment attraction, lead generation, and member-supported funding model — and analogous programming portfolio.
• Halifax Partnership: Public-private regional economic-development organization. Peer-like in its membership-funded model, focus on population and talent attraction, business-development advisory, and convening role for a Canadian region.
• Vancouver Economic Commission: City-mandated economic-development agency. Comparable function (investment attraction, sector strategy, member/municipal engagement) though serving a larger West Coast metro rather than a multi-municipal Eastern Ontario region.

Emerging players

• Innovation Cluster (Kingston): Kingston-based innovation and entrepreneurship organization and an Ontario East partner. Comparable in scope on workforce programming (e.g., BuildUP On-Demand) and entrepreneurship support within the same geographic ecosystem.
• Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen): Canada's Advanced Manufacturing supercluster. Directly overlapping target sector (advanced manufacturing) and an active OEMC partner; comparable in its program-delivery and cluster-building role, though with a national rather than regional remit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ontarioeast
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ontario.East

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ontario East