invest
Incentives
There are many benefits to investing your business in Kingston. Kingston offers a lower cost jurisdiction, talent, and strategic location. In 2019, Site Selection Magazine chose Kingston as one of the Top 20 Places in Canada to Invest, and the Financial Times UK also voted Kingston as the number one Small City for Foreign Direct Investment.
When you decide to invest in Kingston, you can take advantage of the many government benefits that support FDI such as supportive immigration programs, low corporate taxes, a scientific R&D tax credit, and eligible businesses can apply to over $10 million in incentives, in Provincial and Federal programs.
To encourage both domestic and international investment, the City provides a number of incentive programs. These include the Brownfield Program (CIP), development charges waved for industrial development, the Water Efficiency Retrofit Incentive Program (WERIP), Natural Gas Efficiency Upgrade Program, among other utility programs and business incentives. Get in contact with the Kingston Economic Development Corporation if you are interested in capitalizing on a Provincial and/or Federal incentive program.
Here are some other reasons why you should consider Kingston for your business:
Funding Programs
Kingston Economic Development will assist you access funding to support your business needs. Find out more about funding and incentives programs available!
Net Zero Accelerator is an $8 billion initiative available through the Strategic Innovation Fund in support of projects that will enable Canada to reduce its domestic greenhouse gas emissions.
FedDev Business Scale-up and Productivity is an interest-free, repayable contribution from $500,000 up to $10 million per project.
The Jobs and Growth Fund is an interest-free repayable contributions for up to 50 percent up to $10 million per project.
Eastern Ontario Development Fund offers two streams:
Loan Program: Up to 15% funding to a maximum of $5M, interest-free during the project period (up to 4 years). If you achieve your investment and job targets, up to 30% of the loan (to a maximum of $500,000) may be forgiven.
FDI Grant: Grants are available only for specific circumstances, up to 15% to a maximum of up to $1,500,000 for strategic projects that are foreign direct investments.
SR&ED Investment Tax Credit ranges from 15% and can be as much as 35% of qualified SR&ED expenditures.
CanExport offers up to $50,000 for international market development activities of small to medium-sized companies.
Industrial Research Assistance Program accelerates the growth of small and medium-sized businesses by providing a comprehensive suite of innovation services and funding.
Skilled Labour
Kingston offers a diverse workforce of talented and experienced labour and highly skilled expertise. Two-thirds of Kingston’s population has a post-secondary education. We are also home to three post-secondary schools: Queen’s University, St. Lawrence College, and Royal Military College of Canada, which funnels a skilled workforce and innovative private sector.
Affordable Real Estate
The average family home was just over $567,700 in 2021. Competitive industrial lease rate averaging $8 – $12/ sq ft and competitively priced shovel-ready industrial land.
Economic Diversity
Access research in medical technology, bioengineering, green technology, advanced computing, manufacturing and logistics, farming, and the food processing industry. Innovative programs, access to talent and R&D facilities can offset hefty startup costs to speed up your businesses’ growth.
Municipal Property Assessment & Tax Levy Lookup Tool
Quickly find out the assessed value of homes and other properties, as well as their taxes, by using the new Property Assessment and Tax Levy Lookup Tool.
For more information on Kingston Rates and Fees, please visit the City of Kingston website. All taxation inquiries should be directed to tax@cityofkingston.ca.
