Ontario County Development

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Strategic Plan

Welcome to the Ontario County Development website, a cooperative effort of the Ontario County Office of Economic Development (OCOED), the Ontario County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA) and the Ontario County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC).

Please view our Organization Chart.

We share a vision for Ontario County—a vision that is innovative and future-focused, one that offers the community and prospective newcomers the most robust high-tech infrastructure in New York State’s Finger Lakes region.

With a picturesque, welcoming environment, Ontario County offers a diversity of lifestyle choices that range from small city and suburban to village and rural, and we are dedicated to its safe, prosperous and long-range development.

2023 EDC Board Meeting Dates

2023 IDA Board Meeting Dates

*Please click here to go to our COVID-19 Resources page.

Please click on the link below to find the 2022 Ontario County Resource Guide.  This guide includes information for transportation, child care and other useful resources.

2022 Ontario County Resource Guide

7/20/23

 

GOVERNOR HOCHUL ANNOUNCES $150 MILLION NEW YORK FORWARD LOAN FUND 2 TO PROVIDE FLEXIBLE LOANS TO NEW YORK STATE SMALL BUSINESSES 

  

Partnership With Mission-Driven Community Lenders Will Strengthen Small Businesses and Non-Profits Through Access to Capital and Support Services 

  

Expanded Eligibility Will Allow More Small Businesses to Qualify for Loans 

  

Interested Businesses Can Pre-Apply Here 

  

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the New York Forward Loan Fund 2 program for qualifying small businesses and nonprofits. After expanding criteria for qualifications and with even greater resources allocated for the program, the enhanced fund represents an even bolder commitment to New York State's small businesses. Qualified recipients with fewer than 100 employees and less than $5 million in gross annual revenue can apply for loans up to $150,000 with affordable, fixed-rate interest rates. Part of New York's broader State Small Business Credit Initiative efforts led by Empire State Development, the fund will be in place for the next eight years and will focus on helping small businesses and nonprofits, particularly those in low-income and historically underbanked communities and rural areas access flexible working capital to cover a wide range of expenses, from payroll and marketing to facility renovations. Additionally, free support services from experts will work with businesses throughout the life of the loan.   

  

The New York Forward Loan Fund was initially designed to provide hands on support and access to flexible, affordable credit to the smallest businesses across New York who lacked access to affordable credit options in response to COVID-19. New York State needed to create its own program to address inequities in distribution of funds and because smaller loans were not widely available in the market at affordable rates.  The original fund processed over 1,700 loans and distributed $97 million in pandemic relief to small businesses and served as a life-line, especially for women and minority-owned companies.  More than 50 percent of loan recipients had never applied for a business loan prior to the New York Forward Loan Fund.  

  

Working through Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), New York Forward 2 aims to disburse an initial $150 million with plans to recycle and lend additional funds over the life of the program. CDFIs will assist in accomplishing the program's broader goal of investing in underfunded businesses, specifically people of color, women, veterans and the LGBTQ+ community. 

  

Businesses interested in seeking a loan can pre-apply at NYLoanFund.com New York Forward Loan Fund 2's loan providers include Accion Opportunity Fund, Ascendus, NDC's Community Impact Loan Fund, Pursuit, and TruFund Financial Services. 

GOVERNOR HOCHUL ANNOUNCES $82 MILLION IN FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE NEW YORK STATE ARTS AND CULTURE

 Governor Kathy Hochul announced that $82 million in New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) grants are now available for nonprofit arts and culture organizations and individual artists across New York State. The launch of these grants will provide flexible funding to support a wide range of organizations and artistic pursuits, including helping individual artists create new works, sustaining new and existing programming at community organizations, increasing access to affordable rehearsal and studio space, and expanding opportunities for performing arts residencies. Application guidelines are available now at arts.ny.gov.

Guidelines for the following opportunities are available to download on the NYSCA website:

  • Support for Organizations

    • Provides flexible operating and programmatic funding for qualified arts and culture organizations. Awards range from $10,000 to $49,500.

  • Support for Artists

    • Funds creative commissions to individual artists across the state. The commission areas include Choreography, Composer, Film, Media, and New Technology, Folk and Traditional Arts, Interdisciplinary, Literature, Theater Commissions, and Visual arts. Award amount is $10,000.

  • Support for Targeted Opportunities

    • Rehearsal and Studio Space for the Performing Arts: This funding is intended to support creative rehearsal time and organizations that provide viable and affordable space for non-profit arts groups and artists. Awards range from $15,000 to $35,000.
      • Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeships: This funding provides individuals experienced in a folk art with opportunities to study with master folk artists from their own community. Award amount is $10,000.
        • Performing Arts Residencies. This opportunity supports a minimum 3- consecutive-week residency by New York-based performing arts groups in a targeted area in New York State outside of the applicant's home county and outside New York City. Awards range from $15,000 to $35,000.

  • Support for Regrants and Services

    • Supports funding to State Community Regrant sites - a network of regional arts and culture organizations located across the state - that leverage their local expertise to extend the impact of NYSCA's grantmaking to artists and nonprofits in all 62 counties as well as funding to organizations for services to the field. This opportunity is by invite only.

Round XIII of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative

New York State announced the launch of Round XIII of the Regional Economic Development Council funding. This year’s programs include core capital grant and tax-credit funding combined with a wide range of programs from 10 state agencies, including $150 million in grant funds from Empire State Development (ESD) to help support business growth and investment. More information on all the programs can be found here.

Through ESD programming, funding is available for capital-based economic development projects intended to create or retain jobs; prevent, reduce or eliminate unemployment and underemployment; and/or increase business or economic activity in a community or region.

New this year is a micro grant program to support New York State craft beverage manufacturers to increase production capacity, business infrastructure and profitability of businesses licensed to produce wine, beer, spirits, hard cider, and mead.

As in years past, funding requests will be submitted through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA), the State's single application for state resources which includes programs from numerous agencies. It is designed to give project applicants expedited and streamlined access to a combined pool of grant funds and tax credits from dozens of existing programs.

Applications are due Friday, July 28 at 4 pm so don’t delay!

Applications for the Fourth Round of
Grow-NY Open May 16

Image of a woman in an indoor growing facility with text "applications for year 4 will open May 16, 2022"

The application window for year four of the Grow-NY food and agriculture business competition will open on May 16 and close on July 1, 2022. The program welcomes applications from innovators in the food, beverage, and agriculture sectors from across the globe to compete for the $1 million top prize. 

Learn More About the Competition

Attend an Information Session

The Grow-NY team is offering a series virtual information sessions for interested applicants to learn more about the program. After a short presentation, info session attendees will have the chance to ask questions. 

Have more questions? Check out the Grow-NY FAQ page to find answers to our most commonly asked questions. 

Grow-NY is funded by Empire State Development and administered by Cornell University. Questions? Contact grow-ny@cornell.edu.

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