Ontario food security funding calendar 2026-27: when the recurring programs open

Most funding pages tell you what's open today. That's not much use in February if the program you need closed in August. This guide lists when each recurring program has opened or closed in the past, month by month, so you can plan around it instead of stumbling onto it after the deadline. Every date, amount, and eligibility line was read on the funder's own page in September 2026, with the source and the date shown for each.

This isn't a live list of what's open for your organization right now. That depends on your incorporation status, your history with each funder, and what you've already received. This calendar shows when each program has opened before. It pairs with our Ontario food bank grants guide, which covers the same programs in more detail plus community foundation options.

January: London's Maple Leaf Community Fund

London Community Foundation, Maple Leaf Community Fund

A small fund, $73,600 in total, for the capital needs of food-security programs. The funder's page shows the current cycle: applications open in January 2027, successful applicants receive their grant in July, and funds must be spent by January 31 the following year.

Watch for The January 2027 opening.

Skip this one if you're outside Middlesex or Oxford counties. The London portal covers Middlesex, including the City of London. Oxford County groups use the separate route linked by the funder.

Source: London Community Foundation, Maple Leaf Community Fund (checked September 2026)

February to March: Trillium's Capital window

Ontario Trillium Foundation, Capital grant

For building upgrades and equipment, fixed or not: a cooler, a warehouse retrofit. $10,000 to $200,000 for up to 12 months. The most recent window ran February 4 to March 4, 2026, and is now closed. OTF has not posted the next date.

Watch for A new window announcement on this page. Late winter is when it has opened before, but OTF has not confirmed a repeat date.

Skip this one if your organization is under 12 months old, or you're applying as a collaborative. Both are ineligible for this stream.

Source: Ontario Trillium Foundation, Capital grant (checked September 2026)

July to August: Trillium's Seed window

Ontario Trillium Foundation, Seed grant

For piloting something new or building organizational capacity. $10,000 to $100,000 for 6 or 12 months. The most recent window ran July 22 to August 19, 2026, at 5pm ET, and is now closed.

Watch for A summer window most years. The exact dates move, so check the page directly rather than assuming the same week.

Skip this one if your main request is building work, a vehicle, or large fixed equipment. Seed excludes fixed equipment and core operating funding.

Source: Ontario Trillium Foundation, Seed grant (checked September 2026)

August to September: federal infrastructure money, if it reopens

Local Food Infrastructure Fund, small-scale projects

Funds food-production infrastructure: community gardens, greenhouses, irrigation, hydroponics. $25,000 to $100,000, and the program can cover up to 100% of eligible costs. Priority goes to Indigenous and Black-serving projects. The most recent intake ran August 25 to September 24, 2025; an earlier one ran October 1 to 31, 2024.

Watch for A new intake notice. The funder's page has not announced one in a year, so treat late summer as a rough historical pattern, not a confirmed date. The program runs to March 31, 2027.

Skip this one if your project has no food-production element. Distribution alone doesn't qualify for this stream.

Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Local Food Infrastructure Fund (checked September 2026)

October to November: Trillium's Grow window and Hamilton's Open Grants

Ontario Trillium Foundation, Grow grant

For scaling a program you've already proven. $50,000 to $200,000 per year for 2 to 3 years. The next window runs October 7 to November 4, 2026, at 5pm ET.

Watch for The November 4, 2026 deadline, if you're reading this before it passes. Otherwise, fall is when this stream has opened before.

Skip this one if your project needs other money to finish the OTF-funded part and you don't have a credible plan to get it within a year.

Source: Ontario Trillium Foundation, Grow grant (checked September 2026)

Hamilton Community Foundation, Open Grants

Covers health and human services and other fields for work in Hamilton, with two request streams: up to $15,000, and $15,001 to $35,000. The application portal is open now, with a deadline of Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 5pm.

Watch for The October 15, 2026 deadline. This program was listed as "TBA" as recently as August 2026.

Skip this one if you need capital or fundraising costs covered, or the request is retroactive. All three are excluded.

Source: Hamilton Community Foundation, Open Grants (checked September 2026)

No set month: check these pages directly

Feed Ontario, Feeding Possibility grant

The Feeding Fundamentals stream supports operational needs, capacity building, and equipment or infrastructure maintenance, including refrigeration, vehicles, and client registration software. Projects are valued up to $10,000. Feed Ontario's page reports $80,000 for 12 selected Fundamentals projects and $279,000 made available to its network last year, with $35,000 currently available across its three streams.

Watch for An application window. Feed Ontario doesn't post one on the current page, so there's no confirmed month to plan around. Check the page directly.

Skip this one if your food bank isn't part of Feed Ontario's network. The funder describes the grant as support for food banks in its network.

Source: Feed Ontario, Feeding Possibility Program (checked September 2026)

WindsorEssex Community Foundation, Community Impact Grant

Up to $15,000 for projects that address a Windsor-Essex Vital Signs issue or local need, including food security. The 2026-2027 round is already closed. WECF's page says successful applicants will be notified ahead of a public announcement in early November 2026.

Watch for The next application window to open. WECF's page no longer shows the exact 2026-2027 deadline date, so we can't tell you the month it reopens; check the page directly rather than assuming last year's date.

Skip this one if you can't show how the project addresses a Windsor-Essex Vital Signs issue or local need.

Source: WindsorEssex Community Foundation, current grant page (checked September 2026)

One more to watch: reopening in spring 2027

Farm Credit Canada, AgriSpirit Fund

$10,000 to $25,000 for communities under 50,000 people, including projects that support food recovery or reduce food waste. Useful for food security groups outside the larger cities. Applications are currently closed. FCC's page says the fund will reopen in spring 2027.

Watch for The spring 2027 reopening. FCC hasn't posted an exact date yet.

Skip this one if your community has 50,000 people or more, or your organization received AgriSpirit funding in the past five years.

Source: Farm Credit Canada, AgriSpirit Fund (checked September 2026)

What is open for your organization right now?

This calendar tells you when to watch each page. What's actually open for your organization this week is a shorter list, and it's different for every organization. Request a free sample shortlist to see how ZeraGrants screens opportunities against your profile. It's free and there's no commitment.

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Every program above was checked against the funder's own website in September 2026. Programs change, and application windows move from year to year. Final requirements and funding decisions should always be confirmed directly with the funder. ZeraGrants screens funding opportunities for Canadian nonprofits. We don't award grants and we never guarantee eligibility or funding.