For updates on how the U.S tariffs impact the Vaughan business community, visit vaughanbusiness.ca/tariffs.
Investment Concierge Program and Community and Economic Development Fund
In today’s competitive development landscape, business decision makers are choosing locations that make growth easier. Vaughan is actively committed to building the most business-friendly city by reducing friction, accelerating investment readiness, and supporting projects that strengthen the City’s long-term competitiveness through the Investment Concierge Program and the Community and Economic Development Fund.
Investment Concierge Program
From start to finish, get hands-on support from a dedicated team to help streamline your non-residential development project
Vaughan’s Investment Concierge Program is designed to support business expansion and job creation across the city. Whether you’re investing in a new facility or expanding an existing business, our program provides hands-on guidance to help you navigate the City’s approval processes smoothly and efficiently.
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The Investment Concierge Program is designed to support high-impact commercial, industrial, and office developments in Vaughan. To qualify, projects must meet at least two of the following criteria:
- Large Industrial Developments – Over 9,000 square metres (100,000 square feet).
- Retail Growth in Key Areas – At least 1,300 square metres (15,000 square feet) in Vaughan’s strategic growth areas.
- Large Office Spaces – Over 4,600 square metres (50,000 square feet) of Class A office.
- Job Creation and Retention – Supporting 150+ new jobs or 40+ jobs in the Professional, Scientific, or Skilled Trades sectors.
- Significant Capital Investment – A project capital expenditure of $30 million or more, aligning with investment incentives from partner organizations.
- High-Profile Companies – Businesses that enhance Vaughan’s reputation locally, nationally or globally, as determined by City leadership.
Additional Considerations
Some projects may receive special consideration, even if they don’t fully meet the criteria above. This includes projects in priority sectors identified in Vaughan’s Economic Development Action Plan or those supported by strategic partners such as York Region, Toronto Global, Invest Ontario, Invest Canada, or the Federal Trade Commissioners Service.
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- Expert business advisory from our project team to unlock opportunities and avoid roadblocks, including funding and business growth, smoother applications, building code support and business licensing support (if applicable).
- Clear and predictable process with clear expectations, responsibilities and deliverables for both the City and your team.
- A dedicated concierge to access City services with a collaborative, cross-departmental approach
- A single point of contact to track your project’s progress and ensure smooth coordination with department-specific and agency expertise
- Strategic site selection and feasibility support
- Tailored expansion strategies based on businesses’ unique needs
- Streamlined review process for high-impact projects, ensuring efficiency while maintaining all required steps and standards
- Process optimization to make the Development Review Process more efficient for all applicants
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The Investment Concierge Program is a commitment between the City of Vaughan and the applicant, to work together toward the successful completion and opening of the project. To ensure timely completion of project phases, the City and the applicant are responsible for adhering to policies, technical requirements and regulatory standards as identified by the City of Vaughan and external agencies.
The Concierge Program Team will collaborate inter-departmentally and with external agencies to ensure eligible applications are streamlined, while recognizing that timelines for external agency reviews will vary based on the level of complexity and coordination required.
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- Team Lead/Concierge: Investment Services Advisor, Economic Development
Key stakeholders from the following departments, as needed:
- Development and Parks Planning
- Building Standards
- Development Engineering
- Financial Planning and Development Finance
- Transportation and Fleet Management Services
- Environmental Services / Parks, Forestry and Horticulture Operations
- By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services
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Check out the Roadmap to Ribbon-Cutting guide for a step-by-step overview of the program, key actions, roles and resources available to you at each stage.
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If your project meets at least two criterion above, apply to the Investment Concierge Program by filling out the application below. Once submitted, the Concierge team will review the application and the Investment Services Advisor will contact you to discuss your application, project proposal and next steps.
Community and Economic Development Fund
Unlock targeted financial incentives to help eligible non-residential development and mobility projects move forward with greater speed, clarity, and confidence.
The Community and Economic Development Fund, enabled by the Community Improvement Plan, offers eight financial incentives, including development charges deferrals, capital grants, and forgivable loans. These financial incentives are available to eligible projects such as major office developments, convention centres, grocery stores, urban agriculture initiatives, transportation demand management strategies, and other qualifying uses.
The financial incentives are delivered through a phased approach:
- Phase 1 (2026 to 2030): Four financial incentives are available.
- Phase 2 (2027 to 2030): Two more financial incentives are available, for a total of six.
- Phase 3 (2029 to 2030): Two more financial incentives are available, for a total of eight.
To learn more, please refer to the Financial Incentives sections below (Available Now + Coming Soon).
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Applications are currently being accepted for the following four financial incentives as part of phase 1 (2026 to 2030) of the Community and Economic Development Fund:
The Interim Use Activations Grant is funded by Tourism Vaughan’s Host In Vaughan Grant.
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Applications for the remaining four financial incentives will be accepted in future phases of the Community and Economic Development Fund and are not yet open for applications.
Two additional financial incentives will be available in phase 2 (2027 to 2030):
The final two additional financial incentives will be available in phase 3 (2029 to 2030):
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Each financial incentive is eligible within a designated area, either:
- Complete Community and Large Non-Residential Areas: Applies to select secondary plan areas, protected major transit station areas, and primary corridors.
- Movement of Goods and Talent: Applies city-wide
All financial incentives – except for the Transportation Demand Management Strategy Forgivable Loan – are eligible within the Complete Community and Large Non‑Residential Areas designated area.
The Transportation Demand Management Strategy Forgivable Loan is eligible only within the Movement of Goods and Talent designated area.
Please note that only projects located within the applicable designated area will be considered for financial incentives.
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- Book a pre-consultation meeting to discuss your idea, understand eligibility, and confirm submission requirements.
- Prepare required submission materials.
- Submit your application.
Book a Pre-Consultation Meeting
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding the Investment Concierge Program or the Community and Economic Development Fund, contact us at ed@vaughan.ca.
Did you know?
Since 2014
42,000
building permits
17
billion (CAD$) in construction value
Top 10 in Canada
3
for industrial building permits
10
for non-residential building permits
Your future workforce
353,071
people
26
billion (CAD$) in GDP
Ease of access
3
TTC subway stations
20
minutes away from major 400-series highways