Organizations and researchers in Kenora and Rainy River must submit expressions of interest by October 2, 2026, for a Greo funding program worth up to C$600,000. The program supports projects aimed at preventing gambling-related harm and improving local education, treatment and support services.

Selected applicants will be invited to submit full applications by January 29, 2027. Funded projects are scheduled to run from April 1, 2027, to March 30, 2029, according to Greo’s program page.

Two funding streams, one regional test

Greo has divided the program into a Community Stream and a Research Stream. At least one project must be funded through each stream.

  • Community Stream: Up to C$100,000 per project for community-led prevention, education, treatment and support initiatives.
  • Research Stream: Up to C$200,000 per project for locally driven research over 24 months.

The goal is to produce more than broad provincial data. Greo says projects should reflect the realities of communities in the Kenora and Rainy River region, including local service gaps and the needs of underserved populations.

Local knowledge is part of the eligibility test

Community applicants must be based in Kenora or Rainy River, have operated for at least 12 months and hold an organizational bank account. Eligible applicants include non-profit groups, public health organizations and community-based organizations.

Researchers must be affiliated with an Ontario academic institution and demonstrate established relationships in the region. Teams may include researchers, practice experts and people with lived or living experience of gambling-related harm.

The call also prioritizes projects that work with Indigenous student researchers at Lakehead University or other regional institutions. That condition makes local partnership central to the program, rather than simply a label attached to a provincial research project.

Why the deadline matters

The funding will not automatically create new treatment or prevention programs. Applicants must first pass the expression-of-interest stage, then develop a full proposal if Greo invites them to continue.

That two-step process may test the capacity of organizations with limited staff and resources. It also puts a practical question to local groups: which gambling-harm gaps can they document clearly enough to win support?

The strongest proposals will need to connect local evidence with a clear public benefit, whether that means earlier prevention, better access to treatment or stronger support for people already affected by gambling harm.

Greo identifies October 2, 2026, as the expression-of-interest deadline and January 29, 2027, as the full application deadline. The final awards will determine which local ideas move from evidence gathering to services on the ground. Greo’s program details set out the eligibility rules and application timeline.