The Employment Ready Review is an incentive offered through the Employment Development Community Improvement Plan (CIP). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
An Employment Ready Review is a complimentary preliminary plan review meeting with City Staff to determine the planning process required and to discuss development requirements prior to development or building permit applications.
Applicants are encouraged to contact Invest Barrie early in the process for guidance, eligibility confirmation, and assistance completing their submission.
Eligibility Requirements and Details
Please review the Employment Development CIP for full eligibility details before completing an application. Section 3.3.2 outlines the requirements for Employment Ready Review. Key criteria are summarized below:
- Projects must be located on lands within the City of Barrie municipal boundary as it existed on the date of passing By-Law Number 2026-018.
- Project sites shall not be located on lands subject to flooding hazards, erosion hazards, including wetlands.
- Projects must be employment or industrial uses including but not limited to advanced manufacturing (inclusive of priority sectors such as automotive, defense, mining, and life sciences). Residential, office, mixed-use, commercial and retail projects would not be eligible.
- May be vacant land or underutilized industrial buildings.
In addition, the following general eligibility requirements apply, as outlined in section 3.3.1 of the Employment Development CIP:
How to Apply
Submission intake for all programs is continuous and applications are evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis.
An application to the Employment Ready Review must be submitted prior to Site Plan application.
To accept an application as complete, you must submit or attest to the following:
- Complete application form
- Owner’s authorization form, if applicable
- Cover letter
- Site plan drawing or concept plan
- Anticipated employment numbers and agreement to provide payroll information when requested as supporting documentation
- Confirm if a Site Plan Control agreement has been approved, required for certain applications
- Confirm an occupancy permit has not been issued
- Agree to enter into a legal agreement with the City of Barrie (if you are approved for a CIP)
Evaluation
Invest Barrie staff aim to confirm Employment Readiness Consultation eligibility within two weeks of receiving a completed application. Once staff have confirmed eligibility, applicants will be notified in writing.
Submissions are reviewed using the Employment Development CIP scorecard to determine program eligibility. Projects must score a minimum of 70 on the scorecard to be eligible.
Visit barrie.ca/EmploymentLandsCIP to learn about the other financial incentive programs offered.