Council Summary September 22, 2025
** The council summary below provides a snapshot of the major items presented at Monday’s council meeting. The council meeting webcast is available on the City of Waterloo YouTube page. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting.
Waterloo seeks Trade-Impacted Communities program (TICP) funding to support emerging health technology sector locally
As part of the City’s ongoing tariff response, Council approved the City of Waterloo’s grant application to the Province of Ontario's Trade-Impacted Communities Program (TICP). The TICP is intended to help communities and local industries in Ontario navigate significant economic challenges caused by U.S. trade disruption.
The City of Waterloo’s 10-point US Tariff Response Plan, to support local businesses and mitigate the impacts of US tariffs on the City of Waterloo, noted the opportunity for the City of Waterloo to establish itself as a national leader in health technology innovation. The Building a Health-tech Sector project, to be designed and led by the Accelerator Centre, would advance this goal and is the subject of the City’s TICP grant application. This initiative will give early-stage health technology firms in Waterloo the tools, mentorship, and global readiness strategies to grow locally and expand internationally. The program will help diversify Waterloo’s economy by fostering growth in the new health-technology sector. It will equip companies with tools for product development, Canadian market validation, and international readiness, to build resilience against trade disruptions and tariffs. It will also support local needs, including the future research hospital and existing med-tech firms requiring software solutions.
The Accelerator Centre has been ranked among the top five private accelerators globally, with a demonstrated ability to scale ventures and strengthen Canada’s innovation economy.
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Media contact:
Cari Van Niekerk
Director, Corporate Communications
cari.vanniekerk@waterloo.ca