Help for Tourism Businesses deadline extended to this Sunday (May 22nd)
Tourism Relief Fund in southern Ontario
Applicant checklist
- Review the application guide
- Complete the application formTo download and open the PDF forms:
- Add attachments
- Connect with FedDev Ontario
The Tourism Relief Fund, administered by Canada’s regional development agencies (RDAs) and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), supports tourism businesses and organizations to adapt their operations to meet public health requirements while investing in products and services to facilitate their future growth. With a budget of $500 million over two years (ending March 31, 2023), including $50 million specifically dedicated to Indigenous tourism initiatives and $15 million for national initiatives, this fund will help position Canada to be a destination of choice as domestic and international travel rebounds by:
- empowering tourism businesses to create new or enhance existing tourism experiences and products to attract more local and domestic visitors
- helping the sector reposition itself to welcome international visitors by providing the best Canadian tourism experiences we have to offer the world
Indigenous applicants
Indigenous tourism projects are important to Canada’s economic recovery efforts and a priority under the Tourism Relief Fund. Under the fund, a minimum of $50 million will specifically support Indigenous tourism initiatives. Contributions to Indigenous entities (not generating profits) will normally be non-repayable. Indigenous applicants are invited to apply through the process described below.
National tourism support
An envelope of $15 million, delivered by ISED, will support the advancement of national tourism priorities aligned with Canada’s Tourism Growth Strategy, such as destination development, seasonal and geographic dispersion, and human resources and skills development. This funding provides the opportunity to leverage the reach and expertise of national tourism organizations to support pan-Canadian or multi-regional activities addressing challenges facing the tourism sector on its path to recovery, like conferences and events, training and research, and strengthening networks.
Eligible applicants
Eligible applicants include tourism entities that cater mainly to visitors, such as:
- businesses
- not-for-profit organizations, such as tourism associations
- band councils or other Indigenous organizations and cooperatives
To be considered eligible for this fund, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- be a key supplier or operator in the visitor experience
- be part of a defined tourism cluster or a tourism dependent community, including supporting downtown cores or
- provide an anchor product or service in a tourism destination
For more details on eligibility criteria, please consult the Application guide.
Eligible activities
Tourism Relief Fund projects will focus on:
- Product development: for example, projects that enhance tourism experiences; help tourism businesses adapt to the “new normal”, to modernize their offerings; and, encourage the adoption of more environmentally sustainable and inclusive practices.
- Destination development: for example, projects that position communities to take advantage of post-pandemic opportunities through strategic planning for medium- to long-term investments, as well as supporting destination development prospects in line with objectives set out in the Federal Tourism Growth Strategy.
Recognizing local realities, the RDAs will work to address the needs of businesses and communities on a regional basis, offering consistent support across Canada in this critical time.
For more details on the eligibility criteria, please consult the Application guide.
Financial support
Contributions to businesses will be either:
- non-repayable contributions up to $100,000 for up to 50% of eligible costs or
- fully repayable contributions up to $500,000 for up to 75% of eligible costs
Not-for-profit organizations and Indigenous entities (not generating profits) will be eligible for non-repayable contributions.
- Project contribution amounts would not exceed $500,000. The actual contribution amount will be based on the minimum amount required to carry out the project.
Notes:
- A business cannot receive a combination of a non-repayable and a repayable contribution for the same project.
- Assistance to cover operational needs will only be considered on a case-by-case basis (repayable for businesses and non-repayable for not-for-profits). Contact us for more information.
Submitting an application
Start the application process by using the Applicant checklist.
If this fund is not right for you, see what other FedDev Ontario support is available. Review more funding opportunities or visit our business services page. You can also find out more about the Government of Canada’s complete suite of COVID-19 relief support.
Patricia is the Business Mentor and owner of Grow Vantage and a Past President of the Barrie Chamber of Commerce. She applies over 30 years of business experience (from start-up to corporate) to mentor entrepreneurs. Since 2011, she has held over 6,500 coaching and training sessions in-person and online. Through Ask For Directions Training, her entrepreneurial training program (and parent company Grow Vantage), and as a business coach, she works with start-ups who are new (or who have lost traction) to design, launch and grow their businesses. Along with 20 other expert instructors she teaches strategies in marketing, sales, communications, and finance, as well as practical techniques to increase productivity, and manage their businesses. In other words, everything entrepreneurs need to learn to grow and run their businesses successfully, and avoid the costly mistakes they can't even see coming - that lead to delays in growth and getting stuck.