Do I qualify for funding?

Eligibility

Ineligible Applicants

The Tourism Relief Fund does not provide funds directly to the following sectors:

• Restaurants
• Hotel chains
• Retail sector
• Sole proprietorships

However, these sectors can be supported indirectly through destination development projects, administered by organizations/destinations who have a role in growing the visitor economy (Ex: Municipalities, BIAs, Chambers of Commerce)

Eligible Applicants

This funding is open to businesses located in the regions of York, Durham, and Headwaters. Not sure if you’re located here? Contact us to find out. You can also visit our main website, and scroll to the bottom of any page to find out. Begin by typing your business address under “Find Resource in Your Region“.

Eligible applicants must be part of the tourism ecosystem and may include:

• incorporated businesses, primarily small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• not-for-profit incorporated organizations (including tourism associations and destination marketing organizations)
• Indigenous communities
• Indigenous sole proprietors
• co-operatives (for-profit and not-for-profit)
• municipalities, Municipal Development Corporations, and related entities
• post-secondary institutions

You may apply for this funding if you have not already applied and/or received Tourism Relief Funding directly from FedDev Ontario. I.E. You may not apply for this funding more than once.

Attractions, Festivals & Events, Trails Organizations, BIAs, Chambers, Municipalities, and Conservation Authorities are examples of the types of organizations who qualify. These organizations attract visitors to their communities and have a role to play in growing the visitor economy through increased visitation and/or increased visitor spending.

Eligible Expenses

Unlike Central Counties’ Partnership Program, the Tourism Relief Fund permits infrastructure and capital costs to be part of application submissions. 

Expenses may include:

• Creating, adapting, and enhancing protocols and permanent infrastructure to meet health and safety requirements to accommodate visitors;
• Modernizing operations, attractions, greening initiatives, and online sales services;
• Supporting businesses with the local promotion of tourism products, including digital and virtual reality experiences;
• Developing capacity for more inclusive tourism experiences (e.g., staff training to ensure welcoming, inclusive environments to diverse clientele, gender-neutral washroom facilities, etc.);
• Providing support to local communities to develop sustainable tourism plans based on research and market analysis, and designed to rebuild tourism confidence in communities;
• Supporting seasonal dispersion by equipping tourism SMEs to extend their product offering to increase visitation during the winter and shoulder seasons;
• Implementation of tourism plans that create or improve local assets, facilities, and planning for key infrastructure;
• Developing and enhancing tourism services and experiences; and,
• Implementing strategies to re-activate and animate downtown cores, main streets and business districts through activities, public art, and mixed-use spaces.

What kind of projects qualify?

Project Priorities

Capacity Building & Tourism Readiness

The goal of the fund is to better prepare our communities to welcome visitors, lengthen their stay, ensure they have an amazing time and provide opportunities for more visitor spending. Review the federal tourism priorities.

Some example include:

• Adding new trails, connecting trails and/or increased maintenance of trails;
• Modernizing, expanding and/or renovating an indoor/outdoor attraction to better service guests;
• Creating public seating, public patios, signage, public washrooms, waste receptacles for the general beautification of downtowns and/or public spaces in order to attract and retain more visitors;
• Programming entertainment, festivals, events, education experiences, etc., at individual locations or destinations to attract and retain more visitors;
• Develop and implement new products and experiences that drive visitation.

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Seasonal Extension

Projects that drive visitation in historically slower times of the year will be prioritized.  This can be new infrastructure, technology, events, products and/or experiences that will motivate visitors to spend time and money in your “off season”. 

Accessibility and Sustainability

Projects that assist an organization/destination to reduce visitor impact and/or make the visitor experience accessible to people of all abilities will be prioritized.

Indigenous Tourism

FedDev Ontario and Central Counties Tourism (CCT) are working with Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO) to better support Indigenous-owned small to medium-sized businesses and individuals who are actively working to grow the visitor economy. 

Please submit applications for Indigenous-led projects directly to ITO. All applications will be reviewed by ITO and, once approved, will be supported by both ITO and CCT during implementation and beyond.  

Sounds great! How do I apply?

Application

Step 1: Determine Eligibility

Are you incorporated?  Does your business currently have a role to play in the visitor economy?  Is your business operating in the regions of York, Durham or Headwaters?

NOTE: You are not eligible if you have already applied and/or received Tourism Relief Funding directly from FedDev Ontario.

Step 2: Review

Projects that drive visitation in historically slower times of the year will be prioritized.  After reading about program and federal priorities, determine the types of projects your organization can develop and execute that will help build tourism capacity to grow the visitor economy?  Reach out to other organizations in your community to see if there is additional opportunity for collaboration and/or expansion of the project to fill gaps and avoid duplication.

Step 3 (OPTIONAL): Complete the Tourism Ambassador Program

We highly recommend that you complete the Tourism Ambassador Program, an e-learning course available through the Central Counties LearningLab. This is NOT a requirement, you will still qualify for funding if you do not complete this step.

Step 4: Complete the Application

The online application process is meant to streamline the process. The application includes sections for you to detail:

1. The project overview
2. How you expect it to increase capacity and/or the visitor economy
3. The project budget
4. The metrics you will be using to measure success

The Federal Government has stipulated that all spending must be completed by December 31, 2022. You will also be responsible for completing a final report (due March 15, 2023). 

What happens after I apply?

The Process

Application and Project Review

All submitted applications will be reviewed and evaluated (using a standard grading rubric) by Central Counties Tourism (CCT) staff and the Central Counties Tourism Partnership Committee.  The board committee will approve all successful applications, at which time contracts between CCT and the successful stakeholders will be initiated. 

Project Funding

Upon contract signing, the successful stakeholder will be provided up to 90% of the approved funds to complete the project activities.  The accounting and financial reporting processes and requirements will be detailed in the contract between CCT and the stakeholder. 

Upon successful completion of the project and approval of all submitted reports, the remaining 10% of the funds will be released to the stakeholder. 

Expectations of Successful Applicants

Reporting

We want to celebrate your success and can’t do that if we don’t hear the results of the project. Your efforts and the risks you take to invest in something you believe in could very well motivate others to create new opportunities that grow the visitor economy.

What you do is important to us and helps us tell the collective story of creativity and entrepreneurship throughout the region. In order to access the final 10% of your approved funding, every partner must provide Central Counties a final report using a template that will be provided to you.

Sharing Your Success Stories

As part of your reporting requirements, we ask that you document the development and implementation of your project. We may share your story in order to collectively celebrate the anticipated success of the Tourism Relief Fund and acknowledge the support provided by the Government of Canada through FedDev Ontario to help build capacity and grow the visitor economy.