Deadline is Next Monday

Southern Ontario’s Tourism Relief Fund is advertising 50% support up to $100,000 in non-repayable (grant) funding or 75% support up to $500,000 in an interest-free loan to tourism-related businesses/operators/cooperatives towards promoting, presenting, and/or expanding activities that attract tourists and visitors to Southern Ontario events occurring between November 2022 and March 2023.

Eligible activities include but not limited to:

• creating, adapting, and enhancing protocols and permanent infrastructure to meet health and safety requirements to accommodate visitors and employees to keep businesses operating
• helping operators traditionally reliant on international markets to create innovative tourism offerings attractive to local and domestic visitors
• modernizing operations, attractions, greening initiatives, and online sales services
• supporting operations with 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.)
• equipping operators towards extending product offerings into the off-season
• supporting destinations to implement tourism plans that create or improve local assets, facilities, and planning for key infrastructure
• enhancing attraction services and experiences to develop experiential tourism that will respond to visitor expectations post COVID-19
• assisting industry partners to support recovery and rebuilding efforts through coordination, and developing new offerings and/or capacity building on behalf of the sector
• supporting scale-up and market expansion activities for key enterprises essential to economic vitality and the local business climate

Eligible costs include

• Capital purchases, e.g., project/site-specific infrastructure expenses and equipment acquisition or rental (including buying bicycles), software, etc.

• Expertise: incremental fees paid to professional and/or technical personnel, consultants, or contractors, etc.
• Non-capital costs: promotional materials, SEO, bicycles, SUPs, etc.
• Labour: incremental salaries and benefits for individuals employed for the project may be eligible should they meet the following conditions:
  • The recipient confirms and substantiates that it is not economically feasible to tender a contract
  • Costs are for those employed directly in respect of the work that would have been the subject of the contract; or
  • Labour hired to work exclusively on the project (i.e., not existing employees of the recipient)

Land, vehicle and building purchases are not eligible. Nor can funding be used to run a marketing campaign.  Restaurants, hotel chains and the retail sector are not eligible. Deadline for applications is Monday November 28, 2022.