Baie-James Tourism — EPRTNT 2025-2027 – Festivals and Events

• Duly completed and signed application form (Excel format).
• Program or draft program of the upcoming event.
• Most recent event report, if available.
• Most recent financial statements of the organization, including revenue and expenses for the latest event.
• Forecast revenue and expense budget for the upcoming event.
• Confirmations from financial partners, if available.
• Board resolution (or equivalent) authorizing the signatory of the funding application.
• OQLF attestation or certification for organizations with 25 or more employees, if applicable.
• Proof of compliance or commitment to the Qualité-Sécurité d’Aventure Écotourisme Québec program for nature and adventure tourism businesses, if applicable.
• Indigenous certificate or certification confirming Indigenous status of the organization or community, if applicable.

• The applicant must be legally constituted under Quebec or Canadian law and conduct business in Quebec.
• The project and promoter must be established in the Baie-James tourism region (Chapais, Chibougamau, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Matagami or Eeyou Istchee Baie-James).
• The festival or event must be regionally relevant and able to attract a significant number of excursionists and tourists.
• The project must align with EPRTNT 25-27 objectives and regional priorities, including responsible and sustainable tourism development.
• Eligible organizations must have respected commitments linked to any previous subsidies from the partners.

Who is eligible?

• For-profit tourism enterprises.
• Non-profit organizations in the tourism sector.
• Tourism cooperatives.
• Municipal entities in the Baie-James region.
• Recognized Indigenous communities, nations and Indigenous tourism enterprises, and groupings of these clienteles.

Who is not eligible

• Provincial or federal Crown corporations, ministries and government agencies.
• Applicants listed in the Register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts.
• Businesses not compliant with the Office québécois de la langue française francization process.

Eligible expenses

• Administration costs linked to the supported edition or specific development aspect.
• Programming costs for the festival or event.
• Promotion, marketing and communication expenses.
• Site and facilities management fees.
• Costs of products intended for resale.
• Travel expenses within public service rates, general expenses, and salaries and benefits of the promoter’s staff related to the event.
• Audited sponsorships of goods and services, up to 50% of total eligible costs.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Costs not directly linked to holding and organizing the event.
• Capital expenditures related to acquiring equipment (depreciation) and working capital, debt service, operating or capital losses, and capital buyback.
• Costs for bringing assets up to standard, asset maintenance and regulatory compliance, as well as regular maintenance and financing fees.
• Non-refundable portions of sales taxes and other costs eligible for reimbursement, plus donations and in-kind contributions that are not audited, transfers of assets and legal fees.
• Remuneration of lobbyists, cost overruns and acquisition of motorized transport equipment not dedicated to the visitor experience.

Eligible geographic areas

• Baie-James tourism region, including Chapais, Chibougamau, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Matagami and the Eeyou Istchee Baie-James regional government territory.

• Alignment with EPRTNT 25-27 objectives and regional priorities.
• Structuring impact, including attraction power, regional benefits, partnerships, job creation and season extension.
• Level of innovation and quality of the concept, products and services.
• Strength of financial structure and business or study plan, including marketing strategy and market relevance.
• Feasibility of the project and integration of sustainable development principles.

• Step 1: Initial Contact
  • Contact the project manager at Tourisme Baie-James by phone or email to discuss the project.
  • Schedule and attend the mandatory meeting with the Tourisme Baie-James team before submitting the project.
• Step 2: Complete Application Forms
  • Obtain and fill out the self-evaluation and financial assistance application forms.
  • Prepare all required supporting documents listed by the program.
• Step 3: Submit Application
  • Send the completed forms and all required documents by email to the address indicated (tcompaore@tourismebaiejames.com).

• Projects are received on a continuous basis and analyzed during predefined assessment periods indicated on the Tourisme Baie-James website.
• Only complete applications, submitted with all required documents, are analyzed.

• Projects can be submitted on a continuous basis until October 31, 2026 or until funds are exhausted.
• An obligatory meeting with Tourisme Baie-James must be held before submitting the project.
• Incomplete applications will not be analyzed.
• The current funding cannot replace an existing financial assistance program and projects cannot have received an ARBJ subsidy.