Experience Ontario 2025

Who is eligible?

Experience Ontario 2025 evaluates and selects project applications based on their ability to meet specific program criteria, ensuring alignment with program objectives and funding priorities.

• Organizational Capacity - 25 points
• Festival and Event Information - 15 points
• Festival and Event Programming Details - 30 points
• Marketing and Community Economic Development - 25 points
• Event Budget - 5 points

Who is not eligible

Experience Ontario 2025 excludes certain organizations based on specific statuses and activities, ensuring that the funding is directed towards advancing the tourism sector in line with the program's goals.

• Sole proprietorships, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and general partnerships.
• Federal or provincial governments and/or their agencies.
• Organizations that have failed to comply with the terms and conditions of any previous grant or loan from a ministry or agency of the Government of Ontario.
• Organizations applying for events that receive funding from the Ontario Sport Hosting Program or the Ontario Music Investment Fund, unless they are applying for separate events.
• Organizations that fail to demonstrate a contribution to tourism, such as those with events aimed at special interest audiences or primarily commercial events.
• Applicants pursuing funding solely for marketing purposes without eligible programming.

Eligible expenses

Eligible expenses for the grant are those incurred for the direct delivery of the festival or event.

• Performance and appearance fees for artists, performers, and presenters, including travel, accommodation, hospitality, and booking costs.
• Programming costs including interactive, experiential, and accessible programming.
• Ontario-based production costs, such as audio and visual support, rental of sound and lighting equipment, and rental of event venue.
• Wages for temporary/contract event staff directly related to programming and production.
• Fees for SOCAN or other licensing.
• Honorarium for Elder/Knowledge Holder.
• Targeted paid media or advertising buys, such as broadcast, digital, social, print, out-of-home.
• Distribution and shipping costs for printed materials.
• Development and upgrades of mobile applications and websites for promoting or supporting the festival or event.
• Wages for temporary/contract event staff related to marketing.
• Translation costs for programming or marketing.
• Volunteer training costs for the event, site/visitor services, or event security.
• Accessibility services and improvements for event programming to comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.
• Non-capital costs related to health and safety measures such as digital contactless payment and admission technology.
• Sanitation services like handwashing stations and hand sanitizer dispensers.
• Economic impact studies.
• Other reasonable costs directly attributable to the project that are approved in writing by the ministry.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant is available to companies located in Ontario, Canada, as determined by the funding body. The eligible locations are focused on supporting events within the province to promote tourism and local economic development.

• Algoma.
• Cochrane.
• Kenora.
• Manitoulin.
• Nipissing.
• Parry Sound.
• Rainy River.
• Sudbury.
• Thunder Bay.
• Timiskaming.

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• Applications must be submitted via the Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) system, and applicants are responsible for ensuring their application is complete with all mandatory documents before the deadline.
• New users must create a My Ontario Account for access to the TPON system, which can take several days, so it is advised to start this process early.
• The total maximum eligible funding is tiered based on the festival or event's previous year's total cash expenses.
• Successful applications must report back within 90 days following the event, use the final report form, and provide all supporting materials as part of the mandatory post-event reporting process.
• Successful applicants must have at least $2 million commercial general liability insurance coverage and include "His Majesty the King in right of Ontario, His ministers, agents, appointees and employees" as an additional named insured.
• Event promotion must acknowledge Ontario's support in all media, publicity and marketing materials as part of a visibility campaign.
• There is no appeal process for unsuccessful applications.