Archived
Experience Ontario 2025
Funding for Ontario tourism festivals and events
Offered by
Government of Ontario
Record updated
- Funding available
- $ 125,000
- Up to 50% of project cost
- Deadline
- Unspecified
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
Overview
Funding supports in-person tourism festivals and events in Ontario that attract visitors and increase local spending. Eligible organizations can receive up to $125,000 depending on event cash expenses and tier.
At a glance
Funding available
- Maximum funding
- $125,000
- Maximum share of project costs
- 50%
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Increase social or community impact
- Enhance an existing program
- Increase production or service capacity
- Develop an online presence
- Strengthen organizational capacity
- Digitize or modernize organizational tools
- Train or support volunteers
- Reach a new target audience
- Launch or market a product/service
- Raise awareness or mobilize a population
- Renovate or adapt facilities
Eligible candidates
- Location
- Ontario
- Eligible Industries
- All industries
- Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
- Organisation size
- All organization sizes
- Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Language Minorities
- Rural or Northern Residents
- 2SLGBTQI+
- Canadians
- Legal structures
- Non-profit, Public or Parapublic institution, Non-financial cooperative, Social economy enterprise, For-profit business
Non-profit candidates
- Sector of operation
- Culture and Arts, Sports, Other Recreation and Social Clubs
- Target groups
- General public, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ+ community, Rural / Remote communities, Artists / creatives, Minority groups
- Scope
- Local, Regional, Provincial
Archived
Availability timeline
2025
Periods: 1
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Incorporated organizations and legal entities in Ontario
- First Nations, Indigenous communities, and Indigenous service providers in Ontario
- Regional or provincial Indigenous organizations
Who is not eligible
- Sole proprietorships
- Limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and general partnerships
- Federal or provincial governments and their agencies
Eligible expenses
- Artist, performer, and presenter fees, including related travel and accommodation
- Programming, production, marketing, and temporary event staff costs
- Accessibility, translation, security, sanitation, and health and safety measures
- Economic impact studies and approved direct project costs
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Costs outside the eligible period
- Permanent assets, prizes, trophies, and participant expenses
- Permanent staff salaries, overhead, and capital costs
- Alcohol, cannabis products, HST, and refundable expenses
Eligible geographic areas
- Ontario
- Northern Ontario districts: Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Timiskaming
Activities funded
- In-person tourism festivals and events in Ontario
- Multi-day public events with programming for visitors
- Festivals and events that promote Ontario travel and local experiences
How to apply
- Step 1: Prepare your application
- Read the application guide and watch the program video.
- Consult a Tourism Regional Advisor or Northern Regional Development Advisor if needed.
- Create or confirm your TPON and My Ontario account access.
- Step 2: Gather mandatory documents
- Collect the CRA business number and required organizational documents.
- Prepare the required financial statements.
- Step 3: Submit online through TPON
- Complete the application in the TPON portal.
- Attach all mandatory documents before the deadline.
- Submit by December 19, 2024 at 4 p.m. EST.
- Step 4: Await review and notification
- Applications are evaluated during the stated review period.
- Successful and unsuccessful applicants are notified by email.
Documents Needed
- CRA business number
- Incorporation documents or equivalent organizational documents
- Previous year’s audited financial statements or review engagement report, or board-endorsed/treasurer-certified financial statements
Selection criteria
- Organizational capacity
- Festival and event information
- Festival and event programming details
- Marketing and community economic development
- Event budget
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed against eligibility and mandatory requirements.
- Eligible applications are scored against program criteria.
- Successful and unsuccessful applicants are notified by email.
- Approved applicants must sign a transfer payment agreement before funding is released.
Additional information
- Only one application per organization and per event is allowed.
- Applicants must submit through Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON).
- Successful applicants must acknowledge Ontario’s support in communications and at the event.
- Recipients may be audited or asked to provide post-event reporting materials.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Experience Ontario 2025 Program
What is the Experience Ontario 2025?
Funding supports in-person tourism festivals and events in Ontario that attract visitors and increase local spending. Eligible organizations can receive up to $125,000 depending on event cash expenses and tier.
How much funding can be received?
Experience Ontario 2025 Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $125,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the Experience Ontario 2025 program?
To be eligible for the Experience Ontario 2025 program, you must:
Legal entity operating in Ontario
In existence since January 1, 2024 or earlier
In-person public tourism event in Ontario
What expenses are eligible under Experience Ontario 2025?
Artist, performer, and presenter fees, including related travel and accommodation
Programming, production, marketing, and temporary event staff costs
Accessibility, translation, security, sanitation, and health and safety measures
Economic impact studies and approved direct project costs
Who can I contact for more information about the Experience Ontario 2025?
You can contact Government of Ontario by email at ExperienceOntario@ontario.ca or by phone at 416-325-6691.
Where is the Experience Ontario 2025 available?
The Experience Ontario 2025 program is available the province of Ontario.
Is the Experience Ontario 2025 a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Experience Ontario 2025 is a Grant and Funding