Financial assistance for tourism festivals and events — Stream 2

This grant provides structured financial assistance to tourism festivals and events across various criteria aimed at enhancing the sustainability and economic impact of tourism in selected Quebec regions. The financing terms are designed to support specific activities ensuring optimal allocation and utilization of resources.

• Base financial assistance established in relation to a tourism performance index.
• Financial aid projections applied to forecasted eligible costs of upcoming events.
• Enhancements to financial aid cater for the seasonal execution of festivals, especially those outside summer (October to May), and take geographic location into account.
• Financial support structured for a triennial term with no indexation or increment during this period.
• Financial assistance cannot surpass $1 million annually per tourism performance aids for distinguished events.
• Available financial aid augmented by percentage advancements for events occurring off-peak (up to 25% in January and February) and in peripheral or remote regions (10% to 20% additional aid).
• Overall government aid accumulation, including reimbursable aid, determined by a predefined schema based on applicant type, with capped assistance proportions (e.g., OBL at 50%, OBNL at 80%).
• Implementation of economic and sustainable development indicators required to secure financial assistance under specific funding streams.
• Non-admissible costs include capital projects, financial liabilities, and activities not directly associated with festival execution.

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific requirements related to the applicant's legal status and operational location in Quebec.

• The applicant must be a legally constituted organization under the laws of the Government of Quebec or the Government of Canada.
• The applicant must conduct their business in Quebec.
• Admissible entities include for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations, cooperatives, municipal entities, recognized Indigenous communities or nations by the National Assembly, or a combination of these entities.
• Inadmissible entities include crown corporations, ministries and governmental organizations of Quebec or Canada, companies listed on the Register of Enterprises Ineligible for Public Contracts (RENA), and organizations that have failed to meet their obligations in past financial aid agreements in the last two years after being duly forewarned.

Who is eligible?

Eligible organizations for this grant include for-profit organizations (OBL), non-profit organizations (OBNL), cooperatives, municipal entities, and recognized Indigenous communities or nations. Additionally, any grouping of the aforementioned types is also eligible. However, corporations, governments of Quebec or Canada, and organizations that have previously failed to meet obligations are excluded. All applicants must be legally constituted under Quebec or Canadian law and must operate in Quebec.

Who is not eligible

The grant program has certain exclusions in place for ineligible applicants based on their legal status and compliance history. These restrictions ensure that financial aid is provided to organizations that align with the grant's objectives and are in good standing.

• State-owned enterprises, ministries, and agencies of the governments of Quebec or Canada.
• Companies registered in the Register of Enterprises Ineligible for Public Contracts (RENA).
• Applicant organizations that failed to meet their obligations after being duly notified within the past two years concerning previous financial aid.

Eligible expenses

The grant covers specific costs associated with the preparation, management, and execution of the event.

• Costs of preparation and management of the event (limited to 25% of the total admissible costs for sections 1 and 4, and 40% for section 2 for festivals and events with a budget of $500,000 or more).
• Programming costs.
• Promotion, marketing, and communication costs.
• Site and installation management costs.
• Costs for products intended for resale.
• Salaries and benefits of human resources linked to the event.
• Sponsorships in goods and services, with costs audited (limited to 50% of the total admissible costs).
• Costs related to obligations in sustainable and responsible development.

Eligible geographic areas

The grant is available to festivals and events that take place within the province of Quebec. Eligible locations are defined to enhance tourism development across various regions of Quebec.

• Events held in any municipality within Quebec.
• Festivals and events that promote tourism in regions such as Montreal, Quebec City, and other specified areas across Quebec.

The evaluation and selection of projects for this grant focus on assessing their potential contribution to tourism and evaluating their performance based on several criteria.

• The proportion of days of participation by tourists.
• The economic impact as demonstrated by independent studies.
• The attractiveness and drawing power of the festival or event to tourists.
• The overall economic benefits generated by the event.

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• For events supported under streams 1 and 2, financial assistance is granted for three years or until the program ends.
• The collective sum of government assistance includes all support from governmental departments and agencies in Canada and Quebec, as well as municipal bodies.
• Eligible costs include preparation and management costs of the event, but these are capped at different percentages depending on the stream.
• Organizations with accumulated surpluses of more than 20% of their annual eligible costs must submit a plan for utilizing these surpluses within Quebec.
• Organizations must demonstrate that the funded event is the sole beneficiary of any surpluses or external contributions.
• Funding is subject to available budgets and each promoter is required to provide equity in the event's realization.