Tourism-related businesses and organizations in the greater Kawarthas region can now apply for up to $100,000 in funding from the Tourism Relief Fund.
On April 6, the federal government announced $65 million would be distributed to 11 regional tourism organizations across Ontario through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), including $3 million for Regional Tourism Organization 8 (RTO8) for Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland.
The Tourism Relief Fund is intended to help the tourism sector recover from the impacts of the pandemic and to seize new market opportunities through enhanced or new products and services.
Eligible applicants can apply for a non-repayable contribution between $25,000 and $100,000, for up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs for incorporated for-profit businesses and for up to 100 per cent of eligible costs for not-for-profit organizations and municipalities.
Businesses and organizations that are eligible to apply include incorporated businesses, cooperatives, not-for-profit incorporated organizations, municipalities, and post-secondary institutions.
Restaurants, businesses in the retail sector, hotel chains, and sole proprietorships are not eligible, although independent businesses may be considered for funding if they are an anchor product and the main reason for attracting tourists to the region.
Businesses and organizations that are 51 per cent more Indigenous-owned and controlled (including sole proprietorships) are also eligible to apply, either through RTO8 or directly to Indigenous Tourism Ontario.
Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2022 and will be evaluated by a special committee against the criteria governing the Tourism Relief Fund.
For more details, including eligible and ineligible costs, and to apply, visit rto8.com/tourism-relief-fund/.
