The Funding Report: Issue: #51
June 26, 2012
In association with: 

Funding opportunities for the tourism sector rise as the season begins

 

As temperatures continue to climb this summer, many people are choosing to stay in Canada for their vacations to support our national tourism industry. Across the country, federal and provincial governments are also doing their part to encourage sectorial growth by providing targeted grant and contribution programs for tourism businesses.

 

The tourism sector is an important contributor to the national economy. In 2010, it generated over $26 billion to our GDP and employed over 617,000 people. These numbers represent positive growth for a sector that struggled to overcome the recession and the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009.

 

Since the economic downturn, the government has created a strong framework for industrial support to the tourism sector as part of its Economic Action plan. In this first quarter of 2012, The Funding Portal estimated that the industry received about $126 million in federal grants and contributions, making it one of the "hot" sectors for public funding along with private-academic research partnerships, agriculture and agri-food, and clean technology.

 

Businesses in the tourism sector have access to a wide range of government funding programs to support their initiatives. In Ontario, there are three major sector-specific initiatives. Applications are currently open under all three programs.

 

The Tourism Development Fund provides financial support for tourism planning, training, product and experience development, and activities that support tourism investment. The Tourism Event Marketing Partnership Program provides non-repayable grants of up to $200,000 to market and promote an event or festival in the province. And the Industry Partnership Proposal Program provides up to $60,000 to industry groups, business associations and consortiums that have marketing ideas for tourism destinations in Ontario.

 

The Quebec government offers several industrial support programs through Tourism Quebec, including programs that support festivals and touristic events, as well as tourism projects that will attract visitors from abroad.

 

In Atlantic Canada, the Government of Prince Edward Island offers Small Business and Tourism loans to provide operating capital for seasonal startups. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador also administers the Market Readiness Subsidy Program, which provides up to $2,500 for tourism business management and staff to attend training or practice programs.

 

In Northern Canada, Yukon offers the Tourism Cooperative Marketing Fund, a 50-50 cost-sharing program that provides businesses up to $105,000 per year to market their tourism products. The Tourism Product Diversification and Marketing Program offers tourism businesses in the Northwest Territories up to $25,000 for business planning, $250,000 for product development and $10,000 for marketing.

 

But no matter the location, tourism business owners should also consider funding opportunities that are not sector-specific to support their objectives. For example, there are many summer jobs programs that can help find staff during the busy summer months, and there are also regional funding programs that focus on supporting businesses from any industry sector in rural areas.

 

The Funding Portal has identified dozens of funding programs that may be of interest to tourism businesses across the country. Try the Portal's Find It search engine to identify government funding opportunities available for your business today.

Weekly Digest

  • Life sciences: The Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery announced it is partnering with MaRS Innovation, the Ontario Brain Institute and OCE to launch a funding program to support projects that develop new tools for biopharmaceutical research. Applicants can receive up to $750K in funding for three years.  
  • Ontario Budget: The Ontario Budget passed last week. It proposes an Act that would see the creation of the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund and that would make the Eastern Ontario Development Fund permanent.  
  • European markets: Canada has joined EUREKA, a European business network, to provide Canadian companies with more access to international markets. NRC-IRAP will be coordinating Canada's participation.   
  • Saskatchewan: The Government of Saskatchewan announced the new $1M  International Market Development Program. The program will help industry establish, maintain and expand international market presence; increase the number and value of trade missions coming in to province; and open, protect and expand market access for local products. Applicants can receive up to $100K and can apply up to February 1, 2013.  
  • CanNor: CanNor opened new headquarters in Iqaluit. 

Must Reads

The Funding Portal on BNN

 

The Funding Portal CEO Teri Kirk was on BNN Monday to discuss Canada's best-known public funding programs. 

 

Watch the entire video to hear more on The Funding Portal's take on some of Canada's most in demand funding programs.  

 

 

Make sure to catch The Funding Portal on BNN every Monday afternoon at 2:40 p.m. EDT.

Who got funded

 

Week of June 16-22
Federal/provincial support: $127,198,212

 

Sectors

Provinces

 

Academic

95 public outreach research projects
Amount: $6,300,000
Location: Across Canada
Program: SSHRC's Connection program
Funding Objective: Research

 

Agriculture

Cooke Aquaculture Inc.
Amount: $16,000,000, interest-bearing loan, $9,000,000, forgivable loan, provincial
Location: NS
Program: Nova Scotia Jobs Fund and jobsHere
Funding Objective: R&D, commercialization, expansion

 

Association for Sustainable Forestry
Amount: $1,500,000, provincial
Location: NS
Program: Provincial
Funding Objective: Silviculture initiatives

 

66 agricultural demonstration projects
Amount: $550,000
Location: SK
Program: Agricultural Demonstration of Practices and Technologies Program (ADOPT)
Funding Objective: Technology adoption

 

Fermes Burnbrae(French)
Amount: $425,000, provincial
Location: Upton, QC
Program: Investissement Québec
Funding Objective: Équipement

 

Businesses in Saint-Paul-de-la-Croix and Osons l'Osier (French)
Amount: $255,000, provincial
Location: Saint-Paul-de-la-Croix, QC
Program: Programme pilote d'appui à la multifonctionnalité de l'agriculture
Funding Objective: Project to grow willow in the region

 

Centre Eau, Terre et Environnement of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique
Amount: $250,000
Location: Quebec City, QC
Program: Growing Forward Watershed Evaluation of Beneficial Management Practices (WEBs)
Funding Objective: Improve computer model for soil and water quality project

 

101470 PEI Inc. (blueberry harvester)
Amount: $100,000, provincial
Location: PE
Program: Innovation PEI's Development and Commercialization Fund
Funding Objective: R&D, commercialization

 

Thinking Big Information Technology Inc.
Amount: $100,000, provincial
Location: PE
Program: Innovation PEI's Development and Commercialization Fund
Funding Objective: R&D, commercialization

 

Art, culture and sports

Yukon First Nations Tourism Association
Amount: $320,000, federal, $50,000, provincial
Location: Whitehorse, YK
Programs: Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED), Aboriginal People's Collaborative Exchange, Recreational Projects Program, Arts Fund
Funding Objective: Plan cultural festival

 

Tour cycliste de l'Abitibi
Amount: $153,650, repayable contribution
Location: Rouyn-Noranda, QC
Program: Quebec Economic Development Program
Funding Objective: Marketing

 

Tour de la releve internationale de Rimouski
Amount: $75,563, non-repayable
Location: Rimouski, QC
Program: Canada Economic Development's Community Diversification program
Funding Objective: Commercialization

 

Kincardine Scottish Festival and Highland Games
Amount: $11,000
Location: Kincardine, ON
Program: Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program
Funding Objective: Project capital

 

Cleantech

Coopérative BioÉnergie Mégantic (French)
Amount: $564,103, provincial
Location: Lac-Mégantic, QC
Program: Programme d'aide à l'innovation en énergie (PAIE)
Funding Objective: Biomass project

 

GreenBug Energy Inc.
Amount: $52,000
Location: Delhi, ON
Program: Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP)
Funding Objective: R&D

 

Community initiatives

Native Education College
Amount: $397,000
Location: Vancouver, BC
Program: Skills and Partnership Fund
Funding Objective: Skills development

 

Momentum Centre
Amount: $200,000
Location: Winnipeg, MB
Program: Skills Link
Funding Objective: Skills development

 

Construction and manufactured products

Ecolog.ix Inc.
Amount: $125,000, repayable
Location: Saint-Raymond, QC
Program: Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies (TISQFE)
Funding Objective: Equipment, marketing

 

Québec Lithium inc. (French)
Amount: $60,000,000, loan guaranty
Location: Val-d'Or, QC
Program: Investissement Québec
Funding Objective: Lithium exploitation

 

Synapse électronique (French)
Amount: $35,000, provincial
Location: Shawinigan, QC
Program: Emploi-Québec
Funding Objective: Equipment

 

Food and beverage

Bordeaux fête le vin à Québec (French)
Amount: $135,000, provincial
Location: QC
Programs: Programme de soutien au développement et à la promotion touristiques, volet Aide financière aux festivals et aux événements touristiques, Entente spécifique sur le développement de la filière agroalimentaire de la région de la Capitale-Nationale
Funding Objective: Festival

 

Prince Edward Island Bag Company Ltd.
Amount: $100,000, provincial
Location: PE
Program: Innovation PEI's Development and Commercialization Fund
Funding Objective: R&D, commercialization

 

Health

The Centre for Drug Research and Development
Amount: $29,000,000, provincial
Location: Vancouver, BC
Program: Provincial
Funding Objective: R&D, commercialization

 

Genome BC
Amount: $10,000,000, provincial
Location: Vancouver, BC
Program: Provincial
Funding Objective: Project capital

 

Novartis Animal Health Canada Inc.
Amount: $100,000, provincial
Location: PE
Program: Innovation PEI's Development and Commercialization Fund
Funding Objective: R&D, commercialization

 

ViTrak Systems Inc.
Amount: $100,000, provincial
Location: PE
Program: Innovation PEI's Development and Commercialization Fund
Funding Objective: R&D, commercialization

 

IT, digital media and technology

Elevator Software Corporation
Amount: $100,000, provincial
Location: PE
Program: Innovation PEI's Development and Commercialization Fund
Funding Objective: R&D, commercialization

 

Tourism

City of Percé
Amount: $109,896, non-repayable
Location: Percé, QC
Program: Support Initiative for International Cruise Development on the St. Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers
Funding Objective: Multimedia tour

 

West Point Lighthouse Inn

Amount: $40,000, federal, $50,000, provincial
Location: Charlottetown, PE
Program: ACOA, PE Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development and the Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning
Funding Objective: Coastal sea wall

Thank you

 

The Funding Portal thanks you for reading its weekly newsletter. Make sure to visit TheFundingPortal.com to Find It, Apply for It, Score It and Advance It.
  
Please note that the newsletter is also available in French and can be obtained by requesting the French version at communications@TheFundingPortal.com.  
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Tourism grants
Weekly Digest
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Who got funded
Quick Links
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