Tourism Business Grants: 21 Funding Programs Currently Available
If you’re looking for tourism business grants, you’re in the right place!
Because we have the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide on grants and other types of funding for entrepreneurs running tourism businesses.
In this guide you’ll learn what’s available, eligibility requirements, how much you can get, and much more!
What Can Tourism Business Grants Be Used For?
Tourism business grants can be used to pay for many aspects of starting or running a business. Here are some of the uses that are covered by programs in our grants database:
See the section below with a complete list of tourism business grants available.
How Much Grant Money Can I Get for My Tourism Business?
In our database we currently have grants ranging from $2,400 to $25,000.
Am I Eligible for a Tourism Business Grant? Common Eligibility Criteria
Two of the most common questions we get asked at Ontario Business Grants are “Am I eligible?” and “How do I qualify?”.
We analyzed the tourism business grants in our grants database, and these are the most common qualifications we identified:
Note: these are just the most common eligibility criteria.
Tourism Business Grants for Ontario: Current Grants Available
In the table below we list the grants currently available to Ontario tourism businesses.
To learn more about each program, just click the program name and you’ll be taken to a web page that provides detailed information on the program, including eligibility, the dollar amount of the program, and how to apply for the grant:
Grants for Ontario Tourism Businesses
Other Types of Funding for Tourism Businesses
Our goal is for this guide to be a complete source of funding information for Tourism businesses. So, in this section you’ll find all the other money programs (besides grants) that are available to Tourism entrepreneurs:
A loan might not sound as good as a grant, but many loans for tourism businesses have a low interest rate. While they might not be free money, if you don’t qualify for a grant, a low-interest loan is probably the next best thing.
The programs below include non-profit loans:
Loans for Tourism Businesses
| Name of Program | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Community Futures Oxford – Sand Plains Community Development Fund (2021) | $250000 | Loan |
| Community Futures Oxford -Future Oxford Legacy Fund – Access to Capital (2021) | $100000 | Loan |
| Wellington Waterloo Community Futures – Rural Women in Business Loans (2021) | $250000 | Loan |
| FedNor – Tourism Relief Fund | No Fixed Amount | Grants & Loan |
| FedDev Ontario – Tourism Relief Fund | $500000.00 | Grant & Loan |
A subsidy is a type of financial assistance usually provided by the government in order to promote a social good or an economic policy. Wage subsidies are the most common subsidies.
In the table below you’ll find the subsidies currently available for tourism businesses:
Subsidies for Tourism Businesses
| Name of Program | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism HR Canada – Propel Student Work Placement Program | $7000 | Subsidy |
Best Tourism Business Grants, Loans & More
While there are lots of good programs available, below we highlight some of the best grants, loans, subsidies & more for Tourism businesses:
Best Government Grants for Tourism Businesses
Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) – Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP): Grow Your Business Online
The Canada Digital Adoption Program provides businesses with financing, tools and resources to adopt e-commerce platforms and implement digital transformation plans.
The Grow Your Business Online grant will provide micro-grants of up to $2,400 to small businesses to help with the costs related to adopting digital technologies.
Best Non-profit Grants for Tourism Businesses
Blue Sky Economic Growth Corporation (BSEGC) – BTIF Program
BTIF is a FedNor-funded initiative which assists SMEs in the Blue Sky Net region within Northeastern Ontario develop their capacity for business technology and their ability for technology adoption. The BTIF grant helps to alleviate the costs of implementing innovative technology solutions.
Destination Markham Corporation (DMC) – Partnership Support Program
DMC’s Partnership Support Program provides support to tourism organizations who are working through the pandemic to keep their business open and facilitating projects for the recovery and revitalization of the visitor economy in Markham.
Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC) – BTIF Program
The BTIF Program provides support to Northwestern Ontario businesses for implementing innovative technologies to enhance their websites and social media, their business processes with hardware or software, their human capital development and technology education, their customer relationship management and online service.
Regional Tourism Organization 9 (RTO9) – Partnership Funding
RTO 9’s Partnership Fund is designed to forge strong and diverse partnerships that either build on existing tourism products or introduce new tourism products. These projects serve to enhance the region’s diversity of offerings to create a competitive advantage in tourism experiences throughout the South Eastern Ontario region.
Best Non-profit Loans for Tourism Businesses
Community Futures Oxford – Future Oxford Legacy Fund – Access to Capital
The goal of the Future Oxford Legacy Fund – Access to Capital component will be to cultivate entrepreneurship throughout Oxford, thereby building a vibrant and sustainable economy. Priority sectors include youth entrepreneurship and employment, arts, culture, tourism, high-tech manufacturing, green technology, and locally grown and processed agriculture products. Access to capital provides flexible repayment terms, negotiated to encourage the long-term viability of the borrower.
Community Futures Oxford – Sand Plains Community Development Fund
The Sand Plains Community Development Fund provides loans of up to $250,000 to new or existing businesses in Oxford County. The goal of this Fund is to foster entrepreneurship in the region by increasing the availability of patient capital for small business start-ups and expansions in priority sectors. Patient capital provides flexible repayment terms, negotiated to encourage the long-term viability of the borrower.
Loans can be used for the following:
Best Non-Profit Subsidy for Tourism Businesses
Tourism HR Canada – Propel Student Work Placement Program
Funded by the Government of Canada through the Student Work Placement Program, Propel offers registered Canadian businesses, startups, and not-for-profits related to the tourism and hospitality sector a subsidy on each qualifying student’s wages. The wage subsidy can be accessed by businesses from all facets of the visitor economy: accommodations, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation, and travel services.
