Deadline: 26-Apr-21
City of Guelph is issuing a request for the Tourism Recovery Fund to support recovery initiatives that will strengthen and create long-term financially sustainable solutions for Guelph’s tourism industry.
Funding Information
- Through the direction of Council during the 2021 Operating budget approval, $350,000 was allocated to the Tourism Recovery Program to support Guelph’s tourism businesses and organizations.
- From the $350,000, $250,000 is now available through the Tourism Recovery Fund to Guelph not-for-profit and for-profit tourism organizations and businesses to help adapt their services or programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- This fund will help tourism organizations and businesses maintain jobs and recover costs incurred during the pandemic.
- The remaining $100,000 will be used at a later date to address any gaps in programming such as collaborative destination attraction, subject to public health guidelines.
- Applicants can apply for up to $10,000 per business or organization towards:
- Operating cost recovery, and/or,
- Adaptation costs – physical or technological
Application streams
Tourism businesses and organizations are invited to submit application for funds in one or both of the following streams:
- Stream one: Operating cost recovery
- Tourism businesses can apply for up to $10,000 per business for one-time support for general operating costs due to loss of revenues because of direct impacts of COVID-19 and lockdown measures.
- Stream two: Adaptation costs
- Tourism businesses can apply for up to $10,000 per business towards physical and/or technological adaptations for new changes to their operations due to the impacts of COVID-19.
- Physical adaptations- This stream is designed to support tourism operators as they adjust operations to support their recovery and protect the health and safety of their employees and visitors.
- Technological adaptations- This stream is designed to support tourism operators as they optimize their online approach and use technology towards their recovery plans.
Funding Criteria
- The Tourism Recovery Fund is available to Guelph not-for-profit and for-profit tourism organizations and businesses to help adapt their services or programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- This fund will enable organizations and businesses to endure, thereby maintaining jobs and a stable economy.
Eligibility criteria
In order to apply to the Tourism Recovery Fund, organizations must meet all of the following eligibility requirements.
- Applicant must be a tourism focused* not-for-profit or for-profit organization or business
- Applicant must be located within Guelph city limits
- Initiatives supported with this fund must be completed by December 31, 2021, and;
- Applicant must be in good standing with the City of Guelph.
Note: Tourism focused- At least 25% of the business revenue is dependent on tourists. The organization has a primary focus on potential to grow their tourist attraction. A Tourist is defined as an individual (including an Ontario resident) who travels 40 km or more (one-way) or crosses the Ontario border to attend an event (Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport)
Assessment Criteria
All applications that are submitted by eligible organizations will be assessed against the following criteria:
- The initiative is clear that it supports Guelph tourism industry.
- The initiative is a clear tourism response to the pandemic
- The initiative will help the applicant in dealing with the pandemic
- There is a need for City funding.
For more information, visit https://guelph.ca/city-hall/budget-and-finance/grant-applications/tourism-recovery-fund/
