Event

Experience Ontario 2025 Grant Program

The Experience Ontario 2025 program provides support for festivals and events with a tourism economic impact to motivate visitors to discover Ontario, connect people with local experiences, and increase tourism spending.

Program Objectives
Experience Ontario 2025 supports in-person festivals or events in Ontario that will:

  1. Offer programming that encourages people to travel, experience events in-person and
    celebrate Ontario.
  2. Draw tourists and increase visitor spending through innovative programming in partnership with
    businesses and community partners.
  3. Provide job opportunities for Ontarians in the tourism, culture and entertainment sectors.
  4. Increase Ontario’s profile through various media channels.

Program eligibility

Eligible organizations must:

  • Be a legal entity, established by or under legislation; federally or provincially incorporated; or a First Nation in the province of Ontario. OR, an Indigenous community in Ontario; a regional or provincial organization representing First Nation, Métis, Inuit or urban Indigenous peoples; or an Indigenous service provider in Ontario (e.g. band councils, tribal councils, Indigenous education authorities, Provincial Territorial Organizations).
  • Be in existence since January 1, 2024, or before.
  • Be an operating business (e.g., business address, physical presence) in Ontario.
  • Not be in default of the terms and conditions of any grant or loan agreement with any ministry or agency of the Government of Ontario.
  • Be conducting business in Ontario (e.g., business address, physical presence) and have a Canadian bank account in the legal name of the applicant at a Canadian financial institution.

Ineligible Organizations:

  • Sole proprietorships, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships and general partnerships.
  • Federal or provincial governments and/or their agencies.

Eligible Tourism Festivals or Events

Tourism festivals or events must meet all the following eligibility requirements:

  • Take place between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, over a minimum of two consecutive days with a minimum of 5 hours programming per day.
  • Occur in the province of Ontario.
  • Be open to the public at large without membership in a club or group.
  • The festival or event must have been held at least once in the previous three-year period.
  • Previous year’s attendance must include tourist attendance at 30% of overall attendance or 5,000 tourists.
  • Follow all municipal and provincial guidelines, including health and safety guidelines.
  • One-day tourism festivals or events held on Canada Day are eligible for funding.
  • Submit expenses for your festival or event that are not solely related to marketing or media buys.

Ineligible Tourism Festivals or Events

Ineligible tourism festivals or events include:

  • One-day tourism festivals or events (except for those held on Canada Day).
  • Non-consecutive day festivals or events. Festivals or events that offer a series of days, are only eligible for the consecutive days.
  • Virtual/broadcast festivals or events.
  • Festivals or events that are receiving funding through the Ontario Sport Hosting Program or the Ontario Music Investment Fund (OMIF).
    • An organization can only apply for Experience Ontario and OMIF if the organization is applying for separate events.
  • Sporting events offering programming that is of primary benefit to event participants/athletes only (e.g., sport tournaments/competitions, marathons), with no ancillary programming for visitors, and is not marketed to, or does not attract tourists.
  • Festivals or events that seek to attract only a special interest audience, restrict audiences (e.g., students only), or recruit new members (e.g., religious, or political gatherings).
  • Festivals or events of a primarily commercial nature, where the main intent of the event is to sell or promote one or multiple products, services, or sponsorships (e.g., trade fairs and shows, business events, consumer shows, artisan, and craft fairs).
  • Fundraising events or events with a primarily charitable purpose.
  • Symposia, conventions, meetings, conferences, seminars, clinics, workshops, contests, and events that solely consist of an award show.
  • Applicants who apply only for marketing funding.