CEDC Tourism Event Fund

Festival or Cultural Event

ELIGIBILITY

  • Must be a Canadian legal entity (not-for-profit or for-profit)
  • Minimum requirements of 50 visitor days
  • Minimum requirement of 25 room nights at accommodation properties collecting the Municipal Accommodation Tax
  • Funding is a maximum of $50,000 or 25% of the total event budget (whichever is less)
  • Must apply 90 days prior to the event occurring if requesting $50,000 or less
  • Must apply 120 days prior to the event occurring if requesting over $50,000

Events deemed to be a blockbuster event are eligible for funding above the maximum of $50,000 and will be evaluated on a case per case basis. A blockbuster event must meet the criteria of (1) having provincial, national, international significance to attract out-of-town visitors (2) has an event budget of 1$ million dollars or more (3) obtains 2500 room nights or more (4) generates 5000 or more visitor days (5) and economic impact of $2 million of more.

If your event is close to obtaining the outlined 50 visitor days and 25 room nights, please contact us (detail below) as the event may still be considered for limited funding.  

FUNDING CRITERIA

Evaluation considerations that will impact the Tourism Investment Committee decision on your application include:

Tent Event
  • Alignment with Tourism Thunder Bay values (tourism development pillar, viewed here)
  • Alignment with CEDC Values (natural resources, workforce and immigration development, strengthen community and business support pillars viewed here)
  • Number of visitor days (number of visitors x event days)
  • Number of room nights
  • Event economic impact as calculated by STEAM
  • Effectiveness of the marketing plan
  • Pow WowPotential media coverage or earned media value from the event
  • Event seasonality and timing
  • Event uniqueness and appeal
  • Community business impacts such as if the event has visitors out in the community to support attractions, businesses, and other activities beyond the hotel room or event venue.
  • Opportunity for event growth and future events
  • Financial viability of the event
  • Event significance (to attract visitors) Festival

The CEDC Tourism Event Fund is a discretionary program with a limited funding allocation. In some
cases, an event may meet all program criteria but may not be approved for funding as other events may more effectively meet the criteria. In all cases, events are encouraged to show a profit and become self-sustainable.

PROGRAM PROCESS

 Step 1 – Short Form Application
APPLY NOW and submit a short form application to CEDC Tourism Thunder Bay staff who will conduct a preliminary assessment on the event to determine if it will meet all eligibility requirements for a tourism event.

Click on the link below to briefly tell us about your event and how it will attract visitors to Thunder Bay.

Festival or Cultural Event – Short Form Application – CEDC Tourism Event Fund
 Step 2 – Long Form Application

If the requirements are met in the short form application, CEDC staff will email the applicant the long form application. This application will be used to apply to the Tourism Investment Committee (TIC) for funding. During this process, applicants are encouraged to work with the CEDC team to ensure application completeness.  CEDC staff can assist with reaching out to accommodation properties and setting up a booking code.

Completed long form application will be emailed to CEDC staff.

 Eligible and Ineligible Expenses

Eligible Expenses
• Marketing and advertising (to out-of-town markets)
• Venue expenses
• Local transportation
• Event performers/speakers (relating to key note speakers, headliners)
• Production costs (rental equipment)
• Capital enhancements relating to the event
• Hosting fees for events considered blockbusters (see above – event eligibility)
• Other expenses deemed eligible that attract visitors or enhance the visitor experience

Ineligible Expenses
• Alcohol
• Prizes and awards
• Salaries for event organizers
• Tangible personal property
• Online event delivery
• Food expenses
• Accommodation rentals 

 
 Step 3 – Tourism Investment Committee Meetings
When the long form application is considered complete by CEDC staff it will be added to the agenda for the Tourism Investment Committee (TIC) for review and evaluation. The applicant may be required to provide a brief 5-minute presentation of the application to the committee and answer any questions the committee may have.

The TIC will review all funding applications and can approve funding requests up to $50,000. The TIC is generally scheduled to meet on a monthly basis on the second Wednesday of the month. If the amount requested is over the $50,000 then the TIC will refer the application with its recommendations to the Board of Directors of the Thunder Bay CEDC for final approval. 
 Step 4 – Funding Decision
Funding decisions will be communicated to the applicant within two weeks of the committee meeting concluding.

Applications approved for funding by the Tourism Investment Committee (TIC) or the CEDC Board of Directors (BOD) will require the applicant to enter into a legal funding agreement with the Thunder Bay CEDC. The agreement will provide provisions on how funding will be paid out, the reporting requirements, and potential payback of funds once the event is complete.

In all cases, there will be a 50% holdback of funds contingent on a final report and evaluation metrics being met. The final report must be submitted within 90 days of the event concluding and will be paid out based on the evaluation of the metrics submitted in the final report. If the evaluation metrics are met, the final 50% holdback will be released. If the evaluation metrics are not met, the applicant will not receive the final holdback.
 Step 5 – Marketing the Event
Approved applicants will have the opportunity to collaborate with Tourism Thunder Bay for additional opportunities to promote the event include website/social media promotion, posting on the tourism event calendar, sharing the Visit Experience Guide and more.

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