Tourism Relief Fund (TRF) in the Prairie provinces

Applications for the Tourism Relief Fund are no longer being accepted. Applications received and acknowledged by PrairiesCan prior to the intake period closing will be assessed in the order they are received, subject to remaining funding.

The Tourism Relief Fund supports tourism businesses and organizations to adapt their operations to meet public health requirements while investing in products and services to facilitate their future growth. With a budget of $500 million over 2 years (ending March 31, 2023), including $485 million in regional priorities funding administered by Canada’s regional development agencies. The TRF has dedicated $50 million specifically to Indigenous tourism initiatives and $15 million to the National Priorities Stream administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). This fund will help position Canada as a destination of choice as domestic and international travel rebounds, by:

Indigenous applicants

Indigenous tourism projects are important to Canada’s economic recovery efforts and a priority under the TRF. Under the fund, $50 million will specifically support Indigenous tourism initiatives. Contributions to Indigenous entities (not generating profits) will normally be non-repayable. Indigenous applicants are invited to apply through the process described below.

National tourism support

Through the National Priorities Stream, ISED will deliver $15 million to support the advancement of national tourism priorities aligned with Canada’s Federal Tourism Growth Strategy. These include destination development, seasonal and geographic dispersion, and human resources and skills development.

This funding will also help national tourism organizations to support the overall tourism sector on its path to recovery through pan-Canadian or multi-regional activities, such as:

Eligible applicants

Eligible applicants include tourism entities that cater mainly to visitors, such as:

To be considered eligible for this fund, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:

For more details on eligible applicants, please consult the applicant guide.

Eligible activities

Tourism Relief Fund projects will focus on:

Recognizing local realities, the regional development agencies (RDAs) will work to address the needs of businesses and communities on a regional basis across Canada and offer consistent support across the country in this critical time.

For more details on the eligibility criteria, please consult the applicant guide.

Financial support

Contributions to businesses will be either:

Not-for-profit organizations and Indigenous entities (not generating profits) will be eligible for non-repayable contributions.

Notes:

  • A business cannot receive a combination of a non-repayable and a repayable contribution for the same project.
  • Assistance to cover operational needs will only be considered on a case-by-case basis (repayable for businesses and non-repayable for not-for-profits). Contact us to discuss with a program officer.

For more details on the eligibility criteria, please consult the applicant guide.

Submitting an application

Before submitting an application, please make sure to consult the applicant guide.

Once you are ready, please complete and submit the Tourism Relief Fund application form.

For more information on the resources available for businesses, visit Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan page, consult the Managing your business during COVID-19 page or download the Canada Business application.

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