Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant
The Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant provides one-time payments of $10,000 to $20,000 to eligible small businesses in the tourism and travel sector.
Businesses that received the Ontario Small Business Support Grant (OSBSG) are not eligible for the new grant. The OSBSG was designed to help businesses that were required to close or significantly restrict services under the Provincewide Shutdown effective December 26, 2020. The Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant is designed to help small businesses in the tourism and travel sector. Eligible small businesses can apply for support to help them recover from the impacts of COVID-19 as well as to help create and protect jobs.
Applications for this grant will close on Friday, June 25, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
What you'll get
Eligible small businesses will get a one-time grant of $10,000 to $20,000, depending on how much revenue they have lost.
Recipients will be able to use the support in whatever way makes the most sense for their business. For example, some businesses could use the support to pay employee wages, while others will use it to invest in their recovery.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this grant, a business must:
- not have received the Ontario Small Business Support Grant
- have 99 or fewer employees on April 30, 2021
- have a revenue decline of at least 20% if the business began operating or was acquired before July 2, 2019
- If you began operating or acquired a business before July 2, 2019, you must compare the total revenue for three consecutive months in 2019 with the same three consecutive months in 2020. To learn how to calculate revenue, read the Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant user application guide
- A business that you began operating or acquired after July 1, 2019 and before 2021 will receive the minimum $10,000 if it meets all the eligibility criteria.
- A business that you began operating or acquired in 2021 is not eligible for the grant.
- operate a tourism or travel business in Ontario from the list below that began operating before 2021 and was in operation on April 30, 2021:
- amusement parks and waterparks
- bed and breakfasts that report their revenue as business income for income tax purposes
- cottages or cabins that report their revenue as business income for income tax purposes, and not as rental income
- fireworks display services
- hotels and motels
- hunting and fishing camps
- indoor attractions intended primarily for tourists (for example, haunted houses, funhouses and mazes)
- mobile food services (for example, chip wagons, food trucks, ice cream trucks)
- observation towers
- operators of rides, games and other activities that are operated on a concession basis at waterparks, amusement parks, carnivals, fairs and festivals
- outdoor adventure operations without accommodation
- recreational and vacation camps (for example, overnight summer camps)
- recreational rental services (for example, bicycle rental, canoe/kayak rental, houseboat rental)
- resorts
- travel agents and wholesalers registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO)
- If the business is affiliated with one or more other businesses on April 30, 2021, the following additional rules apply:
- the business is not eligible for the grant if it or any of its affiliated businesses received an Ontario Small Business Support Grant
- the employee count on April 30, 2021 and the calculation of the revenue loss are determined using the total number of employees and revenues of the business and all affiliated businesses
- A business is considered affiliated with another business if:
- one of the businesses controls the other business directly or indirectly, or
- each business is controlled directly or indirectly by the same business, individual, or group of individuals or businesses
Examples of affiliated businesses
Example 1: Natasha own 100% of the shares of both ACo and BCo. ACo and BCo are affiliated businesses.
Example 2: John is a sole proprietor who owns two separate businesses, a bed and breakfast and a mobile food truck. The bed and breakfast and food truck are affiliated businesses.
Example 3: Corporation CCo owns 100% of the shares of DCo. CCo and DCo are affiliated businesses.
Example 4: Corporation XCo owns 100% of the shares of both YCo and ZCo. XCo, YCo and ZCo are affiliated businesses.
Ineligible businesses
Businesses are not eligible for this grant if they:
- received the Ontario Small Business Support Grant
- began operating in 2021 or were acquired in 2021
- are owned, operated or maintained by the federal, provincial or a municipal government or any of their agencies
- are owned by a person holding federal or provincial office or a provincial employee
In addition, the types of business activities that are not eligible for the grant include, but are not limited to:
- campgrounds
- caterers
- children’s day camps
- conference centres and convention centres
- event planning services
- food and grocery delivery services, including online food ordering and delivery platforms
- indoor recreational facilities and activities intended primarily for use by members of the local community (for example, instructional courses, hobbies, exercise classes, children’s activities and play areas)
- museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites,
- botanical gardens and similar attractions
- operators of farmer’s markets and vendors, and roadside stands selling farm products (for example, corn, eggs, berries), and activities at a farm, such as pick-your-own produce or fruit, mazes and rides, that are secondary to the farm operation
- outdoor sports and recreation facilities
- racing venues, casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments
- restaurants and bars (including breweries and wineries that operate a restaurant or a bar)
- short-term and long-term rental properties, including those listed through Airbnb and other websites, except for bed and breakfasts, cottages and cabins that report their revenue as business income
- Ineligible rentals include, for example, multi-tenant (rooming) houses and lodgings owned or leased by businesses to house employees
- ski hills
- tour and guide services
What information you’ll need to apply
Business and banking information
You will need your business and banking information to apply, including:
- general business information (for example, CRA business number)
- business bank account information (for example, banking institution, account number, branch code)
Other required details
You will also need the following to apply:
- revenue figures
- number of employees
- list of affiliated businesses (if applicable)
- electronic copies of federal, provincial and municipal licences and permits required to operate the tourism or travel business, if applicable
See the Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant user application guide for more details before applying
How long it will take
After businesses have submitted a complete application, it takes approximately 15 business days for us to get back to you regarding your application.
If your application is missing information, we will contact you by email for more details. If your application is approved, you will get an email to let you know about the payment details. It takes about 10 business days to get your payment once approved.
%20(4).png)
.png)
