Celebrate Ontario governmental program comprises three categories:
- Celebrate Ontario provides project-based funding to new or existing Ontario events to enhance programs, activities and services and support innovations that will lead to long-term improvements, sustainability and the attraction of additional tourists. Celebrate Ontario applicants must demonstrate how their event will: increase in attendance and geographic reach; increase in tourist visitation and expenditures; improve in quality and sustainability.
- Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster consists of two streams. The Event Bid stream supports bidding costs for major one-time events and the Event Hosting stream supports hosting costs for major one-time events. Support is available for bidding on or hosting major one-time events or events that do not recur annually in Ontario, but travel nationally or internationally to host destinations. These events must be of a size and scope sufficient to draw tourists to Ontario’s communities, attract significant media exposure, and profile Ontario’s destinations nationally and globally. Blockbuster events must have a cash operating budget in excess of $1 million.
- Celebrate Ontario International Amateur Sport Hosting provides project-based funding to help sport organizations and other municipalities deliver major sport events in Ontario.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please review the frequently asked questions and answers about the Celebrate Ontario, Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster and Celebrate Ontario International Amateur Sport Hosting categories.
Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Submit applications at least four months before an event for Event Hosting applications and at least two months before a bid deadline for Event Bid applications.
Celebrate Ontario International Amateur Sport Hosting applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, and follow a two-step process:
- Celebrate Ontario International Amateur Sport Hosting Letter of Intent applications must be submitted six months prior to the event date.
- If applicants are invited by the ministry to make a full application following its assessment of their submitted Celebrate Ontario International Amateur Sport Hosting Letter of Intent, their Celebrate Ontario International Sport Hosting applications must be submitted a minimum of four months prior to the event date.
How to Apply
Applicants are encouraged to review the detailed instructions on how to apply.
Applicants must first register as users with the Government of Ontario’s. Following successful registration, applicants must use the appropriate application form available online at Grants Ontario to submit their applications.
Celebrate Ontario applications received in any format other than the application form available on the Grants Ontario System will not be accepted.
The Grants Ontario System Reference Guide for Applicants provides step-by-step instructions for completing an online application in the Grants Ontario System.
Source: The Government of Ontario
