About

Assistance to help seize recovery opportunities

Goal

The Tourism Small Business Assistance Project, implemented by Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, aims to provide non-repayable contributions to small tourism businesses so that they can carry out investment projects to adapt or develop their products and services to customer needs.

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry as a whole and on small tourism businesses in particular are very real. The Project in place will allow them to move forward with maximum contributions of $45,000 per business for the realization of projects aimed at their recovery. This project complements other assistance and grants that are already stimulating the economic recovery of this sector of activity.

The Tourism Small Business Assistance Project will be delivered throughout Quebec thanks to the combined strengths of the FCCQ and the Réseau des SADC et CAE.

Funding

$40M, in all regions of Quebec, distributed as follows.

  • $20M for rural small businesses, distributed by the Réseau des SADC et CAE
  • $20M for small urban businesses, distributed by the chambers of commerce

The maximum contribution per business is $45,000.

Funding period

The eligible funding period is from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. Business expenses must be incurred between October 18, 2022 and March 31, 2023.

Proof of payment and invoices must be submitted according to certain procedures to be validated with your local chamber of commerce, SADC or CAE in your region.

A wide variety of tourism businesses assisted

Tourism businesses involved in the arts, entertainment and recreation, accommodation services, travel arrangements and reservations, tourist and leisure transportation, food services, etc.

Is your business eligible?

To be eligible, your business must be a tourism business – an organization that is part of the tourism ecosystem that aims to attract or welcome visitors. For example, you are a key supplier or operator in the visitor experience; you are part of a defined tourism cluster; you are a flagship product or service in a destination. 

Other criteria define the size of the tourism business targeted by the Project : 

  • You must have sales of $1.5M or less and be able to demonstrate how the support you will receive will allow you to maintain your operations and ensure your long-term viability.
  • You will also need to demonstrate that the support is complementary to other sources of funding for the project submitted, if any.
  • You must be prepared to provide the financial data and documents required to assess the need for funding.