• Are new festivals or events eligible to apply for funding?

Yes.  Celebrate Ontario 2008 is open to new festivals and events.  The sponsoring organization must have been in existence for one year or longer in Ontario as of January 2008, and must meet all the eligibility and mandatory requirements. 

• My organization oversees the production of more than one festival or event throughout the calendar year.  Can my organization submit an application for each festival or event?

Yes.  There is no prescribed limit to the number of applications that a sponsoring organization can submit as long as all eligibility and mandatory requirements are met.

• How do we apply for funding?

Review the Application Guide and Application Form carefully to ensure that your festival or event and your proposed program, activities and services comply with the eligibility and mandatory requirements.  Complete the Application Form, sign it,  and make sure that you provide all the information we will need to evaluate your application, including letters of support. 
Send one original and two copies of your completed, signed application with letters of support to:
Ministry of Tourism
c/o Celebrate Ontario 2008
Investment and Development Office
900 Bay Street, 9th Floor Hearst Block
Toronto, Ontario 
M7A 2E1
The deadline for applications is February 4, 2008 at 12:00 Noon (Eastern Standard Time).  Late applications will not be considered. 

• How much can we apply for?

The maximum level of assistance available for existing festivals and events will be determined by the current annual operating budget of the festival or event.  The maximum level of assistance available for new festivals and events will be determined by the planned annual operating budget of the new festival or event. 

 

TIER 1:  Festivals or events with an operating budget of less than $1 million annually will be eligible for up to $100,000 in financial assistance for the creation or improvement of programs, activities or services, and marketing:

• 85 per cent of the proposed program budget must be allocated for the creation of new programs, activities or services; and
• 15 per cent of the proposed program budget to support the marketing of the new tourism offerings to target audiences beyond 100 km from the festival and event location.

 

TIER 2:  Festivals and events with an operating budget of more than $1 million annually will be eligible for up to $400,000 in financial assistance for the creation or improvement of programs, activities or services, and marketing, and up to $100,000 to undertake a mandatory economic impact assessment:

• 85 per cent of the proposed budget must be allocated for the creation of new programs, activities or services; and
• 15 per cent of the proposed budget must be allocated to support the marketing of the new tourism offerings to target audiences beyond 100 km from the festival and event location.
• Festivals and events that qualify for TIER 2 funding must commit to undertaking an economic impact assessment.  Up to $100,000 of funding assistance will be available to assist with this data collection and report.

• Is there a requirement for matching funding?

There is no requirement for matching funding.  However, festivals and events that receive funding from private and public sector partners (either cash or in-kind) will score higher in their evaluations than those festivals or events that do not receive such support.

• Can an event applying for funding from Celebrate Ontario 2008 also apply to other Ontario government programs to help fund different aspects of the same festival or event?

Yes.  Successful applicants that receive funding from Celebrate Ontario 2008 are not precluded from applying to other Ontario government programs.  

• How does an organization certify that they are not in default of funding received from other Government of Ontario funding programs or agencies?

Applicant organizations must attest that their organization is not in default of funding received from other Government of Ontario funding programs or agencies. 
As outlined in the Mandatory Requirements, each application must contain the signature of an authorized official to certify that the information provided in the application is true, correct and complete.

• What types of expenses related to the enhanced programming, activities and services are eligible?

In general, eligible expenses are related to new programming, activities or services that enhance existing festivals and events or assist with producing new festivals or events.
Examples of eligible expenses include but are not limited to the following:

• Fees paid to artists, musicians, celebrities, special guests and speakers including travel and accommodation.
• Fees paid for new programming such as fireworks, amusement and midway shows, inflatables, speciality attractions.
• Fees paid for entertainment and agencies.
• Moveable assets (not a permanent installation) that support enhanced programs and services, e.g., tables, bleachers/chairs, tents/awnings and canopy, stages, mascots, lights, sound and lighting, fencing.
• Fees paid for audio and visual support and technical and stage crews.
• Services that support new programming or services for “greening” the festival or event or adding services for people with disabilities.
• Site services related to the new program, activity or service such as security, sanitation products and shuttle buses.
• Marketing and promotions related to the creation or improvement of programs, activities or services targeted to an audience more than 100 km from the festival or event location, including media buys, newspaper ads, television and radio, direct mail, banners/posters, website updates, public relations.

•  The new programs that I am planning to undertake are related to increasing my marketing efforts.  Can I still qualify for funding?

Eligible funding requests need to relate directly to specific expenditures that increase programs, activities or services at new or existing festivals and events.  Marketing support is provided to assist the festival or event with promoting the new programs, activities or services to increase attendance. 
Applicants that propose to only undertake new marketing activities will not be eligible for funding.   

•  If an organization that qualifies for TIER 1 chooses to conduct an economic impact assessment will funding be available?

While the tracking of festival and event results is an important tool for festivals and events to secure funding from all levels of government and the private sector and to measure success, only festivals and events that have an operating budget of $1 million or over will receive support to under take an economic impact assessment.  The costs associated with undertaking an economic impact assessment are not considered to be an eligible expense for a TIER 1 applicant.

•  How will my application be evaluated?

Applications will be scored according to the weighted evaluation grid that is provided in the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Application Guide. 
Make sure that you provide all the information we will need to evaluate your proposal including:

• Clear and concise business and marketing plan and rationale for the creation or improvement of programs and services.
• Projected increased tourism attendance (beyond 40 km, out of province, U.S., international markets) due to the creation or improvement of programs and services.
• Public and private sector funding and sources of revenue.
• Partnerships with tourism businesses within the community.
• Evidence of local support for the application (e.g., letter from municipality, Destination Marketing Organization, Business Improvement Area, Destination Marketing Organization, Chamber of Commerce, etc.)

•  What are the deadlines for applying?

The deadline for applications is February 4, 2008 at 12:00 Noon (Eastern Standard Time).  Late applications will not be considered. 

•  Who can I contact for more information?

Your local Tourism Industry Advisor is available to respond to your questions regarding the application process and form.  The contact names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of Tourism Advisors are provided in the Application Guide.

You are also encouraged to regularly visit the Ministry of Tourism website at www.tourism.gov.on.ca for a list of frequently asked questions, as well as updates to questions and answers regarding Celebrate Ontario 2008.

•  After my project is over, do I have to submit reports to the Ministry of Tourism?

Successful applicants must provide a post-project report on the outcome of the project within 90 days of festival or event conclusion, including financial statements.  Successful Tier 2 applicants must also commit to an economic impact assessment of the festival or event.

• How will the $10 million Celebrate Ontario 2008 budget be split or allocated between the Tier 1 and Tier 2 events?

The funding allocation will be determined by the number of applications approved in each category.

• Can you provide clarification regarding the funding limits for the creation or improvement of programs and services (enhancement) and marketing of the enhancement?

Tier 1:  Up to $100,000 is available with a maximum of $85,000 for the creation or improvement of programming, activities or services and a maximum of $15,000 for the marketing and promotion of new enhancements.

 

Tier 2:  Up to $400,000 is available with a maximum of $340,000 for the creation or improvement of programming, activities or services and a maximum of $60,000 for the marketing and promotion of new enhancements.  Tier 2 festivals or events must undertake and submit a tourism economic assessment of their festival or event using a ministry recognized economic impact model and the ministry’s guidelines for data collection (further direction will be provided to approved applicants).  Funding will be available to support undertaking the economic impact assessment. 

• Our festival received Celebrate Ontario funding last year for a product enhancement that turned out to be very successful.  We would like to build upon that enhancement and extend the event by an additional weekend.  Would we be eligible to apply for this purpose under this year’s Celebrate Ontario program?

Organizations who received Celebrate Ontario funding in 2007 are eligible to apply in 2008.  As outlined in the Application Guide, funding provided under Celebrate Ontario 2008 is for the creation or improvement of programming, activities or services that will lead to quantifiable results in terms of attracting tourists.  Applicants must attest that the proposed expenses will be incurred during the carrying out of the enhancement project and none of the proposed expenses will be used for recurring costs to run the festival or event.

• Could a municipality, destination marketing organization or festival or a festival and event network submit a proposal to purchase equipment such as a stage which could be made available to other festivals and events within the community?

The applicant for the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Initiative must be the festival or event organizer, and must attest to the eligibility, mandatory, and acknowledgement, oversight and reporting requirements. 

 

A new stage does qualify as an enhancement; however, the applicant would need to demonstrate how the proposed activity associated with the stage would lead to quantifiable results in terms of attracting tourists.  In the case of an applicant proposing to purchase equipment which could be made available to other festivals or events within the community, the applicant would need to address the “sustainability” requirement of Celebrate Ontario 2008 and demonstrate the contribution the project makes to the capacity of the individual festival or event and the festivals and events network in the region as a whole.

• Could you please clarify the terms sponsoring organization / applicant as it refers to new festivals and events?

The terms are synonymous.  The applicant for the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Initiative must be the festival or event organizer, and must attest to the eligibility, mandatory, and acknowledgement, oversight and reporting requirements.  The applicant for a new or existing festival or event must be a legal entity and must provide financial information from their previous fiscal year.

• Does the new festival or event need to be designed as an annual festival or event or are one time events eligible?

As stated in the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Application Guide, the Initiative is open to new festivals and events.  The applicant for a new festival or event must be a legal entity and must provide financial information from their previous fiscal year.

 

The applicant will need to demonstrate quantifiable results in terms of attracting tourists, tourist visitation and tourist receipts, etc., and how the proposed event or festival contributes to the tourism priorities of the municipality or region.  Applicants that can demonstrate long-term viability of an activity will score higher in the “sustainability” component of their evaluation than those applicants that demonstrate only short-term benefits. 

• Our municipality is planning a new event related to the anniversary of a milestone and or important figure in our community.  Would this event qualify for funding under the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Initiative?

No.  As outlined in the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Application Guide commemorative events are not eligible for funding.  Heritage Canada, a department of the federal government, does administer a funding program for Community Historical Anniversaries Programming.  For more information visit: www.pch.gc.ca/progs/dcap-bcah/index_e.cfm

• I organize a sport tourism event that requires participants to pre-register to participate in its activities.  Is this event eligible for funding?

As stated in the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Application Guide, eligible festivals or events must “be open to the public at large without pre-registration or membership in a club or group.”  Pre-registration refers to affiliation with a club or group and not event activities.   So your event would be eligible to apply if it is open to the public.   

• If a festival or event receives more than $75,000 in funding from the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Initiative it is required to submit audited financial statements.  Are audited financial statements required for the festival or event or for the festival or event applicant?

Audited financial statements are required for the festival or event itself, so in the case where an organization is conducting an audit for reporting purposes, the ministry requires that the festival and event portion be included as a separate component of the audited financial statement.  Festivals or events are required to submit a report within 90 days of the conclusion of the festival or event and the audited financial statements can be submitted at a later date if they are not available at the time of reporting. 

• Are provincial, national and international sporting events eligible for funding under the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Initiative?

Provincial, national and international sporting events are eligible for funding as long as they meet all the eligibility, mandatory, and acknowledgement, oversight and reporting requirements outlined in the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Application Guide.

• I am organizing a sporting event and most of the “tourists” who will attend will be teams that have pre-registered.  Although open to the public, there is little or no expectation of a significant number of tourists to observe.  Is this event eligible for funding under the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Initiative?

The objective of the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Initiative is to assist new or existing Ontario festivals and events to enhance programs, activities and services that will lead to long-term improvements and attract more tourists.

As outlined in the Application Guide, each application will be screened to determine its relevance to the following expected results:

• Increased attendance, improved programming and extended geographic reach
• Increased tourist visitation and tourist receipts
• Significant exposure for Ontario and its destinations
  
  

Priority will be given to those festivals and events that:

• Have significant public and private sector funding and own-source revenue
• Can attract increased tourist visitation
• Can extend tourist visitor length of stay and spending in the community
• Have local government and industry support
• Are three days or longer in duration and have 20 or more hours of public programmi

• Would prize money for a festival and event contest, derby or tournament be considered an eligible expense?

Yes, prize money is an eligible expense but in order to be successful the applicant will need to demonstrate how the proposed activity associated with the prize money would lead to quantifiable results in terms of attracting tourists

• Are Tier Two applicants requested to get quotes from a consultant to undertake the Economic Impact Study (using the ministry guideline)?

Financial support and guidance will be provided to festivals or events that successfully qualify for Tier Two funding to assist with undertaking the tourism economic impact assessment research and reporting requirement.  Successful applicants will be provided with further direction regarding this process when notified of the approval of their Celebrate Ontario 2008 funding.

• Can an applicant submit an application for a series of events that would take place on weekends throughout the summer, or would the applicant be required to submit individual applications for each event?

The applicant could submit one application for the series of events provided that the series of events are thematically related.  If the applicant is proposing to coordinate a series of events targeting different audiences and based on different themes, then it would be required to submit more than one application.

• Can an applicant such as a municipality submit more than one application to the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Initiative?

Yes.  Any applicant can submit more than one application as long as they are the festival or event organizer; however, all applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for the festivals or events that have the greatest potential to achieve quantifiable results in terms of attracting tourists.

• From the perspective of the 15% allocation to marketing - can this money be spent to develop or build marketing plans or initiatives?

No, Celebrate Ontario 2008 funding is not intended to support ongoing planning initiatives within an organization.  Eligible marketing activities and expenses must relate directly to promoting and advertising the festival or event enhancement.

• Can a festival or event include in-kind services to achieve the $1 million operating budget required to attain Tier Two status?

No.  For the purposes of Celebrate Ontario 2008, the ministry does not include the value of in-kind expenses or contributions in the determination of Tier One and Tier Two operating budgets.  These operating budgets are determined on a cash basis only.

• Do festival and event organizers need to supply two budgets: one proposed with enhancements and one without (similar to how the ministry’s Tourism Event Marketing Partnership Program supplies a budget breakdown form)?

No.  As outlined in section “E” of the Application Form, applicants are only required to provide a budget that includes projected enhancement concept expenses (new events should provide expenses for the new festival or event being proposed), including the type and value of enhancement costs and enhancement marketing costs.

• How much information do you want on the financials of the festival?  Do financial statements have to be audited?

As outlined in section “E” of the Application Form, existing festivals and events are requested to use their latest available audited financial statements, Board-endorsed, or Treasurer-certified financial statement from the latest festival or event to complete the statement of operations. 

New festival or event applicants should use budget information to describe their festival or event plans.

Statements should include revenues by source and expenses by category.  They should also indicate levels of funding from private and public sector partners. 

As outlined in the Application Guide, after project completion and following the close of the relevant fiscal year, successful applicants must provide the Ministry of Tourism with audited financial statements for funding over $75,000 or with the most recent board-endorsed or treasurer-certified financial statements for funding of lesser amounts.

• Do applicants have to list all their private funders or would the title sponsors do?  My festival has some private donations and I do not wish to disclose the names of some of the funders.

As outlined in the Application Guide and the Application Form, applicants should indicate levels of funding from private and public sector partners.  If there is an issue of privacy related to private funders, applicants are encouraged to list these private donations as a line item if they do not wish to disclose the private funder name.

• In section “D” of the Application Form, applicants are requested to include a work plan.  Can you clarify how much detail is required on the proposed project work plan?

Under the “sustainability” section (section “D”) of the Application Form, applicants are required to submit a work plan for the enhancement of their festival or event, and applicants are asked that this work plan detail their organization’s ability to undertake the project (e.g., description of milestones, activities, timelines, budget phasing, ability to proceed, etc.).   Applicants are encouraged to provide as much information as they can to clearly describe their work plan. 

• Would equipment purchases such as a projector and a screen be an eligible expense for the Celebrate Ontario 2008 funding program?

Yes, equipment purchases such as a projector and a screen are an eligible expense, but in order to be successful, the applicant will need to demonstrate how the proposed activity associated with the projector and the screen purchase would lead to quantifiable results in terms of attracting tourists.

• Our festival is the primary charitable fundraising event for a number of the service clubs in our region.  Are we eligible for funding?

Festivals or events conducted solely or primarily as fundraisers, including charitable fundraising events, are ineligible for Celebrate Ontario 2008 funding.  Festivals or events with peripheral fundraising activities are not excluded from Celebrate Ontario 2008 funding, provided that the festival or event is not presented exclusively as a fundraising event, and provided that not all revenues are earmarked for charity.

• If an event is shared by two organizations, who is the proponent?

The proponent is the organization that signs the Application Form and certifies that the information provided therein is true, correct and complete.  The proponent is also the organization that will be responsible for organizing the event, handling the finances, attesting to and fulfilling all the eligibility, mandatory, and acknowledgement, oversight and reporting requirements, etc.

• My festival has been running since 1999 and as of October 2007 it is legally registered as a not-for-profit organization.  Given that, is my festival considered to be a new or existing festival?

Your festival is considered to be an existing festival because it has been in existence for one year or longer in Ontario as of January 2008.

• Should my budget show zero profit?  And if a profit is shown, should there be an added explanation on what those funds are for?

Your statement of operations must be based on your latest available audited financial statement, Board-endorsed, or Treasurer-certified financial statement, and must accurately reflect your finances.  For the purposes of Celebrate Ontario 2008, the ministry does not need to know how your profits (if any) are disbursed.

• Question:
  My local community group organizes an annual event around St. Jean Baptiste Day.  Is this event eligible to receive Celebrate Ontario 2008 funding since it is not a civic holiday in Ontario?

No.  As outlined in the Application Guide, anniversaries and commemorative events are ineligible for Celebrate Ontario 2008 funding. 

• The Application Guide talks of marketing initiatives that target a market beyond 100 kilometres from the festival or event location.  The website suggests 40 kilometres. Can you give me a clearer sense of just how far beyond our normal reach is expected?

As outlined in the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Application Guide, the Ministry of Tourism defines a tourist as an individual (including an Ontario resident) who travels 40 kilometres or more or crosses the Ontario border to attend a festival or event. As outlined in the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Application Guide, eligible marketing activities related to the proposed enhanced activity must target a market beyond 100 kilometres from the festival or event location.

• In the Application Guide, successful applicants are required to provide a post-project report within 90 days of the event which includes information on the contribution of the enhancement project’s incremental impacts on tourism business in the shoulder season.   Any suggestions on how I can assemble this information in such a short timeframe?

Festival and event organizers are encouraged to work with their local tourism industry, and to submit qualitative and quantitative results.  Examples of information that could be included in this report include, but are not limited to, staff hired, number of local volunteers, local performers or producers engaged, local suppliers engaged, hotel rooms rented, tour packages sold, increased awareness regarding a festival or event location, etc.

• Is bulldozing an area to allow for an expanded program an eligible expense?

No, as outlined in the Celebrate Ontario 2008 Application Guide, capital costs related to permanent structures are ineligible.  Accordingly, site preparation costs such as bulldozing are ineligible for Celebrate Ontario 2008 funding.

• Are special identification T-shirts for volunteers working at an event an eligible expense?

Yes, T-shirts for volunteers working at an event would be an eligible expense as long as the costs related to the T-shirts were part of the programming costs associated with the new activities, programs or services that enhance the festival or event.

• Could you please provide clarification on how to calculate hours of programming? My festival runs from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening, for a total of about 27 hours when the gates will be open and things going on, but there are a large number of events and activities taking place.  Are we required to add up the hours for each event to get a total?

Hours of programming are calculated as the concurrent hours of public programming that are open to the public at large.