Nova Scotia — EXPORT Travel Trade Program (Marketplace Support)
Can you win this grant?
Get your instant eligibility verdict plus a head start on the application. Free, no account needed.
Takes about 20 seconds. We use this program’s real eligibility rules.
Want your full match picture across 650+ programs? Take the 2-minute quiz →
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Tourism Nova Scotia reimburses up to $5,000 of registration fees for one appointment-taking representative of an export-ready Nova Scotia tourism business to attend an approved travel trade marketplace. Open to businesses with at least two years of contracted travel trade work, or graduates of the EXPORT Travel Trade Readiness stream who hold contracts.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a Nova Scotia tourism business.
- Must meet ONE of two experience routes: at least two years of contracted work with travel trade partners such as receptive tour operators, wholesalers or motorcoach companies; OR successful completion of the Tourism Nova Scotia EXPORT Travel Trade Readiness Program with contracts secured. Either route qualifies on its own.
- Must offer net or commissionable rates.
- Must have a clear plan outlining target markets and goals.
- Must be in good standing with the provincial Registry of Joint Stock Companies.
- Roofed accommodations businesses must be registered with the Short-term Rentals Registry.
- Must be in good standing with the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage.
- Businesses already represented by a national or regional sales team or representative are NOT eligible.
- The marketplace attended must be one Tourism Nova Scotia considers eligible. The published 2026-27 list is Bienvenue Québec (Gatineau, QC), Ontario Motor Coach Association (Waterloo Region, ON), National Tour Association (Tulsa, OK), American Bus Association (Calgary, AB) and Rendez-vous Canada. Other travel trade marketplaces may be considered by a Tourism Nova Scotia panel; consumer shows and business and incentive marketplaces are not eligible.
- You do not need to be registered for a marketplace before applying, but you must demonstrate your own investment in attending — travel costs, promotional materials and/or marketplace-specific costs.
- Funding covers registration fees for ONE appointment-taking representative of the business; all associated costs are the applicant's own expense.
- Reimbursement requires presentation of proof of purchase and an invoice or receipt.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $5,000 toward registration fees for one appointment-taking representative at an eligible travel trade marketplace
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Deadline
- Open until fully subscribed — apply at least 2 months before the marketplace date
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win Nova Scotia — EXPORT Travel Trade Program ...
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 9 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 8-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipCheck one line in the guidelines before anything else: 'Businesses already represented by a national or regional sales team or representative, will not be eligible.' It is the quietest disqualifier in the program and it is not on the web page — only in the 2026-27 PDF. Two more things worth knowing. This is a competitive panel review, not an entitlement, so meeting the criteria is the entry price rather than the decision; put your existing travel trade contracts and your net or commissionable rate card front and centre, because those are the two evaluation lines everything else hangs off. And time it by the marketplace, not the calendar — applications should be in at least two months before the event, and you do not need to have registered for it yet. If you are new to travel trade, this is the wrong stream: Stream 1, Travel Trade Readiness, is the on-ramp, and it is closed for 2026-27.
Rejection Pitfalls 9
- Business is already represented by a national or regional sales team or representative
- Neither two years of contracted travel trade work nor completion of the EXPORT Travel Trade Readiness Program with secured contracts
- Does not offer net or commissionable rates, or cannot honour them for the duration of an agreement
Success Profile
An export-ready Nova Scotia tourism operator already holding travel trade contracts, selling on net or commissionable rates it can honour for the term of an agreement, with current sales collateral, a named target market, no national or regional sales representative already acting for it, and the cash to fund a trip to Gatineau, Waterloo, Tulsa or Calgary before any of it comes back.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are reviewed by a Tourism Nova Scotia panel through a competitive process, with acceptance based on the evaluation and budget availability. Applicants must demonstrate that they currently have contracted business through travel trade; currently have up-to-date sales tools and resources to market their product to travel trade; have capacity to grow business through travel trade; offer product in alignment with the needs and demands of tour operators selling Nova Scotia; and are able to enter into contract with tour operators during the marketplace, providing contracted wholesale net or commissionable rates and honouring these rates for the duration of the agreement. Tourism Nova Scotia states it encourages and prioritises applications from underrepresented businesses, organizations and individuals, and from those offering tourism activities that amplify and reflect underrepresented communities, experiences and voices.
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 1
- Registration fees, including tax, for one appointment-taking representative of the business at an eligible travel trade marketplace
Ineligible Expenses 10
- Accommodations
- Airfare and travel costs
- Lighting, electrical and artwork
- Booth construction
- Promotional materials
- Meals
- Sponsorships
- Membership fees
- Registration for a second or subsequent representative — only one appointment-taking representative is covered
- Registration for consumer shows, or for business and incentive marketplaces, which are not eligible events
Intake Periods
Annual program year (2026-27). Stream 2 Marketplace Support applications are open and will be accepted until the program is fully subscribed and all funds are allocated. Applications should be received a minimum of two months prior to the requested marketplace dates. Stream 1, Travel Trade Readiness, is closed for 2026-27.
Deadline Notes
There is no fixed calendar deadline for the Marketplace Support stream. Tourism Nova Scotia states that applications for the 2026-27 EXPORT Travel Trade Program are open and 'will remain open until all funds are allocated'. The rule that governs your timing is the marketplace, not a date: applications should be received a minimum of two months prior to the requested marketplace dates. Work backwards from the event you want to attend. (Note: Stream 1, Travel Trade Readiness, is CLOSED and had its own June 15, 2026 deadline — that date does not apply to this stream.)
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Businesses outside Nova Scotia, and Nova Scotia businesses that are not tourism businesses
- Businesses already represented by a national or regional sales team or representative
- Businesses not in good standing with the provincial Registry of Joint Stock Companies
- Roofed accommodations businesses not registered with the Short-term Rentals Registry
- Businesses not in good standing with the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
- Businesses new to travel trade with neither two years of contracted travel trade work nor completion of the EXPORT Travel Trade Readiness Program with secured contracts
Applying for Nova Scotia? Our Grant Proposal Template ($19) mirrors the section structure Canadian reviewers actually score on. Or get all 4 templates in the Founder Pack ($59 · saves $27) →
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Stacking partner data not yet available.
Clawback Risk
Low RiskPure reimbursement against proof of purchase and an invoice or receipt, so there is no advance to recover. The realistic exposure is the opposite one: acceptance is subject to a competitive panel review and budget availability, so do not commit to marketplace registration on the assumption of approval.
How Nova Scotia — EXPORT Travel Trade Program ... Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Scotia — EXPORT Travel Trade Pro... | Up to $5,000 | Moderate | Reimbursement | Open until fully... |
| Yukon Economic Development Fund (EDF) | up to $30,000 | Moderate | Milestone-Based | Tier 1: Rolling; Tier 2:... |
| Support for Entrepreneurs and Economi... | Up to $25,000 | Easy | Milestone-Based | Ongoing (April 1 – March... |
| West End BIZ Business Development Grant | Up to 50% of costs, to a max of $1,000 | Easy | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| Interlake Tourism Development Fund | $500–$2,000 | Easy | Milestone-Based | Two intakes per year —... |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Nova Scotia — EXPORT Travel Trade Program ...