Ontario — Marquee Event Program

Insider Tip

Start with the Expression of Interest and treat it as the real gate — for 2026-27 the ministry will only permit selected organizers to file a full application, and the EOI is scored on just four things: event description, anticipated performance measures, event status (one-time or annual), and the event cash budget excluding in-kind. Two numbers decide whether you clear the door: the event needs $1 million or more in CASH operating expenses (in-kind contributions do not count toward it), and the ministry expects proposals to target at least 10,000 visitors. When you run TREIM or another economic impact model, count only tourists — Ontarians travelling 40 km or more one-way plus out-of-province visitors — because local visitors within 40 km must be excluded, and the same 40 km line governs which media buys are eligible.

Rejection Pitfalls 9

• Event cash operating expenses below the $1 million minimum, or the budget relies on in-kind value to reach it
• Organization existed for less than one year as of the submission date
• Event is still in the bidding process, or is a trade fair, convention, conference or other primarily commercial event

Success Profile

An established Ontario event organizer — a municipality with major-event hosting written into its tourism strategy, or a for-profit or non-profit whose mandate is event management — that has already produced successful large-scale events nationally or internationally and has reported on their outcomes. The winning file pairs a $1M+ cash event budget showing diverse cash revenue (applicant-generated, private-sector and earned) with credible tourist-attendance evidence well above 10,000 visitors, confirmed tourism and business partnerships that extend visitor stays, a marketing plan aimed at audiences 40 km or more away, and audited financial statements that demonstrate solid financial health.

Evaluation Criteria

Two stages. The Expression of Interest is assessed on event description, anticipated performance measures, event status (one-time or annual), and the anticipated event cash budget excluding in-kind contributions. Invited full applications are scored against a published 100-point weighting: Event Description and Alignment with Program Objectives 35%, Organizational Capacity 20%, Marketing Plan 15%, Performance Metrics and Impact 15%, Partnerships 10%, Risk Management 5%. Within those, the ministry scores events in part on their capacity to draw tourist attendance — events that demonstrate, with credible supporting evidence, the ability to attract higher numbers of tourists are scored higher. All evaluation and funding decisions are made by the Minister, the ministry may fund all, part or none of a request, and there is no appeal process.

Application Steps

Required Documents 7

Eligible Expenses 10

• Performance and appearance fees for artists, musicians, professional athletes, entertainers and presenters, including their travel, accommodation and booking costs
• Programming costs, including interactive, experiential and accessible programming
• Ontario-based production costs including broadcasting, audio and visual support, and rental of sound, lighting and event venue
• Wages for temporary or contract event staff directly related to programming, production or marketing of the event
• Targeted paid media and advertising buys aimed at audiences residing 40 kilometres or more from the event location, including out-of-home and geo-targeted digital and social
• Mobile application and website development or upgrades promoting the event
• Translation costs directly related to the event's programming or marketing
• Volunteer training, site/visitor services and event security costs
• Accessibility services and AODA-compliance improvements associated with event programming (ramps, accessible viewing areas)
• Honorarium for an Indigenous Elder or Knowledge Holder, and sanitation services such as handwashing stations

Ineligible Expenses 10

• Any expense incurred outside April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
• Capital costs — construction materials, motorized vehicles, land acquisition, equipment purchases, stages, fixed or portable seating, lighting structures, computers, depreciable assets
• Salaries and wages for permanent staff and full-time contract staff, and administrative or overhead costs of running the organization
• Marketing other than media buys to tourist markets, and any media buys targeting attendees within 40 km of the event
• Creative and production staff costs including photography, videography and graphic design; printing of publications; merchandise and promotional items
• Competition prizes, prize money, awards, trophies, medals, gifts, gratuities and honoraria of personal benefit
• Food, unless for a culinary demonstration; alcohol and cannabis-related products
• Travel, meals and incidental expenses for staff and volunteers; legal, audit and interest fees; grant-writer fees
• Audience surveys, research and economic impact studies
• Harmonized Sales Tax, refundable expenses, and any expense funded by another source or covered by in-kind revenues

Intake Periods

Rolling within the 2026-27 fiscal year, in two stages. Stage 1 Expression of Interest submissions are accepted through the Ontario Central Forms Repository with no published calendar cut-off; the ministry then invites selected organizers to file the Stage 2 full application in Transfer Payment Ontario at least 30 business days before the event start date. Eligible events must occur, and eligible expenses must be incurred, between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027. Funding is limited and late or incomplete applications may not be considered once the available funding has been allocated.

Deadline Notes

There is no published calendar cut-off. Stage 1 (Expression of Interest) is accepted on a rolling basis through the Ontario Central Forms Repository. If the ministry invites you to Stage 2, the full application via Transfer Payment Ontario "should be submitted at least thirty (30) business days prior to the event start date." The event itself must occur in Ontario during the 2026-27 fiscal year, and eligible expenses must be incurred between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027. The guide warns that "Late or incomplete applications may not be considered if available funding has already been allocated by the time a complete application is received" — submit the EOI as early in the fiscal year as your event plan allows.

Open Application Portal →

Ineligible Organizations

• Organizations that have existed for less than one year as of the application submission date
• Organizations based outside Ontario, or without a Canadian bank account in the applicant's legal name
• For-profit or non-profit organizations that do not have event management and/or hosting as part of their mandate
• Organizations in default of the terms and conditions of any grant or loan agreement with an Ontario ministry or agency
• More than one organization from a group of affiliated organizations for the same event — only one may apply
• Organizations that have not been invited to submit a full application after the Expression of Interest stage

Compatible Programs

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk

The province retains an explicit recovery right: recipients must agree that "if the funds were not used, or will not be used for the intended purpose(s), if specified services were not delivered, or if the intended outcomes were not achieved, the province has the right at a future date to recover parts or all of the funds transferred." A missing or incomplete final report can trigger retention of the final payment plus recovery of all or part of the funding, and can affect future eligibility. Separately, failure to comply with the Ontario Human Rights Code renders the applicant liable to repay the grant in its entirety on request. Post-event audit of the expense claim by a third-party CPA is mandatory, so ineligible expenses that slip into the claim are likely to be caught.