About the Program

The Tourism Accelerator Grant (TAG) Program was established to provide businesses and organizations with financial support to expand Port Colborne’s tourism offerings and enhance its appeal as a destination.

Made possible by the Municipal Accommodation Tax, the TAG program has an annual allocation of $25,000 to invest in eligible projects. Applicants are required to make a minimum 50% financial contribution toward the total project budget, with the City supporting up to 50% of the costs, to a maximum of $10,000. The amount of funding awarded to each project, whether partial or full, will be determined at the City’s discretion. Submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

Funding will be available for projects occurring between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026. Project activities and costs that occur outside the 2026 calendar year are ineligible for funding.

Applications for tourism events or festivals must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the start date, or by the application deadline — whichever comes first. Completed applications are due by 5:00 pm EST on April 30, 2026. A second intake of applications may be offered at a later date if funds remain available.

Funding Streams

The TAG program’s five funding streams are designed to stimulate key areas that will sustainably grow and strengthen Port Colborne’s tourism industry. Applicants are permitted one project per funding stream, with a maximum of two (2) applications per year, requesting no more than $15,000 in total.

  1. Product Incubation – Develop a feasibility or business plan to evaluate the potential for a scalable, long-term tourism product
  2. Experience Development – Create a unique, market-ready experiential product for consumption by visitors or tourists
  3. Events – Host a new tourism event or festival or expand an existing event or festival with new programming or strategic enhancements that produce greater economic and community benefits
  4. Marketing – Utilize the City’s destination marketing organization (DMO), Niagara’s South Coast, to partner on showcasing Port Colborne and raising its profile
  5. Sustainability – Implement practices, services, or workforce training initiatives to improve capacity, encourage responsible consumption, promote environmental stewardship, or build meaningful engagement with the local community

Priority Areas

Priority consideration will be given to projects that: 

  • Align with the City’s Tourism Strategy and offer quality visitor experiences for both underrepresented and well-represented groups;

  • Drive visitor economy growth through measurable increases in visitation, spending, and/or employment;

  • Target opportunities to stimulate consumer demand during need periods and shoulder seasons (i.e., October through April); 

  • Foster collaboration or partnerships among businesses seeking to entice consumers to visit Port Colborne;

  • Deliver one or multi-day event programming and activations — in the areas of sport, recreation, culinary, agriculture, nature, arts, culture or heritage — with a focus on attracting visitors from more than 40 kilometres away; or

  • Amplify the DMO’s (Niagara’s South Coast) marketing activities and engage their primary target markets.

Applicants are not required to meet every priority area. Alignment with at least one of these priority areas is sufficient.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include for-profit businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and public sector agencies that are incorporated, in good standing with the City of Port Colborne, and undertaking a project within the municipality.

Indigenous individuals and businesses owned and controlled by Indigenous Peoples, as well as Indigenous not-for-profit organizations or associations (excluding those with charitable or religious purposes), are also eligible.

A. Eligible Costs 

  • Research or consulting services related to feasibility or business planning

  • Capital and infrastructure development costs, such as third-party construction contractors, building materials, and associated project supplies

  • Rental, lease, or purchase of stationary equipment, including signage

  • Licenses, permits, software, and design costs

  • Hosting fees for events

  • Fees for artists, speakers, or entertainment

  • Marketing and advertising costs

  • Training and workforce development costs

B. Ineligible Costs
1. Timing-related costs

  • Expenses incurred before January 1, 2026

  • Expenses incurred after December 31, 2026

  • Pre-existing deficits (grants or loans)

2. Operating and administrative costs

  • Existing overhead, staffing, and administrative expenses, including non-incremental wages and payments to administrators or Board members

  • Costs associated with ongoing or regularly scheduled maintenance work, including repairs to capital assets

  • Memberships, general subscriptions not specific to the project, and education or certification program fees

  • Opportunity costs

3. Capital and asset-related costs

  • Capital acquisitions or expenses not pre-approved by the City or not directly related to the project, including acquiring or leasing land, facilities, vehicles, and other intangible assets

  • Depreciation, amortization, bond discounts, and other accounting or financing treatments related to capital assets

4. Financial costs and professional fees

  • Professional fees, including legal, audit, insurance, and real estate services

  • Financing charges, interest payments (on loans, invested capital, bonds, debentures, or mortgages), refinancing costs, losses on investments, bad debts, or any other financial losses

5. Taxes and rebates
  •  Taxes or costs for which the recipient is eligible for rebates, including provincial sales tax, goods and services tax (GST), or harmonized sales tax (HST)
6. Goods and services

  • Donations, re-granting, charitable or fundraising expenses, and any goods or services received through donations or in-kind contributions

  • Political contributions or lobbyist fees

  • Prize money, competition prizes, or awards

  • Food, hospitality, travel and accommodations costs

  • Fines or penalties

  • Alcohol

This list may not cover every eligible or ineligible cost. If anything is unclear, please contact the City for guidance.

Funding Conditions

TAG program funding does not make the City responsible in any way for delivering the project. Projects approved for funding will be formalized through contribution agreements outlining all terms and conditions, including proof-of-insurance requirements. All contribution agreements must be signed by an individual with designated signing authority for the business or organization. The disbursement of funding will not take place until both parties sign the contribution agreement.

Material changes to the project that differ from the approved application will require prior approval before any grant funds are spent.

TAG program funding cannot be used to match funds received from other municipal or provincial government programs, including the City’s Non-Profits Grants program, the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) program, and the Tourism Partnership of Niagara’s Partnership Program.

Successful applicants who receive TAG program funding must complete a final report, using the template provided by the City, and submit copies of invoices, receipts, and proof of payment for all eligible costs covered by the grant. At least 10% of the funding will be held back until the project is completed and the final report has been submitted.

Grant funds must be returned to the City if they are not used for the project’s approved purpose, not spent on eligible costs, or not utilized within the calendar year. Grant funds cannot be carried over from one year to the next. Additionally, if changes to the project result in a significant delay or cancellation, the recipient will, after consultation with the City, be required to return the funds. 

Recipients must publicly acknowledge the City’s funding support in a manner that is pre-approved and considered appropriate by the City.

This funding is a one-time contribution and does not obligate the City to provide future support to the recipient or their project.

Evaluation Process

Applications received by the deadline date will be reviewed and ranked by an evaluation panel using a matrix of pre-established criteria to ensure a fair and equitable adjudication process. The evaluation panel will authorize the release of funding in accordance with these guidelines and within the budget allocated for the calendar year. Final decisions on funding awards by the evaluation panel will be made by the end of May 2026 and are not subject to appeal. 

The evaluation panel will be comprised of the following people:  

  • Two (2) staff representatives from Corporate Services & Recreation 

  • One (1) staff representative from Economic Development 

  • One (1) representative from the Economic Development Advisory Committee 

  • One (1) staff representative from Niagara’s South Coast Tourism Association (NSCTA) 

  • Two (2) representatives from NSCTA’s board of directors 

How to Apply

Project ideas and draft applications may be prepared in advance and emailed to tourism@portcolborne.ca for brief feedback and guidance. This does not guarantee application success.

Applications will accepted starting on the opening date, with all submissions becoming final on the April 30, 2026, deadline. Applications must be submitted online. Written applications may be accepted upon special request.

Projects that may be better suited for the City’s Non-Profits Grants program or the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) program should be directed to those programs for funding consideration. 

For any questions about the Tourism Accelerator Grant (TAG) Program, please contact tourism@portcolborne.ca.