An independent registry of Northern Ontario funding Data updated Oct 1, 2026 · CC-BY-4.0
Northern Ontario Grants
Open, continuous intake Partly repayable

DNO Partnership Initiatives

by Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13)

Also known as: Tourism Industry Partnership Proposal Program · RTO13 Partnership Program

Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13) co-funds partnered tourism initiatives, product development, marketing, workforce training, investment attraction, with tourism operators, DMOs, municipalities and organizations across Northern Ontario. There are no published dollar caps or cost-share ratios: initiatives are scoped with a DNO Senior Coordinator and selected for alignment with DNO's business plan. In 2023-24 DNO ran 38 partnered initiatives worth $1.9M, leveraging provincial funds roughly 3:1. Start by emailing DNO.

Amount
No published per-project dollar caps or cost-share ratios. DNO co-invests in partnered initiatives rather than issuing standalone grants; in 2023-24 it implemented 38 partnered initiatives with 83+ partners, leveraging the province's investment three times over into $1.9M of partnered activity.

destinationnorthernontario.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source

leveraging the province's investment three times over, resulting in $1.9 million of partnered activity

Instrument
Mixed instruments
Status
Open, continuous intake no fixed deadline; approvals on the funder's cycle
Who qualifies
Businesses Nonprofits and charities Municipalities and local boards Indigenous organizations and communities
  • tourism-operator
  • dmo
  • nonprofit
  • municipality
  • indigenous-organization
  • Initiative must align with DNO's four pillars (Product Development, Investment Attraction, Workforce Development and Industry Training, Marketing) and DNO's strategic/annual business plans
  • Board priority: 50% of initiatives in non-marketing pillars
  • Initiatives are framed and managed with DNO Senior Coordinators, not fully self-directed

destinationnorthernontario.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source

Product Development, Investment Attraction, Workforce Development and Industry Training, and Marketing

Where
Algoma District · Cochrane District · Greater Sudbury (single-tier census division) · Kenora District · Manitoulin District · Nipissing District · Parry Sound District · Rainy River District · Sudbury District (excl. Greater Sudbury) · Thunder Bay District · Timiskaming District11 of 11 Northern Ontario districts are eligible for this program.Algoma District: eligibleCochrane District: eligibleGreater Sudbury (single-tier census division): eligibleKenora District: eligibleManitoulin District: eligibleNipissing District: eligibleParry Sound District: eligibleRainy River District: eligibleSudbury District (excl. Greater Sudbury): eligibleThunder Bay District: eligibleTimiskaming District: eligible

11 of 11 Northern Ontario districts are eligible for this program. A filled dot is eligible, an outline is not.

Built for
Tourism operators Nonprofits & charities Municipalities & Local Services Boards Small business, expansion

How do you apply?

Call first. This funder expects contact with a program officer before you apply.

  1. Contact DNO (communications@destinationnorthernontario.ca) or submit the partnership interest form
  2. Scope the initiative with the relevant pillar Senior Coordinator
  3. DNO selects initiatives on potential outcomes and alignment with its strategic and annualized business plans
  4. Co-delivery with cost-shared contributions

destinationnorthernontario.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source

Common questions

Is this a grant I apply for?

Not in the classic sense. DNO co-invests in jointly delivered initiatives rather than writing cheques against an application form. You propose an idea, a Senior Coordinator frames it within one of DNO's four pillars, and if selected it becomes a cost-shared partnered project.

How much money is available?

DNO publishes no per-project caps or match ratios. As a scale reference, its 2023-24 partnership activity totalled $1.9M across 38 initiatives, roughly $50K average per initiative, though individual amounts vary widely.

Who can partner with DNO?

Tourism operators, destination marketing organizations, municipalities, Indigenous organizations and sector groups in Northern Ontario (DNO is the RTO for the region; Muskoka falls under RTO12, not DNO).

Where else could this money come from?

Chosen by what these programs have in common with this one, not by hand. The reason is shown for each, so you can judge whether it holds.

Notes on this record

DNO is the largest of Ontario's 13 RTOs, funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Partnership funds flow through the provincial RTO partnership allocation. No fixed application window or published funding table exists, contact-first by design.

Apply

Apply on the funder’s site and confirm current terms there:

destinationnorthernontario.ca