Destination Northern Ontario Partnership Initiatives
by Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13)
Also known as: Tourism Industry Partnership Proposal Program · DNO Partnership Fund · Tourism Northern Ontario partnerships
Destination Northern Ontario (RTO 13) co-invests with tourism businesses, DMOs, municipalities, and organizations in partnered initiatives across four pillars: product development, marketing, workforce development, and investment attraction. No published dollar caps, funding is negotiated per initiative with a DNO Senior Coordinator, and partners cost-share (the fund was leveraged nearly 5:1 in recent years, with 38 initiatives and $1.9M of partnered activity in 2023-24). Contact DNO first; intake is continuous.
Key facts
- Amount
- Amount not published by funder
- Instrument
- Conditional contribution
- 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-business
- dmo
- municipality
- nonprofit
- indigenous-organization
- Initiative must align with DNO's strategic priorities in one of four pillars: product development, investment attraction, workforce development & industry training, or marketing
- Partnerships are identified, framed, and managed with DNO's Senior Coordinators in each pillar area
- Cost-shared: partners contribute alongside DNO's provincial funding (partners have historically leveraged the fund ~3-5x)
destinationnorthernontario.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source
implemented 38 partnered initiatives working with over 83 partners and leveraging the province's investment three times over, resulting in $1.9 million of partnered activity
- 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 District
11 of 11 Northern Ontario districts are eligible for this program. A filled dot is eligible, an outline is not.
How do you apply?
Call first. This funder expects contact with a program officer before you apply.
- Contact DNO (communications@destinationnorthernontario.ca) or submit the partnership inquiry form on the website
- Scope the initiative with the Senior Coordinator for the relevant pillar
- Agree cost-sharing and partnership terms
- Deliver the partnered initiative and report results
destinationnorthernontario.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source
Common questions
How much funding can I get from a DNO partnership?
DNO does not publish fixed amounts or caps. Partnership funding is scoped per initiative with the Senior Coordinator for the relevant pillar, and you are expected to cost-share, historically partners have leveraged DNO's provincial funding roughly 3-5x.
Who can partner with Destination Northern Ontario?
Tourism businesses, destination marketing organizations, municipalities, Indigenous organizations, and non-profits across Northern Ontario whose initiative aligns with one of DNO's four pillars: product development, marketing, workforce development & industry training, or investment attraction.
Is there an application deadline?
No fixed public deadline, partnerships are developed on a continuous basis through direct contact with DNO. Some intakes have historically been announced through the year, so contacting DNO early is the practical first step.
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.
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DNO Partnership Initiatives
Open, continuous intake same funder (Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13)); both for tourism operators and small business, expansion; tourism, partnership, rto13 — Varies; see program
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Tourism Excellence North
Open, continuous intake same funder (Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13)); both for tourism operators and small business, expansion; tourism — Not published
-
Spark Mentorships & Grants Program (Northern Ontario)
Next intake not announced same funder (Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13)); both for tourism operators and small business, expansion; tourism — Up to $3,000
-
BOOST Program (Innovation Link)
Open, continuous intake both for small business, expansion; cost share — Up to $10,000
Guides that cover this program
Notes on this record
DNO's legal/operating name is Tourism Northern Ontario; it is the largest of Ontario's 13 Regional Tourism Organizations, funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Amounts envelope deliberately omitted: no dollar figures are published on the official site (verified 2026-08-17), an honest gap rather than a guess.
Apply
Apply on the funder’s site and confirm current terms there: