Spark Mentorships & Grants Program (Northern Ontario)
by Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13)
Also known as: Northeastern Ontario Spark Program · Northwestern Ontario Spark Program · Tourism Innovation Lab Spark
Spark gives winners of its regional pitch calls a $3,000 seed grant plus a matched tourism-industry mentor to launch a NEW tourism experience in Northern Ontario (reported figures, the Tourism Innovation Lab site could not be verified directly today). Open to individuals 18+ and small businesses or non-profits with 10 or fewer employees. Delivered with Destination Northern Ontario, Tourism Excellence North and regional DMOs in recurring Northeastern and Northwestern Ontario editions.
Key facts
- Amount
- Up to $3,000 $3,000 seed grant per selected recipient, plus a matched tourism-industry mentor and partner support network.
Against all tracked amounts, $1,000 to $500,000,000, logarithmic.
northernontariobusiness.com · Unconfirmed as of Aug 24, 2026; confirm with funder · Auto-checked against official source
Successful applicants will be matched with an innovative tourism mentor and given a $3,000 grant to get their idea off the ground
- Instrument
- Grant (non-repayable)
- Status
- Next intake not announced watch this page or subscribe to the calendar
- Who qualifies
- Individuals Businesses Nonprofits and charities
- individual
- small-business
- nonprofit
- Applicants 18+
- Small businesses and non-profits with 10 employees or fewer
- Must propose a NEW tourism experience, product or service in the edition's region (Northeastern or Northwestern Ontario editions run separately)
northernontariobusiness.com · Unconfirmed as of Aug 24, 2026; confirm with funder · Reported, verification pending
Applications are open to 18+ individuals who live in Northeastern Ontario or small businesses and non-profits with 10 employees or less
- 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?
- Submit application during a regional call
- Shortlisted applicants pitch their idea
- Selected winners receive the $3,000 grant, a matched mentor, and partner support
northernontariobusiness.com · Unconfirmed as of Aug 24, 2026; confirm with funder · Reported, verification pending
Common questions
Who runs Spark?
The Ontario Tourism Innovation Lab, in partnership with Destination Northern Ontario, Tourism Excellence North and regional partners such as Northeastern Ontario Tourism, Tourism North Bay, Sudbury Tourism and Tourism Timmins.
What does a winner actually get?
A $3,000 seed grant, a matched mentor from the tourism industry, and access to a support network of tourism innovators and partners (reported; confirm with the current call's materials).
Can an existing business apply?
Yes, established small businesses and non-profits with 10 or fewer employees qualify, as do individuals 18+, but the idea itself must be a new tourism product, experience or service.
When is the next intake?
Spark runs periodic regional calls, not a continuous intake. Check Destination Northern Ontario and your regional DMO for the current Northeastern or Northwestern Ontario round.
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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Tourism Excellence North
Open, continuous intake same funder (Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13)); both for tourism operators and small business, expansion; tourism, mentorship — Not published
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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 — Varies; see program
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Destination Northern Ontario Partnership Initiatives
Open, continuous intake same funder (Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13)); both for tourism operators and small business, expansion; tourism — Not published
-
BOOST Program (Innovation Link)
Open, continuous intake both for startups & new entrepreneurs and small business, expansion; innovation — Up to $10,000
Guides that cover this program
Notes on this record
Confidence is 'reported' throughout: tourisminnovation.ca returned a 302 redirect to an unrelated host (hackf.org) when fetched 2026-08-17, so the official page could not be read; figures come from program-partner announcements and Northern Ontario Business coverage of multiple editions. DNO's own site referenced Spark activity in August 2026, supporting 'active' lifecycle.
Facts on this page were confirmed by hand rather than by an automated read of the official source.
Apply
Apply on the funder’s site and confirm current terms there: