Tourism Excellence North
by Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13)
Also known as: TEN
Tourism Excellence North is DNO's capacity-building program, not a cash grant. Northern Ontario tourism operators, communities and destinations get subsidized training: online courses, in-person workshops, Best Practices Missions, a 'Fast Track to Success' 24-hour on-site coaching visit from a tourism consultant, and one-to-one mentorship after completing TEN training. Participation costs are low or subsidized (no fee schedule published). Enroll directly at tourismexcellencenorth.ca; delivered with partners including NOHFC.
Key facts
- Amount
- Amount not published by funder
- 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
- municipality
- nonprofit
- indigenous-organization
- Open to tourism operators, communities and destinations in Northern Ontario; mentorship stream follows completion of TEN training programs
tourismexcellencenorth.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source
provides tourism operators, communities, and destinations with the knowledge, connections and training they need to grow and strengthen tourism across Northern Ontario
- 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?
- Enroll via the TEN website for online courses
- Register for scheduled workshops and Best Practices Missions
- Apply for Fast Track to Success (24-hour on-site consultant visit) or one-to-one mentorship after training
tourismexcellencenorth.ca · Last verified Oct 1, 2026 · Auto-checked against official source
Common questions
Does TEN give out money?
No. TEN delivers training, coaching and mentorship. If you need capital, pair TEN with funding programs like NOHFC's Invest North streams or a CFDC loan, TEN is often what gets an operator investment-ready.
What is Fast Track to Success?
A personalized coaching engagement where a skilled tourism consultant spends a 24-hour on-site visit at your operation and provides practical advice to improve it.
Who can participate?
Tourism operators, communities and destinations across Northern Ontario. The one-to-one mentorship stream is for those who have completed TEN training programs.
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.
-
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, mentorship — Up to $3,000
-
DNO Partnership Initiatives
Open, continuous intake same funder (Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13)); both for tourism operators and small business, expansion; tourism — Varies; see program
-
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
-
Starter Company Plus
Next intake not announced both for small business, expansion; training, mentorship — Up to $5,000
Guides that cover this program
Notes on this record
Instrument typed 'mixed' because TEN is an in-kind capacity-building service (subsidized training/coaching), not direct funding. No public fee/funding schedule was found on the site as of 2026-08-17.
Apply
Apply on the funder’s site and confirm current terms there: