Bruce County is accepting applications for the annual Spark Program.
Economic Development Manager of Planning and Development, Jeffrey Loney, explains that the program awards grants to local tourism businesses to help them implement sustainable tourism offerings.
In 2022, the county decided to expand the program from being only available to businesses on the peninsula to being countywide. Loney explains the goal was to support more tourism products done in a sustainable way across Bruce County.
"We're a big tourist destination up here. Whether it's our lakeshore, or the peninsula, or even our inland. This gives private business the opportunity to access grants, to access that mentorship that they need to make something new and cool," Loney stated.
The Spark program offers grants of $3,000 and mentorship to a new or existing tourism business in Bruce County. It's a partnership between the county, Bruce Power, Bruce Grey Simcoe Regional Tourism Organization, the Government of Ontario and the Tourism Innovation Lab.
Loney says there's always mentorship being offered to any business, but there's some special mentorship for winners of these grants.
"The Tourism Innovation Lab works really hard to partner successful applicants with a business in their field or a business that's successfully navigated some of the challenges that they've faced in the past," Loney shared.
Additionally, Loney explains what the county means by sustainable tourism and the three pillars of sustainability, which are financial, social and environmental.
"We wanna make sure our businesses are, of course, economically sustainable. That they're able to do well with what they're trying. That they are socially sustainable and that they don't have any of the negative environmental impacts that we heard about and are hearing about worldwide when it comes to all of our tourism," said Loney.
“Bruce County is honoured to be able to provide grants and mentorship via the Spark program to help inspire and support entrepreneurs with the development of sustainable tourism experiences," said Bruce County Warden, Chris Peabody. “We are excited to join forces with Tourism Innovation Lab, Bruce Power, Government of Ontario and Bruce Grey Simcoe Regional Tourism Organization to offer this program again in 2024.”
Applications will be accepted from September 9 to October 24, 2024. Following a juried review process, finalists will be invited to a Pitch Session where three winners will be selected.
For more information on the Bruce County “Spark” Program and to register for an upcoming info session on September 25, visit www.tourisminnovation.ca/bruce.