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Investment program: Co-operative Investment

Funding purpose: Supports tourism organizations in destination development and promotion initiatives.

Investment range: up to $100,000

Priorities:

  • Foster community alignment around a shared vision for tourism
  • Support regional promotional strategies aimed at growing visitation and driving cash flow to tourism businesses
  • Assist in organizing different types of events like cultural festivals, business conferences, and big sport events to make sure the local economy benefits in various ways and keeps growing steadily
  • Projects must take place between Sept. 15, 2023 and March 31, 2024. 

Note: All applications are now online. No applications from previous intakes will be allowed.

Lacombe Regional Tourism Association used the funds to grow brand awareness, complete destination development foundational research and provide local event support.

Eligible applicants

• Municipalities, destination marketing/management organizations, not-for-profits, chambers of commerce, and industry associations with a focus and/or mandate in tourism development and promotion
• Non-municipal partners must have been in operation for a minimum of three years

Ineligible applicants

• Individual tourism businesses and partnered consortiums
• Business improvement areas
• Communities who are represented by a destination marketing organization
• Hotel consortiums and Destination Marketing Fund groups (DMFs)
• Retail businesses
• Restaurants

How to apply

Application details

Please read all eligibility requirements before applying

Destination Promotion

  • Targeted online ads as part of an integrated, multi-faceted marketing campaign
  • Creative development + agency support
  • Radio/tv/print advertising that presents a unified tourism message
  • Social strategy and implementation (including costs related to contracted community management)
  • Media and public relations
  • Content development including photography, video and written content (shot list must be included with the application)

Destination Development:

  • Attraction of business events
  • Destination planning and research aimed at growing the visitor economy
  • Workforce development including educational seminars and building destination capacity
  • Destination animation programming available to visitors on a regular, scheduled basis (daily, weekly, monthly) and demonstrate how it is designed for long term availability
  • Membership fees (i.e. TIAA)

  • Salaries or wages as well as management fees
  • GST/HST expenses
  • Website development
  • Travel Alberta will not invest in destination development/promotion efforts led by a community which duplicates the efforts of an existing destination organization

Expenses must be incurred between Sept. 15, 2023 – March 31, 2024. Expenses will need to be invoiced by a qualified third party and documented in the financial reconciliation.

  • Economic impact generated from hotel nights, experience sales, ticket sales, and/or package sales that showcase a return on investment equal to or greater than the investment.
  • Number of business supported through the development/promotional initiative.

Application Period: The fall application period is from September 12 to October 13, 2023.

Access the Grant Management Tool (GMT): Create an account or log in to the new Grant Management Tool (GMT). You can find the Rural Development and Promotion application form there.

Complete Your Application: Fill out the application form completely. Remember, you can save your progress if you need more time or extra information before submitting. Each organization can submit only one application per funding year.

Funding Decisions: We have the final say in managing funding requests. We might turn down projects that don't qualify or if there are too many requests.

Application Review: After you apply, we'll review and evaluate your application. We'll send you a letter to let you know if your application is approved or not.

Grant Agreement: If your project is approved, you will receive a Travel Alberta Grant Agreement. Take your time to read it and sign it.

Getting the Funds: Once everything is set and your project is approved, we'll send you the money using something called Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). This means we'll transfer the money directly to your bank.

Full Funds Release: After your project gets the go-ahead, and you give us all the documents we need, we'll release the money.

Investment Decision Timing: We won't decide who gets the funds until late 2023.

Apply for rural development and promotion funding

The application period for rural development and promotion funding is now open until October 13, 2023. Please see application details above before applying.

Apply now

Compare the Rural Development and Promotion Fund to the...

Growth Fund          Innovation Fund         
Incubator Fund    Events & Festivals Fund