2019 / 2020 Regional Partnership Opportunities
*** RTO12 is now exploring 2019 & 2020 Tourism Partnerships ***
Since 2013, in addition to providing its core funding, the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport has allocated specific additional funds for the RTO to partner with tourism stakeholders on projects that will move the regional tourism needle forward. RTO 12 has administered dozens of successful partnerships, and will continue to do so for the fiscal year of 2019 / 2020
The next phase of partnerships, for fiscal 2019 / 2020, will aim to align with the transition from domestic to international markets while at the same time align with the outcomes of our recently published RTO 12 Product Research and Framework.
Specifically, the RTO will look to see what category best suits your proposal. For instance:
- does it align with one of the “Key Tourism Activities” (Being Lakeside, Hiking, Paddling, Guided Nature Tours, Wildlife Viewing, Learning About Indigenous Culture
- or, is it an identified tourism gap in the Product Development Framework (VFR, Arts & Culture, Workforce Development, Transportation, Sustainability)
To speak to someone further about this initial intake of proposals or the program itself, please contact James Murphy, Executive Director: [email protected]
The Process
Potential partners must first fill out an intake form online to articulate their partnership proposal. The initial screening process, the online intake form will help identify certain initial criteria and will trigger communication with the RTO who will then be in contact to flesh out the idea further. Once this has been achieved, the potential partner’s proposal is taken to the board of directors for final approval.
Please note that, due to Ministry requirements, the partnership program requires third-party execution and delivery of each project. As such, projects that are approved will need to meet the competitive process guidelines mandated by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport (i.e. minimum of three written quotes, etc.).
Once a partnership is approved, a Memorandum of Understanding or Partner Agreement for a project-sharing scenario will be drawn up and signed, clearly articulating the project deliverables, partner roles and responsibilities, resource requirements, timelines, and performance measures. The minimum partner contribution to the agreed budget is %50, as will be outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding or Partner Agreement.
It then requires four to six weeks to receive the necessary approvals from the RTO 12 Board of Directors and Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
If approved, the RTO 12 will work closely with the partner to administer the project and to ensure that deliverables are met and outcomes achieved.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Due to the high volume of partnership proposals received by RTO 12, as well as the time required for vetting and execution, the cut off deadline for applying for partnership funds for 2019-2020 is Friday APRIL 19, 2019 @ 4.00pm.
To submit an initial partnership proposal:
To speak to someone further about this program, please contact James Murphy, Executive Director: [email protected]
