Government of Yukon, Department of Tourism and CultureGrant

$5,000 Yukon Spark Tourism Grant

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Archived

Opportunity type

Grant

Funding

Fully Funded

Location

Canada (Yukon)

Deadline

Archived

About this opportunity

The Government of Yukon gives new and emerging tourism entrepreneurs between $1,000 and $5,000 to turn a visitor experience or service idea into something real. It is a grant, not a loan, and it can cover up to 100 per cent of eligible expenses. You do not need a registered business: individuals can apply in their own name, and established operators looking to expand are explicitly excluded.

What you get:

Between $1,000 and $5,000, covering up to 100 per cent of eligible expenses
A grant, not a loan, so there is nothing to repay
A tourism development advisor you can email or phone before you apply
Three intakes a year, so missing one deadline does not cost you a year
A decision within 30 business days of the deadline, and payment within 30 business days of signing

What you'll do:

Build a project around launching a new visitor experience or service in the Yukon
Spend it on things like research and development, website and branding, piloting, training, equipment or community engagement
Apply through the Yukon tourism funding portal before 4:30 pm on 15 October
If approved, sign a transfer payment agreement and report on the project when it finishes
Keep proof of payment for a year, since projects can be audited

Who can apply

Yukon residents aged 16 or over who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents
You must have lived in the Yukon for at least one continuous year
Yukon-based businesses, First Nations governments, First Nation development entities and not-for-profits may also apply
No registered business is required. Individuals can apply in their own name
For new and emerging entrepreneurs only. This is not for established entities expanding what they already offer
The project must offer a visitor experience or service within the Yukon's tourism sector
Third parties cannot apply on someone else's behalf
Not eligible: large capital purchases and leases, sales tax, meals and accommodation, alcohol and cannabis, in-kind contributions, general office supplies, website redesign for existing businesses, or anything already funded elsewhere

AI Verification

✓ AI Verified

Our AI read the official sources and cross-checked the key facts. Here is what held up, and what it could not confirm.

We could not fully verify this organization or all of its details. Check it independently on the official website before you apply, and never share sensitive personal or financial information until you are sure a request is genuine.

LOT Verification ScoreFair

Cross-checked 7 of 7 key facts

Confirmed Our best read Not stated

Good to know

+Territorial government programme co-funded by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, running since 2024 with published recipients
+Budget of $150,000 a year committed through March 2028, so the programme is durable
+Unusually precise: exact amount range, exact deadline with time and timezone, published eligible and ineligible expense lists, and a weighted scoring matrix
+Individuals can apply with no registered business, and up to 100 per cent of eligible expenses is covered
+Staff actively invite a conversation before you apply, at destinationmanagement@yukon.ca

Worth checking yourself

!$5,000 is the top of a $1,000 to $5,000 range, not the standard award
!Yukon residents only, and you must have lived there for at least one continuous year. A reader in Toronto or Vancouver cannot apply, and neither can someone who moved to Whitehorse eight months ago
!Not youth specific. There is a floor of 16 but no upper age limit, so a 19 year old competes with entrepreneurs of any age
!Winning means signing a transfer payment agreement, reporting on the project, and keeping receipts for a year against possible audit
!Underspending the approved budget can mean returning some or all of the funding
!No banner image: the Yukon government's copyright terms bar commercial reproduction of its imagery without written permission, and the programme page carries no photograph

What we could not confirm

?Opportunity Banner
?Organization Logo

LOT finds and checks opportunities from public sources. Always confirm details on the organiser’s own page before applying.

About this opportunity

What you get:

Between $1,000 and $5,000, covering up to 100 per cent of eligible expenses
A grant, not a loan, so there is nothing to repay
A tourism development advisor you can email or phone before you apply
Three intakes a year, so missing one deadline does not cost you a year
A decision within 30 business days of the deadline, and payment within 30 business days of signing

What you'll do:

Build a project around launching a new visitor experience or service in the Yukon
Spend it on things like research and development, website and branding, piloting, training, equipment or community engagement
Apply through the Yukon tourism funding portal before 4:30 pm on 15 October
If approved, sign a transfer payment agreement and report on the project when it finishes
Keep proof of payment for a year, since projects can be audited

Who can apply

Yukon residents aged 16 or over who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents
You must have lived in the Yukon for at least one continuous year
Yukon-based businesses, First Nations governments, First Nation development entities and not-for-profits may also apply
No registered business is required. Individuals can apply in their own name
For new and emerging entrepreneurs only. This is not for established entities expanding what they already offer
The project must offer a visitor experience or service within the Yukon's tourism sector
Third parties cannot apply on someone else's behalf
Not eligible: large capital purchases and leases, sales tax, meals and accommodation, alcohol and cannabis, in-kind contributions, general office supplies, website redesign for existing businesses, or anything already funded elsewhere