Winter Product Development Fund announced
Deadline for businesses to apply for grants ranging from $250 to $7,500 is Jan. 15
Discover Charlottetown plans to help private businesses explore untapped potential with the launch of the Winter Product Development Fund.
This initiative, supported by a $75,000 non-repayable contribution through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s (ACOA) Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program, will enable private businesses that are partners of Discover Charlottetown to apply for grants ranging from $250 to $7,500. The goal is to incentivize private operators to come up with inspired ideas outside of what they already offer throughout the year, create more products and potentially develop additional revenue streams.
“The fund is an incredible opportunity to create more product in our region, add beautification efforts and Instagrammable moments to our streetscapes, and to continue to develop a winter tourism brand for our city,” says Heidi Zinn, executive director of Discover Charlottetown.
“We realize this has been a challenging year for our friends and partners, and by offering this program it will not only help build the city as a destination and provide added reasons to visit, but it will also alleviate some of the financial burden of being creative and coming up with new products in this environment.”
Through the fund, Discover Charlottetown will collaborate with private operators to explore new, innovative opportunities to recover and grow in exciting ways after this challenging year.
The deadline for businesses to apply is Jan. 15. Interested businesses can get in touch with Zinn directly by emailing heidi@discovercharlottetown.com or calling 902-629-1864.
Discover Charlottetown is known for some of its shoulder season efforts, including Farm Day in the City, Harbour Feast, the all-new Island Tides Yoga & Wellness Festival (coming 2021), Scarecrows in the City, the Charlottetown Christmas Festival, the Victorian Christmas Market and the all-new Winter Patio Red Chair Initiative.
“We love all seasons, of course, but when it comes to where we have the largest opportunity for growth and romanticizing the Charlottetown experience, the real opportunity exists in the shoulder seasons,” says Zinn.
“In addition to drawing more business to the region, we hope to develop new infrastructure that will help establish Charlottetown as a hub of inspired winter activity.”