Co-op Marketing

Canoeing in Raft Cove on Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island | Graeme Owsianski

Destination BC’s Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program (Co-op Marketing Partnerships) is an application-based program that provides co-operative marketing and promotion support to Regional Destination Marketing Organizations, community consortiums, sector organizations or approved paired communities in British Columbia.

The Co-op Program supports the provincial tourism strategy to sustainably grow the visitor economy through innovative marketing and to increase tourism revenues which provide social and economic benefits for residents of British Columbia.

Destination BC recognizes the continued, evolving circumstances the tourism industry is facing due to COVID-19. All our industry, including our Community and Sector partners in the Co-op program, are currently experiencing extraordinary circumstances and significant losses.

Destination BC will continue to provide support through the Co-op Program to allow the strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts built over the last 5 years of the program to continue at this difficult time. After careful consideration, Destination BC has determined the best course of action to support our industry is to run a modified program intake process for 2021/22. This modified intake will provide certainty to our partners, while at the same time allow for applications for new projects.

The modified Co-op Program for 2021/22 will run as follows:

All current partners in the 2020/21 year who have a signed Shared Cost Agreement (contract) with Destination BC do not need to submit an application by November 30, 2020; we will ask you to provide an updated plan to us by the end of February 2021 which will form the Appendix to the FY 2021/22 Shared Cost Agreement.
Destination BC will accept a limited number of applications for new projects only. Any new applications submitted will be limited to requests of up to $25,000. The deadline for new applications is November 30, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. PST.
We will continue to waive the requirement for matched funds for the 2021/22 year ensuring we retain industry participation in the program.
There are no changes to the current framework of the program (i.e. eligible applicants, eligible costs, payment, and reporting terms).

Drive consumer demand and increase tourism revenues by investing resources where and when capacity exists.

Leverage private and public funds to maximize the marketing impact.

Support the execution of the Powerful Marketing Network. by creating deep collaboration to enhance our global competitiveness and supporting necessary capabilities such as shared data and content, and industry digital readiness.

Purpose of the Co-op Program

To enable groups that share common interests and common marketing goals, that align with provincial tourism priorities, to leverage both private and public funds in order to achieve greater marketing impact in driving tourism revenue.
To drive industry collaboration, align industry marketing efforts to provincial and regional strategies, and to connect industry to the provincial destination brand, building brand equity through all province-funded marketing initiatives.

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast | Andrew Strain

Funding Pools

The Co-op Program is designed around two funding pools:

a. Open Pool
An Open Pool of funds available to all qualified applicant groups on a competitive basis.

b. Reserved Pool
A Reserved Pool of funds specifically earmarked for strategic marketing priorities that are fundamental to the provincial destination brand. This pool is available to a limited number of eligible recipients. Reserved Pool guidelines are provided directly to eligible recipients.

Open pool program highlights:

Eligible applicants to the program include community consortiums (clusters) of three or more eligible communities. (A community is defined as a geographic area with a DMO, or where a DMO does not exist, a municipal or village council, or Indigenous community, or regional district.)
Tourism product/experience sectors that represent province-wide (where it exists) experiential, market-ready tourism product are also eligible to apply.
Two paired communities and/or community Destination Marketing Organizations, where there is not the opportunity to for a consortium, may apply with pre-approval.
For further information, please see eligible applicants section (4.1) in the program guidelines

New sectors or community consortiums (of three or more communities) may apply for up to $25,000. Individual communities that meet requirements may apply for up to $7,500. Paired communities that meet requirements may apply for up to $15,000. Individual and Paired community applications require pre-approval.

Eligible activities include: digital readiness, stakeholder marketing subsidy, online marketing, paid advertising, print/online collateral, branding of collaborative efforts as part of a campaign, consumer-focused asset development, market research, consumer shows, and marketing tactic coordination up to 20%.
All applications will be collectively reviewed and evaluated based on merit, based on the following four criteria categories:
- Increased Tourism Revenue in BC
- Building Brand-Aligned Content and a Content Commonwealth Approach
- Strength of the Marketing Plan
- Resources to Execute Program Effectively

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

View questions commonly asked about our Co-op Marketing Partnerships Program here.

Download Our Program Guidelines

Our Program Guidelines for 2021/22 are now available. This document provides everything you need to know about how to apply, the evaluation process, funding levels, and eligibility. We’re also available to assist with the application process.

Download Guidelines

2020/21 Applicants

The application intake for NEW projects only for fiscal 2021/22 is now open. Applications must be in by November 30, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. PST. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions at the end of January 2021.

Download Form

Who received funding in 2020/21?

The program’s budget of $4 million has been allocated to 63 co-operative marketing initiatives in communities and sectors across British Columbia in fiscal 2020/21. See backgrounder A for the list of community and sector participants.

What about 2021/22 Applications?

The application intake for NEW projects only for the Co-operative Marketing Partnership Program for fiscal 2021/22 is open until November 30 at 4:30 p.m. PST. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions at the end of January 2021. Destination BC’s formal announcement will be made once recipients have been notified.

Destination BC

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