Peterborough DBIA Announce Information For Event Support Grant and Application Deadlines
/The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has released details for its 2025 Community Event Support Grant and application deadlines.
Photo courtesy of the Peterborough DBIA.
This funding opportunity was developed to help financially support organizers who choose to host their community-minded events in the downtown core, which in turn helps create a lively, vibrant and active urban centre.
The DBIA states that this initiative aims to help foster an inclusive and thriving downtown community by encouraging diverse events that drive economic prosperity and increased foot traffic to the downtown core and also nurture the health of Peterborough’s social fabric by fostering an increase in community engagement.
The Peterborough DBIA will provide financial and in-kind support to selected events that align with their core strategic priorities. The number and extent of grants awarded will be determined by the availability of designated funds and the number of applications that fit the criteria.
The DBIA event priorities are as follows:
Reaching priority and diverse audiences
Engaging the DBIA member businesses including restaurants, shops and services
Bringing economic prosperity to the region, specifically within the BIA district
Encouraging tourism, downtown exploration and increased foot traffic to BIA member businesses
Building community connection to and within the downtown area
Celebrating the unique cultures and identities of downtown Peterborough
The goal of the DBIA event states that its support grant is to empower event organizers to create and host events that encourage repeat visitation and year-round animation in the core by helping to offset costs such as advertising, administrative fees, supply costs, permit and rental fees, for example.
"Our goal is to provide support for event organizers who work to create memorable experiences in our downtown that not only bring economic benefits by increasing foot traffic to the businesses, but also strengthen our overall sense of community and connection,” said Nour Mazloum, DBIA executive director. “We look forward to collaborating with and supporting the visionaries and event planners who also work to create spaces where people feel connected. Together, we can showcase how special and important downtown Peterborough is for the social fabric and health of our community, and also for visitors who will want to choose this region as their destination of choice for enjoying a diverse set of unique and seasonal experiences.”
Applicants who successfully meet the DBIA funding priorities can expect to receive support funds within two weeks of their scheduled event date. If the event requires in-kind support, organizers are asked to coordinate these requests with the DBIA at least two weeks before the event date.
The event support grants will have two deadlines throughout the calendar year for application submissions:
March 1: For events hosted from April 1 to Sept. 30
Sept. 1: For events hosted from Oct. 1 to March 31, 2026
