Tourism DMO Grants

Application Deadline

Applications must be received by Nov. 4, 2024 11:59 p.m. Any applications received after that date will be considered non-responsive.

Use of Grant Funds

 

Eligible Uses

• Marketing and Promotion

1. 1. National and international advertising campaigns (TV, radio, digital, print).
   2. Social media marketing targeting out-of-state tourists.
   3. Creation of promotional videos and virtual tours.
   4. Participation in travel and tourism trade shows and fairs.
   5. Partnerships with travel influencers and bloggers.

• Event Organization and Management

1. 1. Hosting pre-World Cup events and activities to build excitement.
   2. Organizing cultural, music, and sports events to attract tourists during the World Cup.
   3. Coordination of community fan zones and public viewing areas.
   4. Development of special tours and experiences of interest to World Cup visitors.
   5. Activities that showcase indigenous culture and heritage.

• Accommodation and Hospitality

1. 1. Training programs for hospitality workers to improve service to a wide range of travelers.

• Visitor Experience Enhancement

1. 1. Development of multilingual tourist information materials and guides.
   2. Installation of wayfinding signs and information kiosks.
   3. Creation of mobile apps and mobile-friendly websites to help tourists navigate and explore the state beyond the World Cup.

• Collaborations and Partnerships

1. 1. Partnering with airlines and travel agencies to create attractive travel packages.
   2. Working with local businesses to offer discounts and promotions to visitors.
   3. Collaborations with British Columbia organizations and businesses to promote joint tourism initiatives.

• Community Engagement and Support

1. 1. Programs to involve local communities in World Cup-related activities.
   2. Support for local entrepreneurs and small businesses in the tourism sector.

• Administrative and Overhead Costs

1. 1. General administrative expenses, including salaries for regular staff, office rent, utilities and other general overhead costs.
   2. General office supplies, including purchasing general office supplies or equipment for the purpose of visitor attraction.
   3. Operational costs related to 2026 World Cup visitor attraction activities.

 

Ineligible Uses:

• Non-Tourism Related Projects

1. 1. Local-only Events: Events that do not attract visitors from outside the DMO’s service area.

• Debt and Financial Obligations

1. 1. Debt Repayment: Using funds to pay off existing debts or financial obligations.
   2. Interest Payments: Paying interest on loans or other financial instruments.

• Political or Religious Activities

1. 1. Political Campaigns: Supporting political candidates, parties, or causes.
   2. Religious Events: Funding events with primarily religious purposes.

• Private or For-Profit Entities

1. 1. Private Gain: Activities that primarily benefit private individuals or for-profit businesses.
   2. Non-Open Access: Events or projects that are not open to the general public.

• Non-Compliant Marketing

1. 1. Local Marketing Only: Marketing efforts that do not target out-of-area visitors.
   2. Inappropriate Content: Marketing materials that contain inappropriate, discriminatory, or offensive content.

• Capital Expenditures

1. 1. Personal Property: Purchasing items for personal use or items that are not directly related to the event.
   2. Construction: Construction of new facilities or venues unrelated to the World Cup, except those activities that increase ADA-compliant access.

• Routine Maintenance

1. 1. Ongoing Maintenance: Routine maintenance or repair of existing facilities not specifically related to attracting and hosting out-of-area visitors or 2026 World Cup events.

• Contingency and Reserve Funds

1. 1. General Contingency Funds: Setting aside funds for unspecified future uses.
   2. Reserve Funds: Establishing or rebuilding general reserve funds.

• Excessive Travel and Hospitality

1. 1. Luxury Accommodations: Excessive spending on high-end accommodations or travel for staff, travel influencers or officials.
   2. Non-Essential Travel: Travel that is not essential to the planning or execution of eligible
   3. Food and Entertainment: Expenses related to familiarization trips/activities, including purchase of alcohol.

• Other Ineligible Activities

1. 1. Research and Development: Funding research or feasibility studies not directly tied to out-of-state visitor attraction or the 2026 World Cup.
   2. Non-Compliance with Regulations: Activities that do not comply with local, state, or federal laws and regulations.

 

Scoring

Grants will be reviewed and scored using a metric to be determined but made available as part of the application packet. Scoring will be reflect the priorities and intent of the legislative proviso and results will be weighted to support activities designed to increase tourism to the state from across the country and the world, either as a planned strategy or in advance of the 2026 World Cup.

All applicants who meet the basic eligibility threshold (they must have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency) will be scored.

Visitor draw, estimated jobs created, revenue generated, community involvement, business engagement and support and organizational capacity may all be used in scoring proposals submitted as part of the application process. Commerce will reserve the right to adjust funding requests to ensure the maximum number of grants to qualifying organizations, which may require reductions in requested grant amounts.

 

Getting to work…

1. When the application window closes, Commerce will score all the applications.
2. Apparent award winners will be notified of the award and amount.
3. At that point, a contract is negotiated with the grantee.
4. This contract will include a set of deliverables, which will be built around the eligible uses.
5. The contract will also attach dates to these deliverables. The negotiated contract is reviewed at the executive level of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development & Competitiveness (OEDC) and is signed by the Assistant Director of OEDC.
6. It is then sent to Contracting to be entered into the Contracts Management System. At this point, the scope of work can begin.

Payments

The release of grant funds occurs when Commerce receives a progress report and invoice for the eligible use activities performed during the billing cycle. Once reviewed and approved by Commerce, payments will be made to the awarded organization via electronic transfer.

1. As these grants use federal funds, Commerce cannot make advanced payments on a grant. Receipts and documentation, where applicable, are required prior to the release of funds.
2. At a specific point in the contract, Commerce will set up a monitoring meeting with the grantee to make sure the contract is on course and mitigate any issues that may arise.

Reporting

At the end of the fiscal year, grantees will need to provide a final report that includes a narrative of how funds were spent, what was spent on what, and benefits to the community and economy, including but not limited to jobs created, revenue generated, overnight stay counts, etc., by June 30, 2025.

 

Got a question?

Email us and we will post answers here on the page so that others can see the response too. Sorry, but we cannot respond to questions individually.

 

 

Application Deadline

Applications must be received by Nov. 4, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Any applications received after that date will be considered non-responsive.