The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) offers several funding programs to assist the Virginia travel industry. Below is a summary of the current and future programs: [ See below + PM Funding Opportunities.pdf for easy printing ]
Virginia Tourism Corporation Grant Programs
VA250 Marketing Leverage Program
- Reimbursable grant program to leverage existing marketing funds. Requires a targeted and research-based marketing plan
- Marketing Focus: Destinations, programs, attractions, and events related to America’s 250th Commemoration and the quest for freedom
- Who is eligible: Officially recognized VA250 Committees. For information on how to become an officially recognized VA250 Committee, please visit www.VA250.org
- Match: 1:1 cash match
- Opens: Current Round Open now until – Closing July 18, 2023
- Fall Round Opening October 17 – Closing November 30, 2023
- Max Award: $10,000.
- How: Online application portal
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
(VTC) Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program
- Reimbursable grant program to leverage existing marketing funds. Requires a targeted and research-based marketing plan
- Marketing Focus: Small business and shoulder season marketing
- Who is eligible: Small tourism-related business with 20 or fewer full-time equivalent employees including boutique retail, restaurants, food trucks, small attractions, craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, boutique lodging and B&Bs, and events focused on shoulder season visitation
- Additional eligibility: DMOs and NGOs, such as PDCs and Main Street organizations, may apply but the application must support microbusinesses and/or shoulder season visitation with a robust marketing plan
- Match: 1:1 cash or in-kind marketing match
- Opens: August 22, 2023 – Closes September 28, 2023
- Max Award: $5,000 for small businesses
- Max Award: $10,000 for organizations such as Main Streets, DMOs, trails or Chambers which market small tourism-oriented businesses.
- How: Online application portal
- How: Online application portal
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
(VTC) Marketing Leverage Program
- Reimbursable grant program to leverage existing marketing funds. Requires a research-based and measurable marketing plan
- Requires documented marketing match
- Who is eligible: Virginia travel industry partners including small businesses, DMOs, private sector attractions, accommodations and events
- Opens: Early 2024
- How: Online application portal
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
- Who is eligible: Official Virginia DMOs for marketing expenses that show positive and significant impact on tourism
- Opens: Early 2024
- How: Online application portal; Requires at least 50% cash or in-kind match
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
Virginia Special Events and Festivals Program
- Who is eligible: Virginia based special events and festivals for marketing and production of special events and festivals
- Impact of special events and/or festival must show positive and significant impact on tourism
- Opens: Early 2024
- How: Online application portal; Requires at least 50% cash or in-kind match
- For information and questions, please email [email protected]
- What’s available: $10,000/ $20,000 up front grants to 10 DMOs
- Who is eligible: $10,000- any Virginia DMO; $20,000- Virginia DMO that previously completed DRIVE 2.0
- When: TBD mid to late 2023
- How: DMOs apply to be a part of the program that utilizes the DRIVE 2.0 Strategic Plan applied to Outdoor Recreation tourism development. After successful application to enter the program, the DMO will hold a VTC led workshop to discuss outdoor rec development in the community. Upon completion of the grant round, the community can use the $10,000/ $20,000 grant fund towards specific outdoor recreation development outlined by the program guidelines
- Contact: Caitlin Johnson [email protected] | Jacob Bower [email protected]
Tourism Development Financing Program (TDFP)
- What’s available: Gap financing towards the capital investment of new tourism product development.
- Who is eligible: Economic Development Organizations
- When: Year-round; no time limitations
- How: An EDO proves a deficiency in local tourism product based on visitor demand, through current research from a locality’s Community Comprehensive, Tourism Development and Marketing Plans. A developer then proves their project fills the deficiency through pro forma and market study research. If certification is achieved, the state contributes a percentage of quarterly sales and use tax collected from the project
- Learn more at https://www.vatc.org/TDFP
- Please contact Wirt Confroy at [email protected] regarding these changes
Tourism Improvement Districts (TIDS)
- What’s available: A visitor fee collected by tourism businesses for tourism marketing and development
- Who is eligible: A newly formed TID Governing Board comprised of zone participating businesses
- When: Year-round; no time limitations
- How: Local lodging, dining, retail and tourism businesses petition the local government to create a TIDs plan. The plan defines zone geographic and usage parameters, and sources and uses of the funds. A newly formed governing board of participating businesses engages an administering Non profit administrator to assist in the management of the program and funds
- Please contact [email protected] for more information
