Tourism Grant Program

The Recovery Destination Event Grant Application Cycle, offered through the Tourism Grant Program, is intended to assist Montana’s communities for destination events and new events that will generate out-of-area, State, and/or Country attendance and increase visitor commerce and generate community revenue. This could include either a "Destination Event” for existing events that have been consistently held in a community and have a demonstrated history of economic impact for that community or an “Economic Recovery Event” for new events that can demonstrate through the submission the event will generate outside revenue coming into their community.

The event must be held in Montana by an eligible entity based in Montana which includes a tribal government; a primary, registered non-profit 501(c) organization; a city government; or a county government. Eligible entities are limited to one submission for one event in this recovery destination event grant cycle and the event must be held prior to June 1, 2024. The eligible entity must also be the primary organizer of the event. Additionally, beyond the event, the eligible entity should have some alignment in the industry of tourism.

The purpose, content, and / or material aspect of the event must be suitable for audiences of all ages. Some event-based activities are not eligible to be considered for funding including but not limited to: county or community fairs, school and league tournaments, high-school or family reunions, professional, or sporting and/or other events that are not identified as an interest [see Montana Destination Brand Research Study] as well as members-only events.

Each applicant could be eligible for up to $25,000 in grant funds and a match is not required; however, awarded funds will be distributed on a reimbursement basis only for eligible costs which include and are specifically limited to:

• actual advertisement / marketing costs for increasing out-of-area visitor and resident attendance through traditional advertisement, digital marketing campaigns, social media post boosts / social media ads, e-communications [eblasts] to paid-for targeted market segments, and/or geo-fencing.
• event infrastructure costs limited to portable restrooms and/or wash stations and 25% of the rental costs for a permanent venue / facility where the event will take place.
• signage costs including production, construction, and/or installation costs of non-permanent signage directing attendees to the event, direct mailers [not including postage],  and/or banners promoting the event.

With these specifically limited costs that can be supported with grant funds, submissions for a recovery destination event grant must complete and upload this Event Budget Template for consideration.

The FY23 Recovery Destination Event Grant Application Cycle will launch January 4th with submissions considered, reviewed and scored, and awarded in an on-going basis until all available event grant funds are awarded or June 1st, 2023, whichever occurs first. A determination of award and award amount will be made within 30* business days from the date of completed submission. A high-level of concentration will be given to events to be held in rural communities, the Eastern regions of Montana, in tribal communities, and prioritization of funding will be given to events that will occur in the shoulder-seasons of the year.

An on-demand workshop is available for an overview of the recovery destination event grant application cycle, criteria and timeline, a review of the application and the processes for the cycle, as well as a look at the reporting requirements. We highly recommend that interested eligible entities watch the Workshop On Demand to for a Recovery Destination Event Grant.

Findings & Resources of Metrics

• The Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research [ITRR] conducts travel and recreation research in Montana, with a primary focus on the nonresident travel survey conducted throughout the state. ITRR is perhaps best known for producing the widely used statewide estimates of total nonresident visitation and travel expenditures, as well as visitor characteristics, in the state each year, along with the annual estimate of the economic contribution of nonresident travel to Montana’s economy.
• The purpose of the Analysis of Touring Cyclists: Impacts, Needs and Opportunities for Montana study by ITRR in 2013 was to understand the niche market of touring cyclists and to examine the potential for cycle tourism in the state of Montana.
• The Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation study, commissioned by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in 2011, seeks to identify a finite number of indicators that can be used to regularly, consistently, meaningfully, and credibly measure the economic impact of historic preservation over time.
• The American Alliance of Museums partnered with Oxford Economics in 2017 to study Museums as Economic Engines which ties into the Museums and Public Opinion finding of the museum sector's significant contribution to the US economy.
• The 2021 Outdoor Participation Trends Report shows 7.1 million more American participated in outdoor recreation in 2020 than in the year prior as outdoor spaces became places of refuge to safely socialize, improve physical and mental health, connect with family, and recover from screen fatigue.
• The Montana Office of Tourism & Business Development [MOTBD] relies on data to drive Montana's tourism marketing strategy. Utilizing multiple tourism data partners, MOTBD is committed to giving our tourism partners access to cutting edge data resources. Our first step towards achieving that goal is to provide an active view of Montana's Tourism data which is available on the MOTBD website under Tourism Research.

A Few Complementary Programs

• The Montana Main Street Program helps communities strengthen and preserve their historic downtown commercial districts by focusing on economic development, urban revitalization, and historic preservation through long-range planning, organization, design, and promotion.
• The Montana Historic Preservation Grant [MHPG] Program is a state-funded program to support the preservation of historic sites, historical societies, or history museums.
• The Indian Country Economic Development Programs page provide all of the resources available to Native American businesses, Native American non-profit organizations, and tribal governments in Montana under one office.
• The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks [FWP] provides a variety of grant funds for communities to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities in Montana, to enhance fishing opportunities by constructing or improving public fishing ponds, and trail stewardship grants.
• The Montana History Foundation [MHF] is a charitable foundation that raises money and provides funding for history and preservation projects across Montana.
• The Community Development Block Grant [CDBG] Program helps local governments fund construction or rehabilitation of infrastructure and facilities that primarily benefit low-income to moderate-income Montanans.
• The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program provides funding for rural projects through local utility organizations for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas.
• The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded non-profit organization that works to save imperiled buildings, revitalize downtowns, and tell stories that help all people see themselves in our nation's diverse history.
• The State, Tribal, and Local Plans & Grants [STLPG] Division of the National Park Service manages several grant programs to assist with a variety of historic preservation and community projects focused on heritage preservation.

Tourism grant funds are awarded through the annual application cycle to projects that develop and enhance tourism and recreation products in Montana that have the potential to increase out-of-area visitation and increase expenditures in the community.

Entities in Montana that are eligible to apply for a tourism grant include:

• A primary, registered non-profit 501(c) organization
• A Tribal government
• A City government or
• A County government

Eligible entities cannot use funds as a pass-through for ineligible entities, which include for-profit businesses, individuals, subsidiaries of a non-profit, sponsored entities that do not have a tax-exempt status, and other State or Federal agencies. Eligible entities must be in good standing with the IRS and the entity or organization information must match the filed Tax I.D. or, for a 501 organization, the most recently filed Form 990-N. A branch of a non-profit organization that is not founded / based in Montana is not eligible for a tourism grant. Eligible entities are limited to one application for one proposed project per funding cycle.

The asset/proposed project must be owned by the entity applying for the grant or the applicant must have a long-term lease with automatic renewal in place [such as for placing or constructing signage on municipal land or an enhancement project that is within a commercial facility]. If a non-profit is considering submitting an application where the asset, or land where the asset will be constructed, is owned or co-owned by a City or County or Tribal government, it is recommended that the City or County or Tribe be a co-applicant.

Funds are generally awarded to tourism and recreation projects that fall within the categories of:

• Digital Product Development: online assets that create or contain destination brand for the tourism and/or recreation industry.
• Heritage Preservation: projects that preserve, protect, or restore Montana’s arts, culture, and/or heritage treasures.
• Infrastructure Upgrades or Enhancements: projects that will enhance the resident and out-of-area visitor experience and increase expenditures.
• Wayfinding/Signage: community and/or outdoor recreation opportunities made more visible through signage or mapping or destination development.
• Niche Product Development: projects of interest to out-of-area visitors as identified in the Montana Destination Brand Research Study.

Applicants must demonstrate a match of actual and committed money and in-kind investment if applicable in the proposed project. The match is $1 applicant to $2 grant award. For example: if the project costs $9000 to complete, an applicant requesting $6,000 grant award must demonstrate they have $3,000 committed to the completion of the project as match. Reasonable in-kind services, in-kind labor, and/or volunteer hours can count up to 25% of applicant match yet the remaining 75% of applicant match must be committed cash. Staff salary is not considered committed cash yet can count as up to 25% of in-kind match.

Tourism grant funds can only be requested for actual project and activity related costs. Examples of ineligible project costs include but are not limited to: workshops and training; market research or feasibility studies; staff costs including wages, travel, per diem; administrative, overhead, or indirect costs; office supplies; promotional items; subscriptions or membership costs; domain registration and website hosting; social media posts or press releases; routine operation and maintenance costs.

A key component of a successful application to the Tourism Grant Program is for the applicant to demonstrate the proposed project has the invested support of community and tourism partners. Such partnerships build sustainability and assist with destination marketing upon successful completion of the project.

The Fiscal Year 2023 annual application cycle opens on August 1st and closes promptly at midnight MST on September 15th. The 2023 application and awarded project timeline looks like:

Applications are evaluated by a review team comprised of staff in the Office of Tourism Bureau, a staff member with the Office of Indian Country Economic Development, a staff member with the Community Development Division, and at least one board member of the Tourism Advisory Council. Applications are reviewed by how well the applicant would market the proposed project upon completion and measure the impact to out-of-area and resident visitors; proposed projects that are identified by the community as key tourism development projects in a community, strategic, or tourism/recreational plan; and proposed projects that have invested support by tourism and community partners. Other factors that may affect the success of an application or the amount of a potential award is the frequency of previous grants to an organization/entity, contractual compliance issues on previous or current projects, if other funding sources would be a better fit for the project, and/or the amount of previous grants to a community. A high-level of concentration is given to qualified projects in rural communities, under-served regions of Montana, and tribal communities.

We encourage interested eligible entities or organizations to subscribe to receive email updates from the Department of Commerce to keep informed about the workshops and application cycles of the Tourism Grant Program.

Overview of the Tourism Grant Program & Frequently Asked Questions

• About the Tourism Grant Program Annual Cycle 2-Page Overview [pdf] for Projects
• Tourism Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions [pdf] about the Tourism Grant Program
• Fast Facts on the Economic Impact of Tourism [pdf]
• 2021 Economic Contribution of Tourism Report [pdf]

Tools for Grantees of Projects Only

• Request for Funds Template [xls] for Projects and How to Submit a RFF [video]
• Quarterly Report Form [fillable pdf] for Projects
• Final Project Report Template [word] for Projects
• Tourism Grant Project Survey Template [pdf] and Example Survey Postcard [pdf]
• Federal W9 Tax Form [pdf]
• Electronic Funds Transfer Form [pdf]

Approximately $750,000 is awarded annually to projects through the Tourism Grant Program. When available, a percentage of additional collected tax funds are awarded in unique application cycles to events only. Since 1995, over $16.2 million dollars has been awarded to 594 tourism and recreation related projects as well as event-based activities resulting in a positive economic benefit for communities throughout Montana.

To view an interactive map click Department of Commerce Funded Projects which can be filtered by Division, Program, and Date Range.