Deadline: 12-Feb-21
The City of Greenville is pleased to announce Tourism Fund Grant Program to provide financial investment for tourism capital projects, marketing projects, and/or events that promote and develop tourism through the generation of publicity and substantially increase travel (overnight stays or day visits) to the City of Greenville for reasons of recreation, or leisure.
Funding Priorities
Priority also will be given to expansive and unique projects that:
- Generate additional tourism-related tax dollars within the City of Greenville;
- Promote dining at restaurants and other eating and drinking establishments in the City of Greenville;
- Generate overnight stays in City of Greenville lodging facilities;
- Construct new or enhance existing recreation facilities to include amenities and trails;
- Promote and highlight the City of Greenville’s historic and cultural venues, recreational facilities, trails and events, and the uniqueness and flavor of the local community;
- Advertise and promote tourism so as to develop and increase tourist attendance through the generation of publicity;
- Promote arts and cultural events;
- Demonstrate additional government or private sector support is available to the project in an amount of at least two (2) times the grant amount. (For “start-up” organizations that have not previously received City funding, a demonstration of funds from non-City sources in an amount equal to the City’s requested amount (1 to 1 match) may be accepted.)
- Facilitate the acquisition, final-stage design, construction, repair, renovation, rehabilitation, or other capital improvements of historic and cultural venues, recreational facilities, and trails.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant organizations must be in existence for at least one (1) year prior to requesting funds.
- Applicants must fall into one of the following categories:
- Government entity.
- Organizations exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(C)(3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10) of the Internal Revenue Code and whose primary goal is to attract additional visitors through tourism promotion.
- Destination marketing organizations are recognized nonprofit organizations charged with the responsibility of marketing tourism for the City of Greenville.
- Applicants must provide an Internal Revenue Service tax-exempt determination letter.
- All projects and/or events must occur within the Greenville city limits.
- If funding is provided for a facility or facility improvements, the facility must be open to the public.
- If funding is provided for an event, the event must be marketed and open to the public.
- Grantee organizations may not re-grant Accommodations or Hospitality Tax funds to other organizations (all funds must be spent on the project or event specified in the grant application by the organization that is awarded the funds).
- Grantee organizations must be in good standing and without outstanding debt to the City of Greenville.
- The event or promotional opportunity must demonstrate a significant economic/cultural impact as relates to tourism, which may be fulfilled by showing documented hotel room nights booked and/or the number of tourists traveling into Greenville from outside their home communities (other means of documenting the impact on tourism that are clearly justified in the application will also be considered).
Procedures and Conditions
Organizations approved for the City of Greenville Tourism Funding must comply with the following requirements.
- Reimbursement requests are processed quarterly. Grantee organizations will receive a notification when the first reimbursement is available. The reimbursement request must include an expenditure report documenting all related project expenses with copies of checks, invoices, and/or receipts. Expenses not previously identified in the Tourism Funds Grant Application will not be reimbursed.
- The Final Report must show: (1) the number of people that attended the event, (2) how many people attended that live outside of the city of Greenville, and (3) information on how this number was determined (such as sign-in log, counting vehicle tags, etc.). Failure to submit the final report may result in a delay in processing future reimbursement requests.
- If requested, capital projects may receive funds prior to completion if there is evidence that the proposed project: Has the matching funds committed to the project or demonstrates an ability to raise the match within 12 months of the grant approval date, demonstrates financial capacity to undertake the project within 24 months of the application deadline, has capital reserves in place, will be completed within five (5) years of the grant approval date.
- If your organization is awarded funding, you will be required to submit a Vendor Application and W-9 form to the City of Greenville prior to receiving any reimbursements.
For more information, visit https://greenvillesc.gov/382/Tourism-Fund-Grant-Application