Deadline: 30-Apr-21
The Visit Bend is offering 2021-2022 Bend Cultural Tourism Fund (BCTF) to enhance the local economy through the promotion and cultivation of Bend’s cultural tourism programs.
Grants allocated through the BCTF support art and culture based activities, projects and programs that attract tourists to the City of Bend, especially during the off season.
Goals
- Attract incremental tourists to Bend during the shoulder seasons and winter months
- Diversify Bend’s tourism offerings
- Enrich and cultivate Bend’s arts and cultural assets
- Establish Bend as a premier cultural tourism destination
- Enhance Bend’s quality of life
- Increase Bend’s appeal to attract new long-term investment into the community
Objectives
Cultural tourism grants are intended to attract tourists to regionally based arts and culture projects, activities or Training, Events, Workshops and Conferencess with a measurable and positive economic impact on the community of Bend. Grants may support:
- Programs designed to generate incremental tourism activity in the city of Bend during the shoulder seasons and winter months
- Target marketing for arts and cultural activities designed to attract visitors from outside a 50 mile radius of the city of Bend
- The development of packages or special promotions for arts or cultural tourism activities
- The development of new uses of media and technology for arts and cultural activities
- Research projects related to existing or potential cultural tourism programs with the intent of increasing cultural tourism activity in the City of Bend
- Other forms of tourism promotion that adhere to ORS.320.350.
Type of Grants
- Catalyst Grant: intended to support the bold ideas that aren’t yet fully developed, but can demonstrate extraordinary potential for increasing Bend’s off-season “cultural tourists”. The grant will provide successful applicants with funding to propel the development of an Training, Events, Workshops and Conferences or activity that will support the local economy and cultural organizations. Catalyst grants award amounts are typically smaller than the Marketing Grants. Historically, the average award is $9,000 No more than 25% of available grant funds will be allocated to this category in this grant period (approximately a total of $50,000).
- Marketing and Program Grant: Marketing/Program grants are intended to support high quality cultural tourism activities that demonstrate a clear and measurable economic benefit in Bend.
Eligibility Criteria
- For-profit businesses, not-for-profit organizations, government agencies, or individuals engaged in cultural tourism activities may apply for BCTF funding.
- Completion of all required steps of the BCTF application process.
- Compliance with prior grant agreements with the BCTF Commission.
For more information, visit https://www.visitbend.com/about-us/bend-cultural-tourism-fund/guidelines/