The Destination Development Grant Program provides financial support for the development or expansion of tourism experiences and attractions that contribute to North Dakota’s economic growth and diversification.
Donor Name: North Dakota Department of Commerce
State: North Dakota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/02/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The program is designed to:
- Increase the number of unique visitor experiences
- Encourage length of stay and overnight visits
- Support workforce recruitment and retention
- Enhance the quality of life for North Dakota residents
This grant is intended to fund infrastructure construction or the expansion of attractions and services that serve as anchor tourism destinations—projects that have the potential to stimulate and support additional tourism-related activities and businesses in the area.
To qualify, projects must fall under at least one of the following categories:
- Accommodations – Lodging options that are distinct from traditional hotels/motels or short-term homestays. This can include historic restorations, boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, outdoor (glamping) or cultural-themed lodging, hunting lodges or resorts and other types of accommodations that provide services and amenities and offer a unique and memorable experience for visitors. Unique accommodations that can help to enhance the tourism experience by providing visitors with a more personalized and immersive experience and can also help diversify the range of lodging options available in a destination.
- Rehabilitation of a historic structure unique to the area (ex: downtown boutique hotel).
- Unique offering representative of the area’s offerings and culture (ex: ski lodge, glamping site, hunting/fishing lodge).
- Built with a tourism attraction where the tourism attraction costs more than the lodging facility.
- Construction, restoration, or renovation of a full-service lodging facility that is or will be a part of a major attraction, convention or sports facility offering unique experiences that tie directly to the attraction or venue.
- Culinary experiences – Restaurants, cafes, breweries, and wineries
- Breweries or wineries that offer tours and/or event space
- Themed restaurant destination built in conjunction with a larger tourism project
- Cultural or regional cuisine attractions that highlight that area’s culture (Native American cuisine, Scandinavian, German-Russian heritage, etc.)
- Themed education and entertainment attractions
- Recreation
- Additional recreation experiences
- Value-added equipment rentals
- Guide and outfitter services
- Complete experience packages
- AgriTourism attractions
- Focused niche activities that provide value-added services
- Historical or cultural
- National Park/monument visitors
- Scenic beauty or natural distinctions
- Unique community amenities.
Funding Information
Applicants may request any amount up to a maximum of $500,000.
Eligible uses of funds may include (but are not limited to):
- Purchase or construction of new or existing tourism, recreation, entertainment, historic, or cultural attractions
- Infrastructure investments that directly support tourism
- Purchase of equipment that is essential to the operation of a specific tourism project
Eligibility Criteria
For-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, or tourism-related entities are eligible to apply. This includes those operating in government-owned buildings or on public property, provided the grant funds are used solely to improve assets owned by the business or non-profit — not the public facility itself.
For more information, visit North Dakota Department of Commerce.
