The Iowa Tourism Marketing Grant program provides funding for tourism partners around the state to market Iowa’s places, attractions and events to out-of-state audiences.
Donor Name: Travel Iowa
State: Iowa
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/30/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Funded projects empower tourism partners across Iowa to elevate their own unique visitor experiences and hidden gems with out-of-state marketing campaigns that inspire travel to Iowa. Applications are available annually, and preference is given to projects that support the marketing strategy of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) in terms of its target audiences and messaging. Through this alignment, local leaders expand their capacity for success, leverage local and state resources and foster a unified industry that yields a greater return on investment for all Iowans. Iowa Tourism Office campaigns are informed by industry research and implemented with effective, measurable and synergistic marketing tactics. Campaigns are evaluated using the latest industry research and trends, as well as data analysis platforms.
Funding Information
- $300,000 is available
- Awards may not be less than $2,500 or more than $10,000
- Awards will be made in increments of $100 (i.e. $2,500, $2,600, $2,700)
- Applicants are required to pay for a minimum of 20% of their total project. Cash match must be in the form of cash only. In-kind dollars or discounts do not count towards a cash match.
Grant Period
January 2026 – December 2026.
Eligible Expenses
All project expenses (grant request plus cash match) must directly relate to the implementation of a tourism-related marketing initiative or the marketing of an event and be incurred within the calendar year.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be a tourism-related entity based in Iowa. This includes nonprofits, for-profits, cities, counties, and regional government and planning entities.
- Applicants may submit one application per funding cycle. The same project cannot receive funding from the Iowa Tourism Marketing Grant program two years in a row.
For more information, visit Travel Iowa.
