The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the “Department” or “DCEO”) is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to provide grants to assist in the development or improvement of tourism attractions that increase the economic impact of tourism throughout the State.
Donor Name: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
State: Illinois
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/03/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Grantees must be able to match grant dollars as described below in C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching. The Tourism Attractions Grant program is part of a broader effort underway to help reinvigorate tourism in Illinois and help the tourism industry on a path to economic recovery and welcome more visitors to Illinois.
Section 8a(1) of the Illinois Promotion Act authorizes the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to award grants to counties, municipalities, units of local government, not-for-profit organizations, local promotion groups and for-profit businesses for the development or improvement of tourism attractions in Illinois.
Tourism Attractions are defined as fishing and hunting areas, State parks, historical/cultural sites, areas of historic or scenic interest, museums, recreation areas, botanical gardens, theme/amusement parks, interpretive programs and other facilities or businesses that attract or serve visitors that are open to the public for a minimum of 100 days per year (if the tourism attraction is entirely event-driven, then it shall be open for a minimum of 200 hours per year), and are marketed and promoted to visitors from more than 50 miles away.
Performance Goals and Measures
Applicant must identify performance measurements they will use to identify successful outcomes as a result of the capital investment; such as:
- Anticipated number or percentage of increased visitation as a result of the capital investment;
- Anticipated increase in local hotel tax revenue to the area served after completion of the project;
- Anticipated increase in local sales tax revenue after completion of the project;
Funding Information
Total amount of funding expected to be awarded through this NOFO is $1,800,000. Awards will range from $15,000 to $200,000.
Project Period
July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
Expenditures and activities for which grant funds can be utilized by Grantees include, but are not limited to, the following for Tourism Attractions:
- Capital Projects- land and building acquisitions, construction and renovations of buildings for the purpose of creating or enhancing a Tourism Attraction;
- Equipment – purchase and installation of machinery and equipment designed to create or
- Enhance the Tourism Attraction, or rental of equipment for a Festival;
- Training – development and presentation of hospitality, quality service and/or other types of tourism training programs intended to provide a competitive workforce for the tourism industry of Illinois;
- Interpretive Programs – creation, implementation and staffing of, and fabrication of exhibits for, interpretive programs located within historic/cultural sites.
Eligibility Criteria
- Units of local government means counties, municipalities, townships, special districts, and units, designated as units of local government by law, which exercise limited governmental powers or powers in respect to limited governmental subjects, but does not include school districts.;
- Counties;
- Municipalities;
- Not-for-profit organizations;
- Local promotion groups means any non-profit corporation, organization, association, agency or committee thereof formed for the primary purpose of publicizing, promoting, advertising or otherwise encouraging the development of tourism in any municipality, county, or region of Illinois
- For-profit businesses
For more information, visit DCEO.
